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 2023 season timeline:
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.
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. The specific dates and locations are tentatively listed below but are subject to change.
Events for the 2023 season will be located in Arlington, Texas and in Grandville, MI.
Note: Events with an asterisk (*) may be added, only if needed.
The season-culminating championship event is on Dec 2, 2023 in Arlington TX
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.
To register for an event, you will need to visit the page for the event (example) while logged in, and add your team to the waitlist.
First Event – Teams registering for their first event should be automatically moved from the waitlist to the “registered teams” list.
Second Event – Teams registering for their second event will receive an invoice for the $500 registration fee through RobotEvents before being added to the “registered teams” list.
Contact – The best resource for help with this process is going to be to contact your Bell AVR Regional Support Manager, who will answer any questions you may have!
Note: Events this season are held over one full day. Most weekends have two events held on back-to-back days so that fields can stay remain set up overnight, but these are not actually 2-day events.
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.
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
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.
We recommend a standard netted pop-up tent or a commercially-available drone cage.
