2023 Jackrabbit Best Robotics

Jerome J Lohr College of Engineering- South Dakota State University

BEST - Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology

Jacks Best completion is FREE for high schools and middle schools to participate!
• It is an Eight-week program

• No registration fees

• All supplies supplied by Jackrabbit BEST through sponsors

• Only costs incurred are travel, lodging, and meals

• No limit on number of students participating on team

• Only one team per school

How the Program Works

• Teams have eight weeks to design, build, and test a robot

• The game theme and competition field change every year

• Teams are provided with identical kits of parts and software to take back to their          school on Kick-Off Day

• On Game Day teams return with their robot to compete

• Two parallel competitions:

• Robotics Game: Includes the Robotics Competition and the team Project Engineering Notebook. Teams compete in a series of three-minute matches.
• BEST Award: Earned by the team that best embodies the concept of “Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology.” Includes the Robot Competition, Project Engineering Notebook, Marketing Presentation, Exhibit& Interview, and Spirit & Sportsmanship.

Registration is Open for 2023!!

We currently have 9 Teams registered for the upcoming competition.

They are:

Baltic School District

Beresford Public School 

Jackson County Central

Mitchell Christian School

Mobridge-Pollock High School

Northern Cass School

Sunshine Bible Academy

Viborg- Hurley

If you think you may have registered, but don't see your team here, please try again.

If you do not have a coach or mentor but would like to participate in the competition, please let us know. We will try our best to find a mentor for your team.

Thank you to all of the coaches who have registered.

Register Your Team Today!

To Register your Team, visit the My Schools - BEST Robotics. New teachers/coaches will need to first click on the ‘Create Account’ button and set up your account, and login. Returning teachers, if you have forgotten your password, click on ‘Login’ and there are instructions there to reset it.

Best Registry Help Option

There are some good ‘Help’ scripts available to help you through the registration process. The signup process for the members of your team has changed slightly so be aware of that. If you have any issues, click on the ‘email Support’ button at the top of the pages (see below).
You will receive an email to the address you provide on the registration when your team is accepted to the competition. If you don’t get that within a couple of days, let me know. The list of registered teams will be posted in future newsletters to keep you updated.

News Regarding New Controller Hardware

Best announced they have a short list of the platforms under consideration to replace the VEX hardware we are currently using. They plan to announce the final decision this August.
The use of Simulink will become much more important at that point to program the robots. Mathlab is a national sponsor and gives all teams free license to use this software for a year. They have a lot of online content designed specifically for BEST robotics (all the drivers for our hardware, tutorials, examples, etc.)

Event Dates!!

September 16th: Kick-Off Day
The playing field and game are revealed for the first time. Teams learn the game objectives, receive the kits for their robot, and can attend training sessions.

October 21st: Practice Day

This is an optional opportunity for teams to practice with their robot on the actual competition playing field, scope out the competition, and make robot changes.

November 10th: Game Day!!

Teams are rewarded for their hard work with a funday competing with their robot and are also judged on their Engineering Notebook, Exhibit & Interview, Marketing Presentation, and Spirit & Sportsmanship. Winners advance to regional competition. 

Past Competition Video's