maslab 2007: building your robot (so it actually works) “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

maslab 2007: today Physical Strategy narrow your options Benchmarking know if it works sooner

mini-quiz what is the difference between a design and a strategy? 3 minutes write your name and team on the card

sketch your ideas design your robot, sketch anything, don’t build it sketch anything, don’t trash any ideas at the start, especially if you haven’t even drawn them yet

compile your ideas into a final strategy know the tools figure out where you can work, and when gauge your skills and those of staff and your friends research possible materials material is everything always have a backup something always goes wrong

knowing the tools always clear your tap holes ¼ every 3 end-mills are not drill-bits and drill-bits are not end-mills band-saws like to cut straight lines and fingers center drills will save time no one wants to re-do parts if you can buy it, don’t build it don’t invent the wheel if it feels unsafe, it probably is so don’t do it

thinking out of the box paper tower contest build the highest tower from the materials provided in 15 minutes towers must be free standing and use only the materials provided

go! 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.0 10.5 11.0 11.5 12.0 12.5 13.0 13.5 14.0 14.5 15.0

time’s up. who has the highest tower time’s up! who has the highest tower? new ideas can come from anyone, even people who don’t know anything about what you’re working on

after you have a strategy design your robot’s structure use sketches, CAD, or image editing program label your sketches with dimensions and material attempt to keep your drawings to scale

test your design before you build benchmarking make 5 to 10 minute mock-ups of small parts of your design test portions of your design as you would portions of code

check point 1 design plan each team to submit one proposal per team should include general drawings of your intended design the more detail you give, the more we can help due thursday, 1.11.07