RM BEST Teacher / Mentor Newsletter 5

August 2022

2022 BEST Robotics Season

LAST DAYS TO REGISTER FOR SEASON (NLT 5 Sept)


Eight-Week MADE 2 ORDER Game Fall Hub Season

  • Saturday 17 September - Hub Kickoff Event – Combined with Front Range BEST teams: Game Reveal, Robot Material Distribution and Training, Englewood High School, 3800 S Logan St, Englewood
  • Saturday ~22 October - Online Critical Design Review Presentation
  • Saturday 29 October online 9am - Engineering Notebook Delivery Due
  • Saturday 29 October - Hub Practice Day Event – Team Practice and Optional BEST Award Marketing Presentation - STRIVE Prep RISE 18250 E 51st Ave, Denver
  • Saturday 12 November - Hub Game Day Event – Team Competition, Judging and Optional BEST Award Team Exhibit and Interviews, Englewood High School, 3800 S Logan St

Regional Championship

  • Saturday - Sunday 3-4 Dec - Denver BEST Regional Championship – Schools earn an invitation. Colorado School of Mines Lockridge Arena.

Team # - School as of 26 Aug


1302 - Abraham Lincoln High School

1304 - Aurora Frontier P-8

1307 - Broomfield HS

1308- Columbia MS

1310 - DSST: Byers

1311 - Gateway HS

1312 - Good Shepherd School

1314 - Monarch HS

1315 - Most Precious Blood Catholic School

1316 - Mrachek MS

1318 - Our Lady of Fatima School

1323 - St Peter and Paul School

1324 - St Therese School

1326 - STRIVE Prep – RISE

1327 - Thomas Jefferson HS

1328 - Valley HS

1331 - Blessed Miguel Pro Academy

1333 - Bennett High School*

1334 - Bennett Middle School*

1335 - Crescent View Academy*

*Rookie Schools



Please reply to this email with any questions. I'd also be happy to talk on the phone with you!

MADE 2 Order Game Teaser Video 

BEST 30th Anniversary Celebration

Walk Through History (Interactive) (Creators Steve & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)

Anniversary Activities

New Sites

Kickoff Early Plans

More details to come in early September

KICKOFF EVENT 17 September Englewood HS with Front Range BEST

  • ALL SCHOOLS MUST BE REGISTERED NLT 5 SEPT TO PARTICIPATE
  • For registered Teams - teachers, mentors, AND students (and parents as space is available)
  • We reveal the MADE2ORDER Game rules & game floor & demo prototype robot 
  • One-hour parallel breakout training sessions - most limited to 1/team with extra participation as space is available. Prerecorded videos will be available after the event.
  • Pick-up Robot Kit including robot material totes and three 2'x4' plywood sheets + 5' length of PVC Pipe - bring large enough vehicles to carry material *
  • Currently, we HIGHLY recommend all participants wear a mask.  
  • FINAL Kickoff Event details to be emailed out to REGISTERED teams by 7 September.

PREPARATIONS FOR KICKOFF

  1. Teachers must submit ("sign electronically") using this 2022 RMBEST Kickoff Returnable Kit form prior to event
  2. Download Software Licenses - Information under Registry Team Workflow Software Licenses - Especially 1 CORTEX control software option listed below including changed easyC option
  3. Consider a plan for attendance at the Breakout training sessions. 

BREAKOUT TRAINING SESSIONS (Sessions (1-8) limited to 1/team)

  1. Kits and Rules
  2. Intro to Engineering Notebook
  3. The BEST Award Competition (Optional competition)
  4. Intro to Simulink Programming Highly recommend bringing a WINDOWS PC with SIMULINK loaded.
  5. Teacher and Mentor Tips
  6. Intro to BEST Control Systems
  7. Intro to easyC Programming Highly recommend bringing a WINDOWS PC with easyC V6 loaded.
  8. Critical Design Review Presentation
  9. Robot Design & Construction tips- This session is held in the Gym - no limit on participation


USE THIS LINK to view and overview of each Breakout Session Overview


Especially for Rookie Tachers -

2019 Kickoff Presentation EXAMPLE to have better understanding of what to expect at a Kickoff event. NOTE: information contained in this presentation is NOT current for 2022!  2019 RM BEST Kickoff Event Presentation Charts 

Time

Activity

8:00 AM

NO Gym access until 8:50am

School Opens: Teacher or Mentor Check In + Kit Pick Up Start 

8:50 AM

Gym Doors open for Teams

9:00 AM

Event Presentation Start incl. Game Reveal

9:45 AM

Q&A + Game Field Viewing and Photos

10:30 AM

Breakout Session Start

11:30 AM 

Event & Kit Pick Up End

Register NOW to Reserve a Spot
Visit BEST National Registry Registration Website

Please Complete These Steps to Register your School

  • Step 1 - Primary Teacher (aka teacher or mentor that registers School) will need a Registry account to register your school. Use the button above to log into your account or to create an account if you do not have one. If a new account, select Rocky Mountain BEST as your hub.
  • Step 2 - Primary Teacher completes this step using the detailed Registry Instructions at this link. Select the blue Register a School button on the Schools page. Select Rocky Mountain BEST as your hub. Find your prior School Profile by selecting your school from the popup list of prior schools. OR If you are registering a new school, CREATE NEW School with button at bottom of the list.

Additional Teachers are associated with the registered school as Secondary or Assistant Teachers via the Registry Instructions at this link.

