2026-27 ARC Competition Rulebook

1Introduction#

1.1What is the Aerospace Robotics Competition?#

The Aerospace Robotics Competition (ARC) is a high school and middle school drone competition offered by the non-profit organization STEM-ED INC. STEM-ED INC has the mission of providing hands-on, accessible, and relevant opportunities for students to encourage them to join STEM.

ARC is currently offered in 3 regions:

• Antelope Valley, CA: AntelopeValley@stemed.org
• New England (NH): NewEngland@stemed.org
• San Diego, CA: SanDiego@stemed.org

Each region consists of up to 30 teams, with volunteers providing local support and events. Regions with up to 18 teams will host a Saturday-only competition. Regions with 19-30 teams will host a 2-day competition from Friday through Saturday. Event schedules will be finalized and published after registration is closed and at least 7 days prior to the event.

The top 3 champions from the advanced division and the top 2 champions from the beginner division of each region will be invited to the ARC National Championship. The National Competition rulebook is released approximately 30 days before the event, with further details distributed throughout the season.

1.2What are the Benefits of ARC?#

1.2.1For Students#

ARC seeks to ignite a passion for aerospace-related STEM work in high schools and middle schools around the nation. The competition is built upon four pillars:

• Hands-on flying of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
• Developing knowledge of unmanned and autonomous systems
• Learning basic aerospace engineering principles
• Understand ethical considerations when developing technology

High school students (and middle school students/teams) gain valuable experience with hands-on designing, building, testing, and flying of quadcopter drones. They are encouraged to use the engineering process, complete independent research, and practice communication and teamwork skills.

1.2.2For Volunteers#

STEM-ED INC is 100% volunteer-operated, which supports the mission of an affordable competition. All volunteers are passionate about promoting accessible STEM opportunities to students of all backgrounds. ARC needs a wide variety of skill sets for these events to be possible, and volunteers are encouraged to learn and grow in any topics of interest. Please contact your local region or Support@stemed.org if you are interested in receiving more information about supporting STEM-ED INC as a volunteer.

1.2.3For Sponsors#

Robotics events require an extensive list of supplies, which must be purchased through team fundraising or sponsorship. As STEM-ED INC aims to provide an affordable event to all students, sponsorships are critical for reducing team participation costs and creating a fantastic competition experience. Donors can support STEM education in their community and nationwide by providing financial assistance through the registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization STEM-ED INC. Please contact your local region or Support@stemed.org if you are interested in receiving more information about supporting STEM-ED INC as a donor.

1.3Season Overview#

1.3.1Mission Background#

While drones are exciting and fun, there is a greater purpose to the skills learned through ARC. As the season progresses, challenges are focused on developing several areas of students' lives.

Engineering

• The engineering process develops vital critical thinking skills useful in all aspects of

engineering and life.

• Hands-on skill development improves coordination, experience, and confidence in hands-on

projects.

• Completing ARC challenges promotes creativity in designs, develops an understanding of

successful structures, and boosts problem-solving abilities.

• Troubleshooting skills are important for all aspects of life, promoting a logical process of

patiently working through issues to find a solution.

Drones

• Since drones are a growing technology with a wide variety of functions, students develop an

understanding of real-world problems and solutions through getting hands-on experience with cutting edge technology.

• ARC challenges are related to positive applications of drones, giving students the opportunity

to ponder the humanitarian and industrial benefits of their skills — this season, through the lens of infrastructure and construction.

Communication

• Teamwork is required for all engineering roles, so ARC provides challenges which encourage

teamwork for success.

• No matter how impressive a design is, if the engineer cannot communicate properly, the

design cannot be used. ARC requires both verbal and written communication, so students build these critical skills through practice.

Ethics

• Ethics is central to the competition, guided by STEM-ED's core values of Integrity,

Excellence, and Respect. Volunteers and students are expected to uphold these principles throughout the event.

• STEM-ED has partnered with the Saint Anselm College Center for Ethics in Society to

illuminate the need for students to consider the ethical implementation of technology development.

