ADC Pro Competition Notebook Guidelines
How to Use These Guidelines
The following areas are intended to help teams determine what to document in their competition notebook throughout the season and to help judges identify meaningful evidence when evaluating notebooks. Students should use these guidelines to capture their team's process, decisions, challenges, testing, learning, and growth, not simply record the final results.
Strong notebook documentation provides evidence of how the team worked, what they learned, how they responded to challenges, and how their experiences influenced subsequent decisions and improvements. Teams do not need to include every example of evidence in every entry. Instead, these guidelines should help students identify meaningful experiences and document the thinking and evidence behind their work. Judges can use the same guidelines to help identify and evaluate evidence of student learning, decision-making, and growth documented in the competition notebook.
Team Organization, Leadership & Project Management
Focus on
How effectively the team planned, collaborated, communicated, delegated responsibilities, and managed the project throughout the season.
Include Evidence of
- Clearly defined roles
- Shared leadership
- Effective teamwork
- Planning and scheduling
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
Questions to Consider
- Do students understand one another's roles?
- Can they explain how decisions were made?
- Does the documentation demonstrate organized project management?
Communication and Technical Knowledge
Focus on
How effectively students communicate their work and demonstrate understanding of engineering, programming, drone operations, mission objectives, and technical concepts.
Include Evidence of
- Clear, organized communication
- Accurate technical terminology
- Student ownership of explanations
- Participation from multiple team members
- Ability to explain decisions and technical concepts
Questions to Consider
- Can students explain why they made engineering decisions, or only describe what they built?
- Can multiple team members explain the work?
- Does the competition notebook support the explanations given during the interview?
Safety, Operations & Maintenance
Focus on
How consistently the team incorporated safe operating practices, maintenance procedures, inspections, troubleshooting, repairs, and operational readiness throughout the season.
Include Evidence of
- Safe operating procedures
- Equipment inspections
- Preventive maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Risk awareness
- Operational readiness
Questions to Consider
- Is safety integrated into the team's routine rather than treated as a separate activity?
- Can students explain why maintenance practices are important?
Data & Performance Analysis
Focus on
How effectively the team collected, analyzed, interpreted, and applied data to improve performance.
Include Evidence of
- Testing results
- Performance data
- Reflection
- Iterative improvements
- Evidence-based decisions
Questions to Consider
- Can students explain how data influenced improvements?
- Are improvements supported by evidence rather than opinion?
Mission Analysis & Strategies
Focus on
How the team developed, tested, evaluated, and refined strategies for Alliance/Teamwork, Solo Autonomous Flight, and Solo Piloting Missions.
Include Evidence of
- Strategic planning
- Mission analysis
- Adaptability
- Testing and comparing different approaches
- Continuous refinement
- Documentation of multiple iterations as the season progresses
Questions to Consider
- Can students explain why they selected their strategy?
- How did they adapt after testing or competition experience?
Engineering Design & Innovation
Focus on
How effectively the team applied the Engineering Design Process to identify problems, develop solutions, evaluate alternatives, and improve designs.
Include Evidence of
- Problem identification
- Brainstorming
- Design iterations
- Testing
- Evaluation
- Reflection
Questions to Consider
- Can students describe failures as well as successes?
- Do they explain trade-offs and lessons learned?
Programming & Control Systems
Focus on
How well students understand programming, autonomous systems, sensors, debugging, testing, and system integration.
Include Evidence of
- Programming logic
- Autonomous development
- Sensor integration
- Testing
- Debugging
- Continuous refinement
Questions to Consider
- Can students explain how their code works?
- Can they describe how programming evolved throughout the season?
Industry Connections & Workforce Readiness
Focus on
How effectively the team connects ADC Pro experiences with careers, workforce skills, emerging technologies, and industry practices.
Include Evidence of
- Knowledge of drone and aviation career opportunities
- Research into real-world applications and industry practices
- Understanding of workforce skills and relevant certifications
- Engagement with industry professionals through interviews or other outreach
- Awareness of current trends and emerging technologies
- Professional communication and documentation of learning
Questions to Consider
- Can students explain how the skills they developed apply beyond the competition?
- Do they recognize how engineering practices relate to careers in the drone and aviation industries?