Guide to Judging: Awards – Aerial Drone Competition

Overview

The Qualifying Criteria contains charts that indicate which Awards will qualify teams from local events to a Championship event. The exact number of qualifying spots allocated to each event is determined by the REC Foundation Manager for that region, and can be found on that event’s information page on RobotEvents.com.

There are two types of qualifying awards at REC Foundation-qualified competitions.

Performance Awards

Based on robot performance on the competition field in the Teamwork Mission (Teamwork Champion, Finalist/Second Place, etc.) and Piloting and Autonomous Flight Missions (Skills Champion, Skills Second Place, etc.). Performance Awards do not impact the eligibility of a team to earn a Judged Award.

Judged Awards

Based on the award criteria. Judges, in coordination with the Judge Advisor, determine judged awards using the REC Foundation judging process, award criteria, and rubrics. Event Partners who choose to include judging at their event may choose which awards are offered in accordance with the Qualifying Criteria. The selection of judged awards may vary, but the Excellence Award, Flight Operations, and Judges Award are required. Single page award descriptions can be printed out for use in Judge Deliberations.

Each Award only occurs in a single instance at each event with the exception of the Excellence Award, which may be given to one team in each grade level at eligible blended events in accordance with the Qualifying Criteria, and the Judges Award, which is required to be given out in once instance, and optionally may be given out in a second instance at an event. If no team meets the requirements for an award, that award should not be given out at an event.

The precedence of Judged Awards is Excellence, Flight Operations, Think, Inspire and Judges. This precedence is found in the Qualifying Criteria and is the same precedence as qualifying spots to the next level of competition.

Additionally, there may be two other types of awards presented at some events:

Individual Recognition Awards

Recognize the contributions of a volunteer, mentor, teacher, or sponsor, and are determined by the Event Partner. Judges do not determine individual award winners. Event Partners may create their own process for judging these awards if needed.

Individual Recognition Awards and Custom Awards

While nearly all events choose to use standard awards, it is possible to give out custom awards using the Tournament Manager software. To help prevent confusion, Event Partners should ensure that teams understand which awards being presented are custom awards specific to the event.

Judged Awards

Excellence Award - The Excellence Award is awarded to the team that exhibits overall excellence in both judged awards and performance categories. Qualifications Include:

Be at or near the top of competition logbook rankings
Be a candidate in consideration for other judged awards.
Exhibit a high-quality team interview
Exhibit positive team conduct, good sportsmanship, and professionalism.
Be ranked in the top 50% of qualification ranking at the conclusion of qualifying teamwork matches
Be ranked in the top 50% of skills rankings at the conclusion of autonomous flight and piloting skills matches

Additional notes:

Under certain conditions, at events which combine both grade levels (Middle School and High School one Excellence Award per grade level may be awarded. This is determined by the REC Foundation Manager and the Qualifying Criteria.
In the instance of two grade level specific Excellence Awards being given out at an event, teams are to be compared only among teams of the same grade level. For quantitative event data, determining the rankings by age group can be done by using the “Team List”, “Qualification Rankings”, and “Skills Challenge Rankings by Age Group” reports from the Reports tab in Tournament Manager at the event.
Excellence Award criteria, including performance metrics, are intended as a threshold for eligibility. Qualitative judgement on the part of judges is needed to discern an Excellence Award winner from among eligible candidates.
- Note: Since the Aerial Drone Competition program is a developing program, there may be cases where judges can not identify a team that meets all of the qualification for the excellence award. In this case, judges should deliberate and use their best judgement to determine which team represents the intent of the award, which is to identify the most well rounded team.

Flight Operations Award - The Flight Operations Award recognizes a team with an organized, systematic, and professional approach to planning and strategizing, project and time management, and team organization. Qualifications include:

Be at or near the top of competition logbook rankings
Exhibit a high-quality team interview
Team interview demonstrates effective communication skills, teamwork, and professionalism,
Competition logbook demonstrates clear, complete, and organized records.
Competition logbook and team interview demonstrate a student-entered ethos
Team interview demonstrates their ability to explain teamwork mission, autonomous flight mission, and piloting skills mission strategy
Team demonstrates effective management of time, talent, and resources
- Note: Since the Aerial Drone Competition program is a developing program, there may be cases where judges can not identify a team that meets all of the qualification for the Flight Operations Award. In this case, judges should deliberate and use their best judgement to determine which team represents the intent of the award, which is to identify the team demonstrates the most effective management of time, talent, and resources.

Think Award - The think award recognizes the team with the most effective and consistent use of coding techniques and programming design solutions in autonomous flight.

Participation in the autonomous flight mission
Programs are cleanly written, well annotated, and documented
Competition logbook demonstrates a clear, complete, and organized record of the programming management process, including version history
Strategies are well-documented from initial conception to execution
Students understand and explain how they worked together to develop their drone’s programming
Team demonstrates effective management of time, talent, and resources

Inspire Award - The Inspire Award recognizes a team that shares their experiences, enthusiasm and knowledge with others in the Aerial Drone Competition community.

Team exhibits passion and a positive attitude at the event and/or towards the Aerial Drone Competition program.
Team exhibits integrity and goodwill towards other teams, coaches, and spectators

Judges Award - The Judges Award recognizes a team that the judges felt were deserving of special recognition. For example:

Team distinguishes themselves in some way at the event that may not fit in other award categories
Exhibits a high-quality team interview
Team displays special attributes, exemplary effort, and perseverance at the event
Team overcomes an obstacle or challenge and achieves a goal or special accomplishment
Team interview demonstrates effective communication skills, teamwork, professionalism, and a student-centered ethos

Continue to the next section, Guide to Judging: Award Deliberations