• Through real-world challenges, students learn to apply their skills to improving the world.
• ARC prioritizes safety, urging teams to consider the well-being of others, including opponents

and spectators, rather than solely focusing on winning.

• Humility and admitting mistakes are vital for engineers to prevent dangerous, costly errors.

ARC fosters a supportive environment in which students feel safe asking questions and seeking help.

1.3.2Rulebook Overview#

This rulebook is large, but it is full of important information for teams to reference throughout the season. Teams are recommended to read the entire rulebook once and print a copy for meetings.

Smaller companion documents to be released:

• 2026-27 Field Setup Guide
• 2026-27 Safety and FAA Compliance Guide
• Scoring calculation sheet
• Scoring rubrics

Available at stemed.org/arc. Feedback via Rulebook Feedback Form; questions to Support@stemed.org.

2Competition Overview#

2.1Competition Venue#

Each ARC competition venue will use standardized specifications for safety and field setup. The flying field boundaries are marked with soccer cones (or similar), keeping personnel outside drone tether range.

• Red Zone: for the pilot(s)/copilot(s) of the current round only.
• Team support zone: teammates, coaches, mentors, parents/guardians may spectate.
• Students/spectators from other teams not currently participating must stay outside both

zones, watching from bleachers or team pits (see Section 5.2).

Team technical and ethical presentations are completed indoors. A projector will be provided; the judging panel displays the teams' virtually-submitted presentation slides.

2.2Team Roles#

2.3Season Schedule#

2.4Eligibility Requirements#

2.4.1Season Participation Eligibility#

To participate in the ARC season (Virtual Tasks, virtual office hours, Regional Competition), teams must complete all registration tasks by the published registration deadline. Registration (completed by team coach):

• Submit registration form: stemed.org/registration
• Pay registration fee: stemed.org/registration

Additional tasks to compete in Regional Competition:

• All students must have a waiver completed by parent/guardian, submitted through

WaiverSign by the published deadline, to participate at the flying field or in photographs.

• Teams must submit Pre-Competition Surveys and attend their Regional Pre-Competition

Briefing.

• All teams must pass Technical Inspection (Appendix B), including FAA drone registration and

bringing a physical copy of the pilot's TRUST Exam Certificate, to compete in flying portions.

• Teams must provide a budget spreadsheet to compete (Section 4.1.5).
• Ineligible-for-flying teams are still encouraged to complete Technical Presentation; teams

ineligible for any portion are encouraged to attend as spectators.

2.4.2Advanced and Beginner Divisions#

The 2026-2027 competition year is introducing divisions: advanced and beginner. Teams must elect their division one month before the regional competition. The beginner division is meant for new and/or younger teams. Teams decide which division they want to compete in. However, any team that has a member who is in high school and has participated in previous ARC competitions is not eligible for the beginner division.

2.4.3National Competition Eligibility#

All Regional eligibility requirements apply. Teams must receive a National Competition Invitation from their Regional Event and RSVP within 7 days of receiving it. Non-RSVP or decline forfeits the roster spot, offered to next eligible team from that region. There are no additional registration fees for National; teams cover their own travel.

32026-27 Season Challenges: Mines & Skyscrapers#

The 2026-27 season introduces a new construction-themed game: teams pilot drones into a series of mine shafts to identify assigned tools, then compete head-to-head to mine building materials and construct a free-standing skyscraper. The season includes a solo Qualifying Flight round, a Head-to- Head Mine & Build round, a technical presentation, and an ethical presentation. During head-to-head rounds, teams are assigned a color (random, used for queueing and field-side assignment).

The unique portion of this year’s flying challenge is that the Mine and Build rounds build off each other. The figure below describes the relationship between the two rounds. Doing well in the Mine portion will give teams an advantage in the Build portion, both in seeding and in build materials.

3.1Component Descriptions#

3.1.1Tool Assignments#

Four Tool Assignments are used this season, one per Mine Shaft. Each Tool is a distinct shape/color chosen for high visual contrast, supporting both onboard computer-vision confirmation and semi-autonomous visual confirmation via camera feed (Task 1B, Section 3.2.1).

