Lipscomb's BEST Robotics competition bigger than ever this November

 

Sixteen teams from three states and seven Middle Tennessee counties will be going “Just Plane Crazy” on Saturday, Nov. 8, and they are inviting local kids to go along with them by attending the third annual Music City BEST Robotics Competition, held in Allen Arena on the Lipscomb University campus.

Sponsored by Lipscomb’s Raymond B. Jones School of Engineering, 2008’s Music City BEST sports the theme “Just Plane Crazy.” Sixteen teams of middle- and high-schoolers will maneuver their remote controlled robots to assemble a 2-foot by 2-foot Alumalite plane and launch it by attaching it to magnets suspended above the ground.

The student-built robots will begin rolling 9 a.m. and continue to around 4 p.m., with a lunch break at 12:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The best times to see the robots in action are 10 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

BEST Mall Day – Nov. 1

All teams also have the option to try out their robot prototypes before the general public on Saturday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to about noon, at Cool Springs Galleria, in front of JC Penney, in Franklin, just outside the JC Penney entrance.

What is Music City BEST?

 

The BEST program (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) is a 15-year-old, nationwide, hands-on engineering program challenging students to build a robot using specific materials such as plywood, PVC pipe, duct tape and this year a computerized control system called the BRAIN. The goal is to teach problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills through math and science -- two highly valued skills in the education arena today.

The robot that earns the most points on Nov. 8 at Allen Arena by building and launching the most planes wins the overall competition, but the robots can also be awarded honors such as Most Photogenic, Most Robust, Most Elegant, the BEST Award, and the Blood, Guts and Duct Tape Award for the team with few points, but lots of guts and spirit.

Music City BEST is in its third year in 2008 and will be larger than ever. On Sept. 27, the 16 participating teams traveled to Lipscomb to get their first glimpse of the game field, find out about the robot’s task, obtain the approved parts for the robot and participate in voluntary classes to get a firm foundation in engineering concepts.

“The kids are always excited. They come in with their cameras, measuring tapes and notebooks, and they immediately start looking at the details of the field. They get very focused on what the task is,” said Michael Colletti, adjunct engineering professor at Lipscomb and coordinator of the BEST program. “You don’t hear moaning and groaning about how difficult it is. What you hear is immediate brainstorming about how to achieve the challenge.

“Without knowing it, they are suddenly applying all those things they learned in physics and math to tackle this challenge,” Colletti said.

“We are certainly interested in hosting the competition, but we are very interested in getting students excited about learning,” said Ben Hutchinson, dean of Lipscomb’s College of Natural and Applied Science, which houses the engineering school. “The robot makes the project interesting for the whole team and lets the students come together and build something they are proud of.”

David Lipscomb is a veteran BEST competitor

Last year at Music City BEST, the David Lipscomb Campus School team won for most robust machine, best project notebook, best table display and interview, second place in robot performance points and the overall BEST Award.

Lipscomb’s budding engineers went on to compete at the regional South’s BEST competition in Auburn, Ala., and won second place for most robust robot and first place for most elegant robot out of 45 participating teams.

In 2006, at Music City BEST, the David Lipscomb Campus School team won the most points in the competition and was awarded for the most robust machine. At the South’s BEST competition, the team earned the ninth most points out of 44 teams and ranked 17^th in the overall competition, which also includes an oral presentation, display notebook and sportsmanship.

Music City BEST's other shining star is McFadden School of Excellence from Murfreesboro, which went on to the South’s BEST regionals and became a Championship Round Finalist. McFadden was also awarded second place for the most elegant robot and the Igus Top Gun Award for scoring the most points in a single round.

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