Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been science fiction for decades.
Today many companies, such as IBM, Google, OpenAI, Nvidia and others, are actively developing artificial intelligence systems. BEST Robotics does not want to be left behind in this exciting endeavor and is looking to its many teams to develop and train an AI system. Teams are to build a robot which represents a pair of AI software systems. The first is a neural network constructor. Neural nets are the building blocks of AI, defining the connections from the inputs of the AI to the outputs of the AI. Use the robot to select the connection matrix and wire it up. The second is a “web crawler,” which searches the internet to find data that will be used to train the AI. BEST only wants to train their AI using the highest quality information available. Some sources of information (libraries and newspapers) contain more truth and fewer errors than other sources (social media sites). BEST wants a robot that can distinguish between fact and fiction.
The robot’s twofold job is to build a neural network and to “crawl” the internet sites, collecting the TRUE factoids and ignoring the FALSE factoids.
Objectives
Design and build a robot capable of training your team’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) by performing the following tasks:
- Data Collection
- Collect data elements from any of 4 distinct areas
- Sort data elements as TRUE or FALSE based on certain (physical) properties
- Select/Build an AI Model
- Select a specific AI model to build/train (one of 3)
- Build a Neural Network AI model by connecting network Tiles to the available nodes
- Train (LEARN)
- Feed the model as much TRUE data as possible to maximize the probability of success for the model
- The tasks are to be performed by robotic methods.
KickOff - Saturday, September 6. 2025 - Wichita State University Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita, KS
Mall Day - October 18, 2025 - Wichita State University Heskett Center , Wichita, KS
Game Day - November 1, 2025 - Charles Koch Arena Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Wichita Collegiate HS
Moundridge
Council Grove High School
Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
Wichita Homeschool
Republic County High School
Quark Robotics - Rose Hill
Central Christian Academy
* McHomes Homeschool Co-op
USD 300 - South Central High School
Garden City High School
Rock Creek High School
Life Prepatory Academy
Valley Center High School
Berean Academy
Stafford
* Wellington STEM
BEST Award:
1st - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd - Garden City High School, 3rd - Central Christian Academy
Game Award:
1st - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd - Garden City High School, 3rd - McHomes Homeschool Co-op, 4th - Valley Center High School
Founders Award for Creative Design
Garden City High School
Most Robust Design Award
Moundridge
Top Gun
Most points in a single seeding round, Wichita Homeschool - 707 points, Driver Macallen Mages
Engineering Notebook
1st -Garden City High School, 2nd - Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Tie - Central Chiristian Academy & Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
Marketing Presentation presented by WSU Barton School of Business
1st - Garden City High School, 2nd -Wichita Homeschool, 3rd - Council Grove High School
Team Exhibit and Interview
1st - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd - Council Grove High School, 3rd - Garden City High School
Spirit and Sportsmanship
1st - Central Christian Academy, 2nd - Quark Robotics - Rose Hill, 3rd - Wichita Homeschool
First Notebook Submitted
Moundridge
Advanced to Regional
*Wichita Homeschool, * Garden City High School, * Central Christian Academy, McHomes Homeschool, Valley Center High School
*BEST Award participants