Each of the 4 Mine Shafts (Section 3.3.1) is marked with one of the 9 total possible combinations of shape and color above. Immediately before a team's Round 1 flight window, one of the four combinations is randomly assigned as that team's Tool Assignment (TA) — not known in advance.

3.1.2Construction Component Specifications (K'NEX-Based Kit)#

All Bricks, Depot Material, and Foundation/Reinforced Foundation pieces this season are built from a single standardized K'NEX-based kit, specified in the Field Kit Assembly Guide. The kit is chosen specifically so that every field-mined piece stays light and simple enough for a small, student-built drone mechanism (Section 4.1.2) to reliably pick up, carry, and release — while the Foundation itself, which never leaves the ground, is built for rigidity instead.

Foundation (FD):

• The foundation kit will consist of the following parts:

Reinforced Foundation (RF):

• The reinforced foundation kit will include the foundation kit as well as the following parts:

3.2Round 1: The Mines (Qualifying Flight)#

Theme: Every mining operation starts with the right tools. Before teams can mine for Bricks, they must prove they can navigate the shafts and identify their assigned tool. This round is flown solo — no opponent on the field — and produces the seeding used to bracket Round 2, the same way qualifying sets grid position in motorsport.

3.2.1Tasks#

Task 1A — Base Camp Landing :

• Takeoff from Base Camp (BC) and land at BC at the end to earn points

Task 1B — Tool ID (mine shaft identification & inspection):

• Each team is assigned a Tool Assignment (TA) (shape/color combination — see Section

3.1.1 for the four combinations) immediately before their flight window — not known in advance.

• Sub-task: Fly to and inspect each mine shaft (MS)
• A successful mine shaft inspection is defined as the drone hovering over a mineshaft for

approximately 5 secs and getting a judge’s approval (ex. Receiving a thumbs up from a judge)

• A mineshaft will be a cardboard box containing the Tool shape that teams can lower a

camera to observe

• Sub-task: lower the onboard camera to inspect the shaft at close range and confirm the

shape/color match — autonomous computer-vision confirmation (most points) or human visual confirmation via camera feed (fewer points).

• Autonomous Identification of Color gives points
• Autonomous Identification of Shape gives points
• Autonomous Identification of both Color and Shape gives the most points
• Non-autonomous (i.e. human) identification of Both will result in points
• Autonomous Identification of any/all attribute will result in team receiving a

Reinforced Foundation

• These two sub-tasks are scored independently, which produces three effective autonomy

outcomes: both autonomous (highest score), one autonomous/one semi-autonomous (middle score), or both semi-autonomous (lowest score, still fully scorable).

Pilot/copilot should communicate with the Flight Judge to announce/demonstrate autonomous task performance. In poor weather, rounds may move indoors; indoor flights MUST have semi-autonomous takeoff/landing (remaining tasks may still be auto or semi-auto).

3.2.2Round Schedule#

Each Round 1 flight window = 5 minutes. Field Manager counts down from three to begin; countdown starts once tether attached, battery connected, drone armed, team stepped back into Red Zone. Setup tasks (connecting computers/monitors, starting autonomous programs) count within the 5 minutes.

Once the timer begins, pilot/copilot may re-enter the field as needed for problem-solving until the drone leaves Base Camp; after that, no one may enter the field. Leaving Base Camp means that no

part of the drone remains on the launch pad. If a takeoff was attempted and the drone becomes airborne for less than a second and drops back to the ground, if any part is still on the launch pad where it rests, the drone is still at Base Camp. The round continues until time is called, all points scored, or the team forfeits remaining time.

3.2.3Seeding#

Combined score from Task 1A + Task 1B ranks all teams. The seeding will be done by pairing the best scoring teams with the lowest scoring teams. For further rounds, the score from the previous rounds will be used to seed teams similarly.

