BEST Robotics
The University of West Florida hosts the Emerald Coast BEST Robotics hub, the first BEST hub in the State of Florida. Emerald Coast BEST will hold its annual competition in the Field House at the University of West Florida.
The mission of BEST Inc. is to inspire middle and high school students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering-based robotics competition each fall.
The goal of Emerald Coast BEST is to accommodate as many robotic teams as the competition venue and hub finances can support.
The funding of hub operations depends entirely on corporate and individual sponsorships. Materials kits to build the robots are provided to the teams by the hub. No fees are paid by students or schools participating in BEST Robotics.
Emerald Coast BEST Team Registration
Registration for new and returning schools is now open.
Please visit and view our 2018 Video Teaser on YouTube.
Congratulations to our 2022 Winners
Best Award
1st Mobile Area Coalition of Homeschoolers
2nd Davidson High School
3rd Woodlawn Beach Middle School
Robot Award
1st Davidson High School
2nd MACH: Mobile Area Coalition of Homeschoolers
3rd Escambia High School
More Information
Kickoff
Saturday, September 9, 2023
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Building 82, Center for Fine & Performing Arts
University of West Florida
The BEST Robotics Kickoff event serves as the exciting launch of the annual robotics competition and marks the beginning of an engaging journey for participating students and teams. This event unveils the theme and specific challenges that participants will address throughout the competition season. This theme sets the tone for the robotics design and development process and encourages teams to think creatively and strategically. Detailed rules and guidelines of the competition are presented to the participating teams, including information about the game objectives, scoring criteria, field setup, and any specific rules that teams must follow while designing and building their robots. Teams also receive their robotics kits containing essential materials, components, and resources necessary for building their robots.
Teacher Training Day
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Building 72, Recreation Gym
University of West Florida
This hands-on training opportunity is designed to help teachers support their student teams as they build and program their competition robot. UWF faculty help teachers with foundational knowledge of electrical components, programming using RobotC, and using Vex controllers and other components of the BEST Robotics kit.
Student Training Day
Saturday, September 16, and Saturday, September 23, 2023
Building 72, Recreation Gym
University of West Florida
These training days are designed to help students with a range of skills that are crucial for programming and controlling their robots. UWF faculty help students gain foundational knowledge of electrical components, programming using RobotC, and using Vex controllers and other components of the BEST Robotics kit.
Practice Day
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Building 72, Recreation Gym
University of West Florida
This event is designed to help teams prepare for the actual competition by providing them with a controlled environment to test their robots and identify areas for improvement. Teams usually bring their partially or fully assembled robots to the practice venue for hands-on testing to assess their robot's performance, identify any technical issues, and gather data on how their robot interacts with the game elements. Teams use the practice day to test different strategies and approaches to the competition challenges. They can experiment with different paths, movements, and interactions to optimize their robot's performance during the actual competition.
Competition Game Day
Saturday, November 4, 2023
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Building 54, Field House
University of West Florida
Competition Day is a day of excitement, collaboration, and celebration, where participants demonstrate their STEM skills and teamwork while embracing the values of learning, innovation, and sportsmanship. It's a memorable culmination of weeks or months of hard work and dedication, creating lasting memories and inspiring a love for robotics and STEM fields.
