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How To Build A Robot In Six Weeks We have been involved with FIRST for many years and have gained insight into some areas that may help other teams. The following is an opinion by our mentors, please visit F.I.R.S.T. for their recommended procedures.
Weeks or months before the new game is released the team needs to meet and learn what is expected of them and do some practice building. They can use a VEX robot to test their abilities of working together and making something work on their own. They can also compete with the VEX robot, and if their is no competition near them than they can get with another team and make a one on one match for fun. When the team is together to receive the live download of the new game it is important that the team members have a pencil, paper and start working on ideas, Take notes of the game and items to have a head start on solving the problem. The group needs to get together right away and start discussing ideas and talk it over. Every body should be able to give their idea with out interruption and at the end if that person wants can answer questions about their idea. No idea is a bad idea and no person should be criticized for their idea. If a person is criticized than in the future when they have an idea they will keep it to them selves and the team could miss out on an idea that may be a winning idea. After the discussion the team leaders should take all the ideas and compare them to the rules and work out the best solution to the game and make a decision on what should be done. This is to allow building as soon as possible. Test items should be constructed to confirm the choices and designs should be finalized. Some designs that are finalized before others can be started sooner. Drastic changes to the design should not happen deep into construction unless major problems cannot be solved. Time is important and completing in 4 weeks is important to allow for getting the bugs out and having practice time. It is easy for mentors to want to build the whole robot and it is easy for some mentors to not do a thing with the robot and leave it all up to the students. The best course of action in our opinion is both mentor and students work together to build the robot. The mentor is their to teach the student about the build process but allow students to build when ever possible. Because the students are inexperienced at engineering and design they need the guidance of the mentor to teach them. As the students progress in years they can also teach the new students but they do not stop learning from the mentors. The hard part is for mentors that have been doing it for years and can see quickly the flaws of the designs by others, to not be rude or critical of the design idea. You want them to come up with ideas and learn but you also want to give them your years of experience, so you must be very careful on how you deal with the students and their ideas. The engineering mind is very fragile and you can hurt feelings very easy. Try to build their confidence and be respectful if their thoughts. During build it is good for the students to work on at least one item on the robot so that they feel like what they are doing is important and they can have pride in their robot, and when it come to repairs in the pits students can help and make the repair go faster. If a student dose not feel comfortable with a tool or a task having them watch a mentor do a task is also a learning experience that over time will ease a student into tasks. When a part must be taken out to be built or machined it is best to take at least a couple of students along so they can see what and how it is done. Also taking them along to order or pick up parts will teach them about the actual cost of items. A student built robot is better than a mentor built robot. ( their is nothing wrong with a mentor building a robot so as long as a student is at least watching or involved in some way). After the robot is shipped and a few days break, the team needs to go over what is expected of them at the matches. Set up one or two safety captains, appoint scouts, have a few keep an eye on the pits and keep them clean and organized. The drivers need to go over the game and work out all the plays that can happen. They also need to learn how to go out and talk to the team they are playing with before a match. Build time gives every student a chance to work on an aspect of the robot. Game time your team wants to win the matches in order to move up and the best players should get a chance to prove themselves. The coach will decide how that is done by ether observing the students during practice or making decisions during game play. Student participation as human player is determined by the game, some games the human player position is a simple one with few side affects and any student can be chosen. Most games require the student to know the rules to avoid penalties or to be very good at the game to achieve points, in this case the best player will be chosen. Choosing the drivers are up to the couches not the students. Students tend to pick the most popular person and not the best. Like in baseball the players don't chouse the pitcher or the batting order, that is the coaches job. It is a very important item that can split a team if not handled correctly. Also students talk between themselves and can cause strife in the team and it needs to be watched very close. One or two students or mentors can cause great harm to the teams spirit by just saying a few negative things. Chosen drivers should be available at all competitions if not than they may loose that position. Drivers must be aware that they can be replaced at any time to assure that the team will perform well on the field. All team members must be reminded that if we loose a match DO NOT GET ON THE DRIVERS, they are under a lot of pressure and they know when they have messed up. Give them praise win or loose. It is up to the coaches to go over that game with them. Be positive up beat and be a good sport. Scouts need to go around and get information about the teams. Their also needs to be a couple of scouts watching the game and get to know how the robots are doing that we are competing with and against. Take extra parts for trade in the pits, ask other teams if they need help with anything. Go around and talk to the other teams, build a community with the other teams, you would be surprised how much you have in common. You may see the same people the next year. Some of these people may be of help at some time when you are in trouble or need resources. After the competition the team needs to have a banquette together and recognize some of the important members and talk about there experiences with the team and the game. It is a good way to wined down the season.
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