3.2.4Example Field Layout#

The diagram below illustrates one possible arrangement of Round 1 components — a single team's Base Camp and the 4 Mine Shafts (one per Tool Assignment, Section 3.1.1) spread around the circular field. Only one team flies at a time in Round 1.

3.3Round 2: Mine & Build (Head-to-Head)#

Theme: Now that tools are identified, it's time to mine. Two teams share the field simultaneously, competing for the same limited Bricks, then race the clock to build the tallest stable Skyscraper they can. Depending on the size of the regional competition, teams may be afforded two attempts at round 2. The highest score of the two attempts will be used as the official score for this round. If the second attempt is higher, a one-time 100-point deduction will be applied to encourage teams to succeed on their first attempt.

3.3.1Field Layout#

• Circular field, 40-ft radius (80-ft diameter).
• 4 Supply Depots (landing pads), spread across the field, positioned so teams pass by them

while moving between shafts and their Stockpile.

• Approximately 20 Bricks distributed on the field for mining.

3.3.2Phase 1 — Brick Mining (7-Minute Window)#

• Teams pilot drones to pick up Bricks from the field and carry them to their own Stockpile.
• Contested resource: both teams may go for the same Brick — whichever team secures it

denies it to the opponent as long as they are able to get it to their own Stockpile (SP). No rule restricts which Bricks a team may pursue.

• An undamaged brick is defined as one that has all its parts connected when it settles in the

stockpile. If Bricks break during any portion of the round, teams can bring portions of the broken Brick to their stockpile; however, they will only receive points for undamaged bricks that they bring back. The broken Brick parts will be available for teams to use in Phase 2.

• Supply Depots: landing at a Depot awards points and one Depot Material for a maximum of 4

Depot material that can be earned by a team. Teams cannot re-land on a Depot Pad and have it count as multiple depot landings; i.e., each separate Depot must be landed on to receive points. This gives teams without gripper capability a real scoring path independent of Brick collection, and gives every team a reason to route through each Depots during mining.

• Teams must then return to the starting landing pad and will earn points if they are able to

within the time limit.

3.3.3Phase 2 — Skyscraper Build (5-Minute Window)#

• Immediately following Phase 1, though in a different section of the competition area (i.e., not

on the flight playing field), each team has 5 minutes to build a free-standing Skyscraper from the Bricks and Depot Materials they collected.

• Standardized Foundation (FD): every team starts from the same kit-provided Foundation

piece — no material advantage from what a team builds on.

• Reinforced Foundation (RFD): teams that succeed in any portion of the Autonomous ID will

receive a reinforced foundation-enhanced kit

• Height Tiers: 1 ft / 2 ft / 4 ft / 6 ft. A Skyscraper must maintain its qualifying tier height for 10

seconds post-build to score that tier. If the tower collapses during the 10-second window, the height of the collapsed tower will be used.

• Free-standing definition: no team contact, no external support except with team-built k’nex

structures, built entirely off the common Foundation/ground area during the entire 10 second window.

3.3.4Interference & Safety#

• No drone may impede another team's drone during head-to-head flight.
• Accidental interference: point penalty (see Section 3.8.7, Penalties).
• Intentional interference: elimination from that round (Field Manager judgment).

3.3.5Example Field Layout#

The diagram below illustrates one possible arrangement of Round 2 components on the shared circular field: the 4 Supply Depots contested by both teams, roughly 10 Bricks distributed for mining, each team's Stockpile and Ground Station/Queueing area on its assigned side, and the off-field Skyscraper Build Areas used in Phase 2.

3.3.6Round 1 → Round 2 Coupling#

Round 1 performance shapes Round 2 in two separate ways: Combined Task 1A/1B score sets the Seeding → Bracket Pairing (Section 3.2.3), and Tool ID (Task 1B) success sets Foundation Selection carried into Round 2 (Section 3.3). The diagram below traces both paths from Round 1 scoring through Round 2’s two build phases to the Final Score.

3.4Virtual Tasks#

The following tasks are to be completed virtually. These missions must be submitted through the STEM-ED INC website: stemed.org/arc-submissions.

