AU TO HOST 2006 SOUTH’S BEST ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION

AUBURN - Auburn University will host the 2006 South’s BEST Robotics Championship Competition on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 9 a.m. in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. More than 3,000 students from across the eastern U.S. will compete to see which team can build the best robot for head-to-head competition. The 44 teams that have advanced to South’s BEST are the winners of nine local competitions in states ranging from Ohio to Pennsylvania to Illinois to Alabama.
BEST stands for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology.

Each team was given the charge of designing, building and marketing the best robot from a packet of materials acquired in mid-September. The robots participate in a head-to-head competition on a game-centered playing field built around a domestic robot designed to handle laundry - aptly named Laundry Quandary.

Nationally, more than 9,000 students competed in this year’s competition.

BEST brings sports-like energy to an academic competition, showcasing engineering, math and science in a way that captures the real-world excitement of these disciplines. In addition to the robotics competition, teams can also choose to compete for the BEST Award with display booths, notebooks, presentations and team spirit.

“BEST is about problem solving, teamwork and scheduling,” says BEST co-director George Blanks. “The lessons learned in this competition will benefit these students throughout life.”

“Teachers tell us that BEST inspires students to sign up for advanced math and science classes,” says BEST co-director Mary Lou Ewald. “Students tell us that BEST inspires them to consider careers in science, math and engineering. In the longer view, BEST is about developing the workforce necessary to ensure that our country remains competitive in today’s global marketplace.”

And best of all, BEST is just plain fun. South’s BEST is co-hosted by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Sciences and Mathematics. For more information, go to www.southsbest.org.

Auburn University is a preeminent land-grant and comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.

(Contributed by Sara Borchik.)

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