Kick Off Schedule Released

The schedule for kick off has been released and is available for download here. This document, along with others, is available on the Team Resources page. Additional documents will be posted here after kick off day.

Teams are encouraged to use this draft schedule to plan their day. Each team should have at least one team member in each session. As you look at the schedule you will see that there are five tracks:

• Track A - BEST Award
• Track B - Engineering Notebook
• Track C - SolidWorks Software
• Track D - Robot Game and Scoring
• Track E - Field Viewing

Here are some tips for preparing for kick off day:

1. Bring as many team members, teachers and mentors as possible. Divide and conquer. Decide who will attend each session so that your team will be prepared. For example, your design people should attend the SolidWorks session.
2. Take good notes. Jot down ideas, and share what you learn with your team members. 
3. Designate at least one person to be the rules guru for your team. Go to the sessions on rules and learn how to find rules updates and ask questions about the rules. 
4. Pay close attention to the kick off event as it will provide vital information about this year's challenge.
5.  Be prepared to measure and examine the playing field at your appointed time. Bring tape measures, cameras and a video camera so that you can record all the details of the field. Several teams build a scaled-down version of a mock up of the field on which to practice.
6. Network with teams from other schools. 
7. Have fun!

Each team will receive an email with registration materials prior to kick off. The leader of each team should complete this paperwork and bring it with them on kick off day.

Pizza will be provided for lunch. 

Northeast Alabama BEST in the News

Check out these articles about BEST Robotics:

Northeast Alabama Community College News

The Times Journal

MathWorks Webinar Announced

From Greg Young at BEST Robotics, Inc.:

MathWorks will be hosting a training webinar for their Simulink programming software for BEST Robotics on Tuesday, September 4, from 5pm-6pm Central time. Anyone can register for the webinar through the link on the BRI website, www.bestinc.org, under the Announcements section.

Please take advantage of this opportunity for free training!

NACC Announces Technical Training Day

As a follow-up to the 2012 BEST Robotics Kick Off Event on September 15, Northeast Alabama Community College will sponsor a training session for new teams on the following Saturday. "There are lots of training sessions to be offered at Kick Off on September 15," said Dr. Mike Kennamer, "but these sessions are more focused on rules and getting started. Technical training sessions held the next Saturday will be more focused and intense".

The training sessions to be held on September 22 will be focused on technical skills. The current lineup includes a session on soldering and a session on Easy-C software. Classes on September 22 will begin at 8:00 am and will be held in the Industrial Systems Technology Center on the NACC campus.

Those taking the soldering class should bring their own soldering gun and solder, as well as safety glasses. Those participating in the Easy C class may bring a laptop loaded with Easy C. Instructions on how to receive a free download of Easy C for the BEST Robotics season will be available on Kick Off Day.

By September 22 teams will have had their kits for a week, and will have begun to formulate ideas about solving the challenge presented at Kick Off Day. These sessions will help teams to gain the technical skills necessary to be successful in building their robots.

There is a possibility that other workshops may be offered on the 22nd, as instructors are secured. Keep a watch on this site for additional information as well as a complete schedule for Kick Off Day.

Team Registration Has Begun!

We have now started to register teams for the 2012 BEST Robotics game, Warp XX. Teams who plan to participate should contact Nicole Carroll to let her know how many people they will bring to Kick-Off Day.

Look for a list of 2012 BEST Robotics teams on the website soon. We have space for 12 teams, so registration is first-come, first-served.

Looking forward to a great blast off into BEST 2012 on September 15!

Honoring the Memory of Neil Armstrong

In keeping with this year's space theme, it is only fitting that we honor the memory of astronaut Neil Armstrong, who passed away today at age 82.

Neil Aden Armstrong, born August 5, 1930, was an aviator in the United States Navy and served in the Korean War. He earned a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University, and joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1962. His first spaceflight was Gemini 8 in 1966 and made history as mission commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spend 2 1/2 hours on the surface of the moon. Some of the most famous words in recorded history are featured on this video.


As we prepare for this year's space-themed game, we would be amiss if we did not pause to honor the memory of this American hero.

Kick-Off and Training Sessions Coming Soon!

On Saturday, September 15--just three weeks from today--Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics will hold its first kick off event, signaling the start of the 2012 BEST Robotics season. A schedule will be posted soon, but we have included information here that you will need for planning.

At the kick off event, teams be introduced to this year's game, be given all the rules, and will receive all the materials with which to build their robot. In addition, a number of training sessions will be held to help teams hit the ground running.

2012 Northeast Alabama BEST Robotics Kick-Off Event

September 15, 2012. Registration begins at 9:00 am. All teams should be seated by 9:55 am.

Tom Bevill Lyceum on the campus of Northeast Alabama Community College

Teams should bring as many of their team members as possible. Each team will have the opportunity to photograph, video, and measure the playing field, and participate in training sessions. Lunch will be provided. You do not want to miss this event!