1. TRUST Exam: Submit TRUST Exam certificates. Pilots MUST have a TRUST Exam certificate to

legally fly at the competition (see Section 4.2).

1. Power On: Submit video of the team powering on the drone.
2. Takeoff and Land: Submit video of the drone taking off and landing. May be completed

autonomously or semi-autonomously.

1. Mechanism Prototype: Submit video demonstrating a mechanism prototype. Does not need to be

attached to the drone; may be moved by hand.

1. Drop Object from Air: Submit video of the drone dropping an item from the air. Drone must be in

flight; any payload; item may be preloaded.

1. Camera Operation: Submit video of a student reading a number off the camera feed monitor from

data transmitted via camera. Provide video of the drone as well as of the camera feed monitor during flight. This does not need to be completed with the official camera dictated in Section 4.1.6 — teams may use any camera and monitor to complete this Mission.

1. Autonomous Waypoints: Create a flight path of 3 waypoints and submit video of the drone

autonomously flying the path. Provide video of the drone as well as of the ground station during flight.

1. Color Recognition: Submit video of a computer vision program successfully identifying a red

object, along with a text file of the code. May use Python or C++.

1. Register Drone through FAA: Submit a screenshot of completed drone registration. Drones

MUST be registered with the FAA to legally fly at the competition (see Section 4.2).

1. Budget: Submit budget spreadsheet. Must comply with the limits listed in Section 4.1.5. Note

that this is a REQUIRED task to compete.

Tasks are due in 4 stages (see Section 2.3 for the season schedule):

• Virtual Task 1: Due 12/18/2026
• Virtual Task 2: Due 1/29/2027
• Virtual Task 3: Due 3/19/2027
• Virtual Task 4-10: Due 4/17/2027

Virtual Tasks 1 through 3 may be submitted late for a 50% point reduction. Submissions will be accepted through the Virtual Task 4 due date.

3.5Flight & Build Procedure#

Governed by the Field Manager, who directs all major steps and rules on safety/final calls; teams must obey directions, including immediate Kill Switch activation when commanded. Teams must arrive at the Queueing Table at least 5 minutes before their scheduled round or forfeit the match (no makeup opportunity).

3.6Technical Presentation#

Presentations given entirely by students, no coach/mentor/parent assistance.

3.6.1Team Logistics#

• Team organization and dynamics: member list/roles, team photo(s), meeting style details.
• Team schedule for project completion: task breakdown, responsible member(s), planned vs.

actual completion times.

3.6.2Engineering Process#

• Software methodology: software chosen and why, ground station chosen and why, waypoint

navigation strategy, camera feed setup.

• Mission overview and strategy: method of choosing tasks, strategy for completing the Mines

& Skyscrapers challenges.

• Mechanism design: design process, early designs/prototypes vs. final result.

3.6.3Final Product#

• Vehicle overview: labelled images of drone/mechanism; front/top/side/isometric views with

primary dimensions labelled.

• Electronics diagram: layout of major electronics systems (flight controller, speed controllers,

motors, etc.).

• Product success: flight test results, projected competition score.

3.6.4Presentation Style#

• Slides legible and clear: readable text/color choices, no crowding/overlap.
• Presenters professional and well-prepared: minimal filler words, ready to speak on assigned

subjects.

• All team members speak: each student actively involved.
• Q&A responses: professional answers to all judge questions.

Judges account for presenter limitations due to disabilities; judged on individual preparedness/effort.

3.6.5Procedure#

• Submit slides virtually by midnight 7 days before Regional Competition

(stemed.org/arc-submissions); most recent submission before deadline is used.

• Setup: judges project submitted slides; team sets up display materials.
• Presentation: up to 10 minutes; judges raise hand at 1 minute remaining.
• Q&A: judges ask questions for up to 5 minutes.
• Cleanup: team exits, next team sets up.

3.7Ethical Presentation#

Focus: ethical use of drone technology, engineering ethics, responsibility.

3.7.1Grading#

• Academic Validity: explanation of theory/doctrine behind proposed solution to ethical

dilemma; describe programming to achieve the proposed solution.