You’ll receive an email when your registration is approved

SEASON REPARATION

Some Suggested pre-Kickoff  Tasks

  • Recruit team members
  • Students must be registered via parents in BEST National Registry where FILES, SCHEDULES, LICENSE + other 
  • Take advantage of BEST ONLINE training – TEACHERS, MENTORS, PARENTS, STUDENTS (see below)
  • Use the Registry Software License section to evaluate software licenses your team might want to use. 
  • Consider requesting MathWorks software and attending ~6-hours of online training (see details below - request can take several days to process).
  • Evaluate your team’s tool list – consider prototype tools and materials too
  • Create a safety plan draft
  • Review 10 weekly bESTology postings for info / hints about this year’s game at this LINK 
  • Create a team schedule – when to meet & deadlines
  • Review 2021 DEMO DAZE Game Rules – all but Section 3 Game-Specific rules will have a lot of similarities in 2022. Pay special attention to Section 1. General Rules and Sections 4-7
  • Recruit other mentors – get them to register in BEST National Registry - a parent can be a mentor

bESTology Game Hints

bESTology - Jump start your teams with 10 Weekly web postings for the Made 2 Order game including Game Theme related topics; Class/group or individual exercises; Research, writing, thinking, learning.

  1. Defining Automatic
  2. What Job Where?
  3. Picking Which Way
  4. Control? What Is In Control?

 5.Choose Your ARMS

6. It’s A Matter Of Sense(ors) 

7.Where Are My Arms? Topics Sensors Path Orientation 

8.Which Way What? Topics Sensors Path Orientation-Gyroscopes Objective

9. Am I All I Can Be? Topics Function Autonomous Function or Not 

10.Where’s The Guidance? Topics Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV) Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR)

Robot Control Software

Licenses for CORTEX Processor

Available for download to Windows Based Computers

  • You can use one of 3 robot control software license options for VEX CORTEX processor
  • NEW THIS YEAR - ONE easyC license will be provided to each requesting RM BEST team, other licenses are not limited.
  • See Team Workflow - Team Software Licenses for all BEST licensing instructions and links

Options

  • easyC - one annual license key per requesting team - REPLY to this email to request. (Additional annual licenses can be purchased for $15/license using PROMO CODE.BEST2022). ALSO - available is a 7-day free trial version.
  • RobotC - free 4.56 (EXE) legacy version
  • MathWorks MATLAB/Simulink - see details below including a computer independent option

MathWorks Option

MathWorks has 2 MATLAB/Simulink Access Options - each with different BEST team use constraints


MATLAB/Simulink DOWNLOAD

  • Requires a Windows based computer NOTE: Will NOT work on MAC or LINUX or CHROME based computer
  • Can be used to control a Physical BEST Robot
  • Can be used to control an ONLINE Virtual BEST Robot
  • Control software generated by MATLAB/Simulink is downloaded to the provided kit physical robot VEX Cortex processor via a USB cable

MATLAB/Simulink ONLINE

  • Any computer can access the software via the web.
  • Virtual Robot control is possible only via a Keyboard (no Joystick control)
  • Cannot control a physical BEST robot
  • Includes MATLAB Drive for File Storage
  • Eases student computing requirements as it runs on a dedicated remote host

STEPS to access complimentary MathWorks license

  1. Register your team in the BEST National Registry with RM BEST Hub - use the instructions on the Team Workflow software license section.
  2. Several days before starting training or needing software for another reason, start the process to get software. 
  3. Generate a MathWorks account for BEST MathWorks Sponsored License by clicking Complimentary Software Request Software button at www.mathworks.com/best-roboticsWhen asked "which competition you are participating in", use "BEST Robotics" as the answer.
  4. Download and Installation requires significant time & resources. ALSO install Robotics Playground from Add-ons Explorer for training.

 

RESOURCES

MathWorks Simulink Workshop Series

If NEW to MathWorks, HIGHLY RECOMMEND viewing the following prior to the 6 Classes:


MATLAB and Simulink Getting Started Guide for BEST Robotics - Software Ramp Up (Video links on page 2)

  1. Intro to MATLAB (titled: Learn to Code with MATLAB)
  2. Intro to Simulink
  3. Intro to Stateflow


On Your Own MathWorks Training (6 Classes at ~60 minutes each)

BEST Simulink Training (Videos & Other files)

Class 1 (Unit 1 & 2)

Introduction to programming using MATLAB

Programming basic robot movements

Class 2 (Unit 3 & 4)

Introduction to robot simulations using Simulink

Programming interactive robot controls

Class 3 (Unit 5)

Using a distance sensor for autonomy

Hardware demonstration (VEX Cortex) - obstacle detection

Class 4 (Unit 6)

Using MATLAB Functions)

Creating Interactive Dashboard for your Robots (BEST Robotics SimBot with VEX Cortex Hardware)

Class 5 (Unit 7)

Task sequencing with flow diagrams using Stateflow

Hardware demo- IR sensor line follower

Class 6 (Unit 8)

Programming of maze-solving robots

Hands-on programming task

Available BEST Training Videos/Slides

September BEST Online Training

Applicable RM BEST Training


BEST IQ Challenge introduction & Kickoff

When Thu, Sept 8, 4:00pm – 4:30pm MDT

Description BEST IQ Challenge is back! On a new platform from our partner Mathworks. We've coupled the IQ challenge with coding for an interesting new challenge for students. We'll be introducing the platform (MATLAB Cody) and the fall challenge details at this Kickoff. You don't want to miss it. Open to anyone. This is a challenge for individuals.

Register to attend here

BEST IR Sensor Workshop

When Sat, Sept 24, 9am – 11am MDT

Where  Meeting WEBEX Link 

Description In-depth training on the BEST IR sensor operation, assembling the IR sensor kit and testing its functionality.

 

Please REPLY if you do NOT want to be on our 2022 Distribution List
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