6. www.usfirst.org

7. FTC Home Page

8. FTC Game Page FTCGAMEPAGEFTCGAMEPAGE

9. T E A M R E S O U R C E S

10. TEAM RESOURCES TEAM RESOURCES

11. FTC Forum

12. Two Key Questions ∆What do you want to accomplish? o Moving? o Collecting? o Lifting? ∆How do you want to accomplish it?  Wheels / Treads?  Scoop / Agitator?  Drawer slides? Strategy and Planning

13. Narrow Down Your Options ∆We like to use a 2 x 2 matrix to help us prioritize our objectives.  Focus first on high point / low complexity.  Be sure to understand possible points and set reasonable goals. +Points 0+Points 0 0 Complexity +

14. Beginning ∆Develop concepts on key robot mechanisms.  Sketches  Mock-ups  Computer simulations ∆Understand field elements and how to interact with them. ∆Estimate spatial requirements and work out a plan for robot organization.  Block out space for each mechanism  Block out space for electronics  Leave room for robot optimization

15. Other questions ∆How many devices do you need? ∆How large are these devices? ∆Where do the electronics go? ∆How are the wires mounted? ∆Will it survive in the competition? ∆Does it fit in the budget? ∆Can it be built before the competition?

16. Examples Rough sketch showing area/function assignments. Block Party Example of cash flow by season milestones. Cascade Effect

17. Design/Construction ∆Test as much as you can before you spend time building it. ∆As you develop your design think about modularity  Multiple groups can work on pieces of the robot at the same time  Simplifies maintenance ∆Understand the materials that you are allowed to use. Tetrix is a great system, but has significant limitations. ∆Support all driven components separate from the motor or servo ∆Plan out controls while building so that software can be developed ∆Electronics and Wiring  Design in space for electrical components and wire routing  Secure all wiring connections

18. Random Thoughts Hampster’s Robot 2010-11 Get Over It Hampster’s Robot 2014-2015 Cascade Effect Much broader use of materials

19. Central location for electronics Easily accessible battery. Note rubber band to indicate fully charged Entire front collector could be removed with one pin Random Thoughts Shielding to protect sensitive components and wiring connections Wire routing

20. Very simple mock-up to test flag spinner for Block Party Final Installation Random Thoughts

21. In this situation, the entire robot had to be built around the block handler so we needed to be sure it worked. Entire block collector was built and tested while robot was being designed. Without the real thing available it would never have worked Random Thoughts

22. Kickstand hook from Cascade Effect. Servo drives well anchored shaft. No vibrations transferred to servo From engineering notebook. Early agreement on controls lets programming occur in parallel with robot construction.

23. Random Thoughts Ultimate in custom parts. Worm drive from a rototiller. Note tape on motors to hold connectors in place Double Omni wheels with offset rollers to improve steering

24. Game Day Competition days are the fun part of the work that is done all season. A little bit of planning and structure can make the day more organized and enjoyable. ∆Before matches  Robot ownership  Scouting  Pit representative  Identify Partners and competitors (we use a 3 x 5 card for coaches)

25. Information card developed as soon as pairings are announced so that our coaches know who to work with and when they need to be ready.

26. Game Day ∆During Matches  Robot ownership  Strategy with partners  Battery Coordinator  Pit Checklist  Performance Evaluation  Pit presence (watch for judges)

27. Pit Checklist:

29. Game Day ∆Finals  Prepare ranking for team representative – Team Representative selects highest ranked, available team  You have a few minutes  Take critical tools and charged batteries to the field with you  Remember blue sets first  Remember, you get one time-out

30. Preparation for Competition If something can go wrong in a competition it will. You need to work out the bugs in your shop. ∆Robot substantially complete at least two meetings before the competition. ∆Drive practice, and lots of repetitions – use competition drive teams ∆Simulate situations and talk about how you will respond ∆Share all learning points with the entire team. Learn the lesson once!

31. Preparation for Competition There is a lot of preparation beyond the robot. This work can take several weeks and should be worked on as part of regular team meetings. ∆Plan/prepare pit presentation and decorations ∆Finalize bill of materials and applicable rules ∆Plan and practice judging presentation ∆Go through Robot and Software checklist ∆Charge batteries (we use rubber bands to indicate charged) ∆Assemble pit checklists, scouting sheets and evaluation sheets (Too much detail will kill you. Focus on the few critical pieces of information) ∆Pack your supplies as a team so you know where things are