• Comprehension and Elocution: clear understanding of the problem and why engineering

ethics is critical; professional, comprehensible delivery.

• Discussion: all speak and demonstrate inclusion; respect during disagreements; value one

another's ideas (graded on collaborative effort, not content/correctness).

• Q&A Responses: professional answers to all judge questions.

3.7.2Process#

Similar setting to Technical Presentation; teams respond to an ethical dilemma posed by judges. All-student presentation, no adult assistance.

• Setup: team enters, stands in designated area; recommended to bring paper/writing utensils

(whiteboard availability varies by venue).

• Question: judges provide the ethical dilemma.
• Discussion: up to 5 minutes, in front of judges (affects discussion-portion grading only).
• Presentation: up to 5 minutes, answering the dilemma per grading requirements (some open-

ended for creativity).

• Q&A: up to 5 minutes.
• Cleanup: team exits, next team sets up.

Students may not discuss the ethical question with other teams until all teams have completed their Ethical Presentation.

3.8Scoring Equations#

3.8.1Round 1: The Mines#

3.8.2Round 2, Phase 1: Brick Mining#

3.8.3Round 2, Phase 2: Skyscraper Build#

3.8.4Virtual Tasks Scoring#

Unchanged from the 2025-26 rubric.

3.8.5Technical Presentation Scoring#

3.8.6Ethical Presentation Scoring#

3.8.7Round Penalties#

3.8.8Final Scoring & Comparison to 2025-26#

4Drone Requirements#

UAV must meet all requirements to be flight-eligible; inspected pre-flight (Appendix B). All components within budget allowances (Table 4.1); teams present component/price list at technical inspection. STEM-ED-suggested components/kits meet all financial requirements (Section 4.1.6). All design/build/code/test work must be completed by students only (adult coaches/mentors may guide, not do hands-on work or make major decisions). Drones MUST have a kill switch to immediately cut motors in emergencies.

4.1Mechanical Requirements#

4.1.1Structure#

• Overall UAV dimensions ≤ 36"×36"×36" on the ground, no propellers attached (fits in a 36-

inch cube).

• 4 motors, 1 propeller each; propellers ≤14" diameter; no lifting surfaces other than these

propellers.

• Carabiner clip securely fastened within the tether zone, connected to field tether carabiner

before power-on.

• Structure must be sturdy (Technical Inspector judged); no loose components.
• Drone must stand on legs extending ≥4" below the electronics/structure closest to the

ground, and ≤10" below the drone base plate.

4.1.2Mechanism Design#

• Must design/build a unique mechanism to complete flight tasks — including Brick

pickup/carry and, if used, camera-lowering for Tool ID — no Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) mechanisms (e.g., pre-made claw).

• Mechanism may use multiple servos, but all powered by one single NiMH battery (Section

4.1.4).

• Must begin within the mechanism allowable zone; may not extend above the drone base

plate at any time.

• May not detach from drone during flight.
• May not extend beyond the mechanism allowable zone.
• Different mechanisms allowed for different events, but each must pass technical inspection

(Appendix B).

4.1.3Controls#

• GPS sensor securely mounted on UAV.
• Flight controller must be one of: Cube Orange+, or Pixhawk (any version).
• Sensors: may use accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, barometer within the flight

controller; no additional purchased/used sensors. May add an approved camera (Section 4.1.6) for live footage to ground station.

• Computer vision teams may use a Raspberry Pi companion computer (any version).

4.1.4Batteries#

• Main UAV Battery: LiPo, ≤6 cells, commercially available (no homemade batteries), proper

usage/storage (Section 4.2), no damaged batteries (dents, cracks, swelling, smoking).

• Servo Battery: NiMH, powers mechanism servo/actuator.
• Safety: battery wires MUST be securely restrained away from propellers, servos, and the

ground.

4.1.5Budget Requirements#

4.1.6Supplies and Sources#

Recommended, not required suppliers (STEM-ED INC is not sponsored by/does not endorse these).

