Field construction The good, the bad, and the ugly… Disclaimer: All opinions expressed herein are mine, not those of BRI, which of course has no opinions. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Bill Rock, Dallas BEST

Why is he standing there talking… Warp X (designed and built) Total Recall …track chair arm-twisting High Octane Just Plane Crazy 2021 Robot Oddesy Laundry Quandary Mission to Hubble Transfusion Confusion BEST Fever RAD to the Core PITS Rocket Race Toxic Troubles Dynamite Duel Block ‘n Load (’96) …built a few fields …coming soon…2012

When do you start planning for Field construction?

>>Game Day, the year previously –At the latest

Take advantage of opportunities Get on the “game” list Prototype kickoff Prototype game –Last chance to have inputs –Not all of us have a CNC in the garage Know when the drawing package will be ready

Laundry Quandary

Plan the build Team size –One –Several –Skills? Scouts?? Drawing packages –Ancillary documents

2010 drawing Drawing from 2010 package

Pages from “field electronics”

Field SW Slide from “field control”

Field topview “field topview”

More plan the build Remember last year? –Analyze QOH –Plus leftovers –Customized BOM Buy the materials –Where’s your 501c3 ID? Tools needed Build site –Convenient vs. spacious vs. properly equipped –Team support logistics –Size of components

Yet more plan the build Build order –Review the package –Guidance from the designers –Isolated sub assemblies –Team capabilities (woodworking, electronics, etc) Copies of drawings –Master set, sets for sub-assemblies –3 ring binders

Ready to build?

Ready to build NO First check the Q&A –Access through your hub director Second, check the Q&A Third, check for current drawings.

Building the field Check the Q&A Post to the Q&A –Questions on the drawings What is there…what is not –Suggestions Check for updated drawings and change pages –Manage your drawing package(s) Tolerances are your friend

Just Plane Crazy

Angle cut Drawing from 2010 package

The good

The bad

OK, not so ugly

More building the field Build with the lifecycle in mind –Rugged enough for play –Durable for 3 assembly/disassembly cycles –How big is the storage area? –How big is the vehicle/trailer to haul it? –Label sub assemblies –Match drill and label “Close enough” is not your enemy

Electronics Salvage cat-5 cable Connectors: –Nice? –Necessary?

Painting Enough to identify team areas Beyond that –Personal taste –Time –Resources

For those that are still awake… Field construction- plan early Use all resources available Everybody makes occasional mistakes-- Q&A 50 ≠ 40 Don’t overbuild Paint what you need to

What are your suggestions?

2009: Matthew Evans (left) and Justin Pullen of San Jon, N.M., worked on their robot Saturday at the Texas BEST robotics championship in the UNT Coliseum. DENTON - The din filling the University of North Texas Coliseum on Saturday was mostly familiar. Loud cheers hurled from one side to the other? Check. School bands bleating out fight songs? Check. Costumed mascots cavorting through the stands? Check. But check out the competitors battling it out where basketball players usually run: homemade robots that look like the results of Harry Potter meeting a hardware store.