BGSU to hold 12th Falcon BEST robotics competition on Nov. 2

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Engaging the community in advanced manufacturing and robotics education and experiences, Bowling Green State University will hold the 12th Falcon BEST robotics competition from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Stroh Center, featuring 11 high school teams from around the region.

As the only competition of its kind in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, the BGSU event challenges teams to design remote-controlled robots for competition against one another. Each team is provided with an identical kit of equipment and parts, a set of game rules and is given six weeks to design, build and test its robot. Teams are also judged on their marketing presentation, project engineering, team entrepreneurship and additional categories such as video and website design and robot modeling.

Ahead of the competition, the high school teams collaborate with and work alongside BGSU faculty, students, engineers and technical professionals to perfect their designs while exploring opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – or STEM – education and careers.

Committed to meeting Ohio's workforce needs in advanced manufacturing and logistics, BGSU this fall launched degrees in robotics engineering, electronics and computer engineering and mechanical and manufacturing engineering that build upon its longstanding offerings in applied engineering. BGSU is further elevating engineering education through the investment in the state-of-the-art Technology Engineering Innovation Center, which is slated to open in spring 2026 and will blend classroom and experiential learning in the three distinct disciplines.

This year's BGSU Falcon BEST robotics competition is presented in part by First Solar, Inc., Rudolph Libbe Group, Inc., Missile Defense Agency STEM - US Department of Defense, BGSU College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering and BGSU Summer Academic Youth Programs.