Required Components:

• Carabiner: any strong carabiner with a functioning latch.
• Camera Mount: if using ARC-provided RunCam camera, must have quick attachment not

damaging camera/antenna (practice-only — cannot be brought to competition, signal interference risk). RunCam Spotter V2 FPV Camera/5.8GHz Transmitter; RunCam 5.8GHz 4.3" FPV Display Screen. Alternatively, Arducam Camera for Raspberry Pi does not require quick attachment and is brought by the team (not supplied by ARC).

Recommended Drone Kits:

• Option 1: ARC-Recommended AirXRP Drone Kit (spreadsheet at

stemed.org/recommendedsupplies)

• Option 2: DEXI PX4 Development Kit (requires team-designed legs)
• Option 3: Prior-season ARC Kit Drone (returning teams may reuse; upgrade components

linked)

• Option 4: Student-designed drone (any drone meeting rulebook requirements)

Necessary Tools: Soldering Iron, Allen Wrenches, Safety Glasses, Zip Ties, Computer (research, budget spreadsheet, presentation slides, virtual tasks), Paper and Writing Utensils.

Banned Components (signal interference — safety/sportsmanship, strictly enforced, Section 5.2):

• RunCam Camera and Monitor set may not be brought to the competition venue.
• No device that may interfere with opponents' telemetry signal.

4.2Safety and Legal Requirements#

STEM-ED INC releases official safety/FAA compliance guidelines as an addendum to the rulebook. Pilots must be able to safely operate the drone; if unable (e.g., medical emergency), asked to land and let a teammate pilot future rounds. Teams MUST follow Field Manager commands (positioning, Kill Switch activation). Safety/legal questions: faa.gov/ or Support@stemed.org.

5Competition Rules#

5.1Logistics#

Check-in table on arrival (wristbands, schedules, maps) → team pits (home base, charge batteries nearby). Teams must be at the queueing table on their field side before their assigned time slot; queueing volunteers guide teams to the ground station table. Teams not competing in the current match may not enter field zones. Only pilot/copilot may enter the red zone — not other students, coaches, mentors, or parents/guardians.

5.2Conduct Requirements#

Ruling challenges: student team members only (not parents/coaches/mentors/spectators), kept cordial, discussed with the Field Manager.

Safety rules include: obeying field boundaries, powering off electronics off-field, reinspection after drone damage, using tether at all times on field. Continued willful non-compliance → discretionary penalty (value/distribution set by Field Manager/Regional Coordinator).

5.3Competition Day Supplies#

Required: Drone, safety glasses (pilot/copilot), battery charger, TRUST Exam Certificates (all pilots), camera mount (if using camera).

Recommended: Sunscreen, water, snacks, spare batteries, spare propellers, common tools/adhesives, weather-appropriate attire, comfortable shoes, hair ties, first aid kits, medications as needed. (Outdoor competition — prepare for weather and a long day standing.)

6Awards#

Prizes per region to top three advanced teams overall and top two beginner teams overall (aggregate score across all competition parts). Teams must successfully fly (take off, sustain flight >30 seconds) to be prize-eligible. National Championship award amounts will be defined in the National Championship rulebook.

Advanced Division

Beginner Division

Appendix A: Scoring Sheets

Judge-facing fill-in scoring sheets for Virtual Tasks, Round 1 (The Mines), Round 2 Phase 1 (Brick Mining), Round 2 Phase 2 (Skyscraper Build), Technical Presentation, and Ethical Presentation, built directly from the scoring tables in Section 3.8. Carried over in format from the 2025-26 Appendix A (Team Number box, fill-in Score column, Final Score/Judge Initials footer); point values and tasks below are updated for the 2026-27 Mines & Skyscrapers season. Recommend producing these as a standalone one-page-per-round PDF/laminated card set for judges.

Virtual Tasks Scoring Sheet

Team Number: _______

Virtual Tasks 1–3 may be submitted late for a 50% point reduction; see Section 2.3 and Section 3.4.

