The BEST Robotics Competition, short for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology, is an annual STEM competition where teams face off to solve real-world problems. Founded in 1993 by two Texas Instruments engineers, Ted Mahler and Steve Marum, the competition has expanded to include several hubs across the US, and today, over 18,000 students nation-wide. For more information, check out the BEST Robotics website below.
The 2024 BEST Robotics competition, themed "LOW G," marks the 32nd year of the nation-wide challenge. This year's competition simulates the conditions of the moon, where teams are tasked with building a rover capable of mining and collecting moon core samples, collecting moon rocks, repairing lunar landing site equipment, and safely transporting an astronaut. This competition pushes participants to design unique and creative solutions for real-world space exploration, all the while requiring the teams to utilize their skills in engineering, programming, and most importantly, teamwork.
At the Royals Organization for Aeronautical Research and Reconnaissance,
we were tasked by the world’s space agencies to construct a reusable,
low-impact, user friendly rover to complete lunar tasks in a safe,
time effective and efficient manner. This is to conduct research,
transport astronauts, and establish moon bases for habitation while
remaining ethical in our process.
Our customers will always expect top quality and performance with our
aeronautical products. ROARR really personalizes our clients and ensures that all their needs are met. We
deliver innovative and precision engineered lunar exploration rovers that can withstand the harsh terrain and
low gravity environment that comes with roaming the moon.
“The PLTW courses helped me so much before coming here (Purdue Engineering). Consistently I feel like I am one
of the most prepared students in my classes. I am doing many projects at a lower level than I did in high
school because of what HSE’s course curriculum contains. I also feel that the learning environment is much
safer and more productive at HSE. Make sure your students know the quality of education you are giving them,
because as of what will be a year and a half of college and $60,000 your program is far superior.”
-
Joshua Leroux
“I just wanted to write and tell you that I'm ridiculously thankful for how hard you pushed me in high school.
Setting the bar so far ahead of where I was made me work that much harder to get to where I needed to be.
Being a student in your engineering program put me so far ahead of most of the people here (Purdue
Engineering), not just in the experience of the curriculum, but in the lessons learned from it. Through the
experience of HSE’s CIM class, I learned to manage my time appropriately, which is a skill I need now more
than ever. We took a tour of the machine and hot metals laboratory on campus our first day, and I could
count on one hand the equipment I had not seen before. So again, thank you so much for setting the bar so
high and giving me the opportunities to work with all of the technology I could before leaving
HSE.”
- James Ganey
“I would just like to say thank you for being a great teacher, not only in school but more importantly in
life. I really appreciated everything that you did for me, even the lessons which had nothing to do with
architecture. I used to listen to you talk about taking pride in your work and what you do now will help you
later in life. I finally believe the truth in your words, and other students will learn too, later in
life!”
- Devon Dorsey
“BEST Robotics has taught me how to be a good leader on a team. Without teamwork, we could not have been able
to get anywhere with building a robot. Participating in BEST Robotics has allowed me to work on my
leadership skills in ways that no other program has been able to. I know that wherever I go to college and
eventually into the workforce, I will carry the lessons in leadership that BEST taught me.”
- Elena
Thomson, current team leader
"Participating in the BEST competition so far has taught me so much about teamwork and time management. Having
to collaborate with unfamiliar faces and coordinate ideas and tasks with my peers has been crucial to my
success. I also had to juggle my many extracurriculars on top of working on the marketing presentation, in
turn allowing my time management skills to flourish. Overall, participating in the program has not only
turned me into a much better student, but it also prepared me for my collegiate and professional
future."
- Tyler Rich, current team member
