There are several options to hosting an event and our Aerial Drone Competition Support Team will assist with matching the event with your available venue and resources.
The event types and layouts shared in this guide are models for best practices, but you will notice that no two events look exactly alike. The REC Foundation prioritizes a consistent experience aligned with the Game Manual and Judging process, but you will find that implementing events can be tailored to your available resources to promote sustainability and a positive experience for students, volunteers, and EPs.
REC Foundation events are held locally throughout the year in cities around the nation, culminating in Championship Events.
Workshops
Workshops provide in-person or online opportunities for those in the robotics community to gain skills, promote STEM, and inspire students. Workshops can be customized as desired by the EP and held throughout the year. Examples of Workshops include camps, virtual or in-person training, and STEM activities. Some workshops are designed specifically for EPs or volunteers, while others may be for student participants.
Scrimmages
Scrimmages are non-qualifying events (tournaments or leagues) that give teams an additional opportunity to test their robot designs. Scrimmage results do not upload to RobotEvents.com. This means that any judged awards given out or Skills scores earned cannot count toward the Championship qualification. Scrimmages can follow the same format as a Tournament or League, or they can be customized as desired to meet the needs of the community.
Tournaments
Tournaments are the most common event type. Tournaments are typically one day events that feature the 4 Aerial Drone Competition Missions.
- Teamwork Mission
- Flight Operations Mission
- Piloting Skills Mission
- Communication Mission
Leagues
Leagues provide multiple opportunities for a group of teams to compete. Leagues are events with three (3) or more Ranking Sessions plus a League Finals Session. Ranking Sessions include Qualification Matches and/or Skills Matches.
Ranking Sessions are usually only a few hours long and are scheduled several weeks apart to give teams an opportunity to improve their programming and mission strategies between sessions.
The Communications Mission (judging) is typically done on the League Finals Session.
Aerial Drone Competition Regional Championships
Teams must qualify for Aerial Drone Championship Events. Teams can qualify by winning specific awards at Tournaments or Leagues. The specific award that qualifies teams to Championships will be listed on that event’s event posting on Robotevents.com in the Awards tab.
Other Event Class Types
The REC Foundation may provide additional event options to support and grow special initiatives. Registration and qualification information to these events will be shared on the event page. Examples of these special event classes are:
- JROTC National Championships
- Showcase Events