Final Score: _______ / 1,000

Judge Initials: _______

Round 1 — The Mines Scoring Sheet

Team Number: _______

Best-case total shown is full autonomy (1a + 2a + 3a). Only one of each a/b pair scores per task, based on which mode was flown.

Final Score: _______ / 1,400

Judge Initials: _______

Round 2, Phase 1 — Brick Mining Scoring Sheet

Team Number: _______

Final Score: _______ / 1,300

Judge Initials: _______

Round 2, Phase 2 — Skyscraper Build Scoring Sheet

Team Number: _______

Score is the highest tier successfully held — not cumulative across tiers.

Final Score: _______ / 800

Judge Initials: _______

Round 1 / Round 2 Penalties (Section 3.8.7)

Technical Presentation Scoring Sheet

Team Number: _______

Final Score: _______ / 1,000

Judge Initials: _______

Ethical Presentation Scoring Sheet

Team Number: _______

Final Score: _______ / 500

Judge Initials: _______

Appendix B: Technical Inspection Rubric

Carries over from the 2025-26 Technical Inspection Rubric (Side A/Side B) — the drone hardware requirements in Section 4 are unchanged this season apart from the Mechanism Design line, which is reworded below for Brick pickup/carry and (if used) camera-lowering for Tool ID rather than last year's payload-specific mechanisms.

Inspection, Side A

Inspection, Side B

Team Captain Initials: _______

Inspector Initials: _______

Appendix C: Example Budget

Carries over the 2025-26 Example Budget spreadsheet structure (Competition Budget, Extra Items, Funds Raised / Remaining Funds), created in Microsoft Excel. One change from last year: the Transmitter/Receiver cap rose from $200 to $300 and the overall competition-budget total rose from $3,500 to $3,600 (Section 4.1.5); the Drone ($3,000), Mechanism ($300), and Sensors ($0) caps are unchanged. The example below (totaling $687.32) fits comfortably within both this year's and last year's caps, so the line items themselves carry over unchanged.

Example Budget — Competition Budget

Example Budget — Extra Items

Example Budget — Funds Raised & Remaining Funds

Appendix D: Resources

2026-27 Season Documents

• 2026-27 Field Kit Assembly Guide: stemed.org/arc (updated for the K'NEX

Brick/Foundation build — pending release; last season's is the 2025-26 Field Kit Assembly Guide Rev B)

• FAA guide: stemed.org/arc
• Safety guide: stemed.org/arc

STEM-ED INC Technical Resources

• ARC Video Series: stemed.org/resources
• ARC Tutorials: stemed.org/resources
• Office Hours: stemed.org/events
• Coach Training: stemed.org/events
• STEM-ED INC Forum: Coming Soon!

Additional Resources*

• Mission Planner Instructions: ardupilot.org/planner/
• Holybro Product Documentation: docs.holybro.com/

*STEM-ED INC is not affiliated with the creators of these resources and cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of these websites.

Appendix E: Recommended Supplies

Drone

See stemed.org/recommendedsupplies for an itemized list of recommended components.

Teams may also choose to create a mechanism to manipulate objects on the field — this season, primarily picking up and carrying Bricks and Depot Material, and (if used) lowering a camera for Tool ID. Materials, such as wood, 3D-printed plastic, carbon fiber, and aluminum, should be selected by function and cost.

Tools

Appendix F: Field & Mission Diagrams

See the figures below for diagrams of Round and mission components and setup. Figures are approximate and not to scale unless noted.

Round 1 & Round 2 — Ground Station Setup

Round 1 is flown solo, one team at a time, with a single ground station table and Flight Manager (mirrors the 2025-26 Mission 1 Ground Station Setup). Round 2 is head-to-head, with two ground station tables (Green for Team A, Orange for Team B), one judge per team, and a shared Flight Manager (mirrors the 2025-26 Mission 2 Ground Station Setup).

Presentation Diagrams

Shared room layout for both Technical and Ethical Presentations — projector screen, team table, judge tables/chairs, spectator seating, and a queuing area outside the entrance.

Revision History