Email us at BellAVR@roboticseducation.org for additional information about the Bell AVR Competition.
The Bell AVR Drone comes with a set of open-source instructions, designed to be a similar experience as building an R/C car. We will show you where every component, screw, and wire goes!
The documentation is intended to be comprehensive enough for teams who have no prior experience with drone design / construction to achieve “first flight” within the first few weeks of build season.
The documentation will also include “send us feedback” links on every page - so, if you come across a step that is particularly confusing, or find a different way to approach a problem, you can let us know and we will be updating the documentation throughout the season for all teams to benefit from!
Teams will need the following skills in order to follow the build instructions:
The following programming languages/environments can be used:
Teams should first refer to the Assembly and Build Instructions for detailed information on how to build and program their vehicles. Further technical support regarding the vehicles and Game Manual Questions on the Bell AVR Forum.
New Team registration for this season will be $4,000 per team. This registration fee includes:
Teams that participated in the 2022 Bell AVR season are eligible for the Returning Team registration at $2500 per team. This registration fee includes:
Generally, payment is required in order to ship the registration kit. However, we understand that school purchasing delays can happen, and we will do what we can to accommodate these situations case-by-case. We would still encourage you to go through the registration process on RobotEvents.com, choose "Pay Later”. However, this route includes the following caveats:
The minimum number is 7 students, to support the 7-student drive team. If you have fewer than 7 students, your drive team may not be able to complete all of the challenges successfully. There is no maximum, but we would typically recommend no more than 10-15 students for a single team.
Yes. Please complete the registration process first and receive a generic number, and then contact your REC Foundation Team Engagement Manager to request a number change.
The 2023 season timeline:
Note: All dimensions above are listed as length-width-height, or X-Y-Z.
Qualifying events are held each of the first three weekends in November. Events for the 2023 season will be located at the University of Texas at Arlington, and in Grandville, Michigan. Go to RobotEvents.com to view event details and to register for qualifying events.
Notes: The November 3 event will be a scrimmage event only (no qualifying spots or judging). See the event details on RobotEvents.com. If the events fill up in Grandville, then the REC Foundation may add additional events on November 10 and/or November 17.
One event is included in the team registration fee, and teams have the option to register for a second event for a $500 event fee.
The season-culminating championship event will be a 2-day event held on December 1-2, 2023, at the Bell Innovation Barn in Ft. Worth, TX. Teams should review the Game Manual to learn how to qualify for this event.
The Championship event in December will be an additional $500 per team (not included in the initial team registration fee).
Teams can register for an event on RobotEvents.com. Only the team contacts in RobotEvents can register a team for an event. Once the team contact is logged in, then they can follow the steps below to register for an event:
First Event: The team contact can select the “Register” button on the event page to register for their first event. Select the “Pay Later” option in the Checkout process. The REC Foundation will mark your team as paid for your first event.
Second Event: Teams that would like to register for an additional qualifying event will need to add themselves to the event Waitlist. If there is capacity, the REC Foundation will add your team to the event. Priority will be given to first-event teams. When added to the event, teams will need to pay the $500 event registration fee in RobotEvents.com using an approved PO, credit card, or check (not included in the initial team registration).
November 3 Scrimmage Event: Teams that wish to participate in the November 3 scrimmage event at the University of Texas at Arlington will need to add themselves to the event Waitlist. Teams should register for their first Qualifying Event before adding themselves to the Scrimmage Waitlist. This event will be free to teams. This event does not include any qualifying spots or judged awards.
Questions: If you have any questions regarding registering for events, please contact your Bell AVR Regional Support Manager, Shelli Brasher: Shelli_Brasher@roboticseducation.org.
Qualification criteria will be released alongside the rest of the game materials in August!
Once your team receives your kit of parts (KOPs), please carefully check to ensure that you have received all of the parts. A visual KOPs list will be included with your shipment. If you are missing any parts or if you find any of the parts damaged upon arrival, please complete the form within two weeks of receiving your KOPs.
➥ Bell AVR Missing/Damaged KOP Request Form
This form is to be completed ONLY if a team notices that they are missing a part when they receive their kit or if the part was broken upon arrival. More information on how to acquire replacement parts during the season can be found on the Bell AVR Website.
The KOPs provides the foundational functionality to compete in the Bell AVR Competition, but there are opportunities to use the engineering design process to increase the functionality to perform specific game tasks. Parts to complete these tasks may not be included in the KOP and teams will need to procure those parts and ensure they are consistent with the Bell AVR Game Manual rules for the current season. The Bell AVR Forum is a great place to discuss design ideas within the community and help troubleshoot technical issues that are not covered in the Assembly Guide.
The process for ordering spare and replacement parts has changed for the 2023 season. Teams will be responsible for purchasing spare or replacement commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts this season. The REC Foundation will provide part information to assist with ordering COTS parts in the spreadsheet below.
➥ 2023 Bell AVR Part Information Spreadsheet
Quad Standard Labs (QSL) is a drone parts reseller in the Austin, Texas area. They are a great resource for purchasing parts if you like to bundle orders under one reseller, although they may not have all the parts included in the bill of materials.
If a part is a custom part (not COTS), review the notes section in the spreadsheet on suggestions for finding or making a replacement part. A selection of the AVR Drone custom parts may be available from the REC Foundation for replacement for damaged parts.
➥ AVR Drone Custom Part Replacement Request Form
This form is to be completed ONLY if a team has a damaged custom part they need to be replaced. Damaged parts will need to be sent back to the REC Foundation. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide extra custom parts for spares at this time.
Teams that have registered and paid for the current season that would like to purchase additional AVR Drone kits can submit a request using the form link below.
➥ Additional AVR Drone Kit Order Request Form
Teams that have registered and paid for the current season that would like to purchase additional AVR Drone kits can submit a request using the form link below.
➥ Additional AVR Drone Kit Order Request Form
New teams for the current season receive a complimentary 1-year license to the Droneblocks curriculum, which will be emailed directly to the team. Returning teams that would like to renew their license can do so online with a credit card directly on the Droneblocks website here or they can send purchase orders to Support@droneblocks.io.
We recommend a standard netted pop-up tent or a commercially-available drone cage.
