1. P17250: Robofish Charging Station
MSD II Gate Review
P17250: Robofish Charging Station

2. Agenda Project Status Schedule Review Issue Management Review
Suggestions for Future Work
What Worked Well
Lessons Learned
Status of Deliverables / Edge

3. Project Status Function Overview Harvest Energy Store Energy
Attach Robofish
Dock Robofish
Charge Robofish
Reliable Structure
Stable & Buoyant
Protect / House Electronics JM

4. Project Status Table 1: Customer Requirements vs Performance
Table 2: Engineering Requirements vs Performance JM

5. MSD II Schedule Review - Dates
Table 1: Scheduled completion dates vs actual completion dates for major tasks
Task
Scheduled
Completion*
Actual
Completion
Finalize test plan
2/8
2/7
Fix the Robofish
N/A
Mech. Subsystem - Frame & Connector
2/27
3/1
Mech. Subsystem - Guides
5/4
Elec. Subsystem - Robofish Circuit
2/21
4/11
Elec. Subsystem - RCS Circuit
Soft. Subsystems
2/22
Integration of Major Subsystems
3/3
Completion of Test Plan
3/17
5/5
*From original schedule, started on 1/23 JM

6. MSD II Schedule Review - Hours
Table 2: Scheduled hours vs actual hours for a sample of tasks completed
Task
Scheduled
Hours
Actual
Delta
Fix the Robofish 20
>18 *
Mech. Subsystem - Frame & Connectors 50
+30
Mech. Subsystem - Guides 15 25
+10
Elec. Subsystem - Robofish Circuit 16 -1
Elec. Subsystem - RCS Circuit 18
>60
+42
Soft. Subsystems 38 40 +2
*Not completed JM

7. Lessons Learned - Jack Obstacle Cause Effect Lesson Learned
Table 3: Jack’s major lessons learned
Obstacle
Cause
Effect
Lesson Learned
Unclear or non-applicable tasks on schedule
Inexperience with certain project tasks
Team members felt lost when looking at what they should do next
If you do not have experience with a task, work with the person who will be performing it to help define it
Time Management / Prioritization
‘Suggested deadlines’ & School work
Team placed other work / activities before MSD tasks
Set strict deadlines ahead of time for each task
Several systems did not work as designed
Idealized thinking
Schedule fell behind
Create prototypes, other feasibility analyses can fall short
Other Comments About the Schedule
MS Project was an obstacle
Schedule too detailed for first experience (~250 tasks)
Many tasks were completed by people they were not assigned to
Make sure the team knows ahead of time what is expected when tasks are delegated
The task due date is not when the first attempt is due JM

8. Issue Management Review
Overall most issues were resolved, and the solution proved to be successful
Biggest issues were:
RoboFish - see outstanding issues
Float/Guide adhesion - tested multiple different types but ultimately found that Velcro adhesive stuck well to the polyethylene floats and will allow future team to change the guides while keeping the floats intact
Scheduling pool time
Customer communication
Outstanding Issues:
Most issues reside with the RoboFish not working properly
Ran out of time to fully ensure the RoboFish is waterproof
This caused us to be unable to fully test our guide and docking system CP

9. Suggestions for Future Work
RoboFish
New, larger, more flexible
electrical box
Remote control
Data gathering
Investigate Electronics Failures
RCS
Multiple RoboFish charging
Weatherproof
Interface with the RoboFish -
Communication and/or
Docking system JN

10. What worked well
Splitting up the team into sections: Electrical, Mechanical, Software
Having a variety of skillsets
Having a common communication medium (Google Hangouts) and a singular repository that we can all edit (Google Drive) BM

11. Lessons Learned - Lucas
There were pullup resistors in the Arduino that caused the prototype to malfunction. The lesson here is not to expect everything would work the way you want it just because it worked the way you expected before. When shifting to other components, expect there to be issues and use the Serial built into the Arduino to debug everything that could possibly go wrong
If you do not know how to do something well, it’s better to ask someone more knowledgeable than messing it up. Afterwards, it’s important to observe and learn from them so you can do it yourself the next time with more confidence. LA

12. Lessons Learned - Chris
To finalize all components in MSD I
Order parts sooner
Stick to a tighter schedule and ensure tasks are clearly defined
Allow us to test sooner
Troubleshoot sooner
Make necessary changes sooner
There will always be issues
Communication
Pool Access CP

13. Lessons Learned - Brittany
Don’t underestimate shipping costs
Don’t underestimate the time it takes to fill out orders
When ordering electronics, sometimes it’s best to order extras
Plan for unexpected expenses
If a special location or service is required, include those costs in the budget
For example, lifeguards for pool testing
The more sources/references, the better
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it be from a classmate, professor, or mentor BM

14. Lessons Learned - Johan
Don’t overestimate work to be done
Process is important
Get work done earlier than later
Make a decision and a plan early, and stick to it. Stop going back and forth about trifles. JN

15. Lessons Learned - Garrett
Breadboard early, breadboard often, and breadboard before you order a PCB
Delegate more
Make sure delineation of duties is clear to everyone
When trying to help someone troubleshoot, start with the basics GB

16. Status of Deliverables and Edge
Should just be a yes/no checklist BM