View Full Version : What is in you dream FIRST robotics team shop?
UndergroundVoid
16-06-2008, 02:06
Well the title is pretty much the question. So what things would you have in your dream shop or even great things you may have now that are unique? this can be anything such as stuff like judging station, etc. now go Crazy.
Well who can say that they haven't wanted to play with one of these. (http://www.flowcorp.com/waterjet-products.cfm?id=155)
The coolest thing you can have for your robotics site is better than the newest shiniest mill, more powerful than the One Million Gig computer lab and even beats two kilometers of space! It's a key that gives you access to your shop that doesn't leave you beholden to a school or a place of business. You can come and go as you please to do the work that needs to be done. NOW THAT IS A COOL FEATURE (which we have)!
Alan Anderson
16-06-2008, 11:29
The TechnoKats already have an amazing place. Plenty of room, plenty of tools large and small, plenty of electricity, a Coke machine, a large door to the outside, lots of storage space, a full-sized practice field...and availability even when the school is closed.
I'd add two things to make it even more awesome: a convenient restroom, and sanctioned internet access.
MrForbes
16-06-2008, 11:36
It sure would be nice to have a shop that wouldn't need to be cleaned up at the end of each work session!
scottydoh
16-06-2008, 11:46
It sure would be nice to have a shop that wouldn't need to be cleaned up at the end of each work session!
I agree!
It sure would be nice to have a shop that wouldn't need to be cleaned up at the end of each work session!
You mean it comes with one of these (or an army of them if you really are messy)?
http://www.mobtech.it/wp-content/rosie.jpg
acdcfan259
16-06-2008, 12:02
More space
JaneYoung
16-06-2008, 12:52
Administrators, politicians who can make a difference in placing education, science, and technology as a priority for our children and their future, sponsors, students, and parents who 'get it'.
We have a wonderful space/shop. It would be nice if more folks knew about it and understood it better. We keep putting the word out there. :)
roboticWanderor
16-06-2008, 13:23
possibly those politicians and administrators could dedicate some of those resorces to replace some of the ancient machines in our shop (i swear some of them are older than our coach, and that is oooooold) and possibly upgrade us from a "trainer" cnc mill with it's little 1/8" endmill!
i <3 our shop as it is, but i wish they would let us use the gym to practice on!
or one of these (http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=272)
You mean it comes with one of these (or an army of them if you really are messy)?
http://www.mobtech.it/wp-content/rosie.jpg
My team seriously needs one of these, then maybe we can fit the couch that we've been dreaming about for months (The programmers would take it over, though).
If that thing recycled we could make enough money off diet coke cans to pay for the kit. (or the new controller) :ahh:
smurfgirl
16-06-2008, 13:28
My dream shop would be full of cabinets, drawers, etc. just like it is now. They would all be labeled, just like they are now. But, everyone would put the parts back in the right drawer, not just me. That way we'd all be able to find things, instead of relying on Ellen.
Also, I'm with Koko Ed that it would be great to get into the shop without having to worry about the school, what hours our janitors are working, etc.
If that thing recycled we could make enough money off diet coke cans to pay for the kit.
It is important to note that these coke cans are half-filled and are literally ALL OVER THE PLACE! :eek: It seems that our mentors are primarily responsible for this mess, even though there are only a few of them...
JaneYoung
16-06-2008, 13:32
possibly those politicians and administrators could dedicate some of those resorces to replace some of the ancient machines in our shop (i swear some of them are older than our coach, and that is oooooold) and possibly upgrade us from a "trainer" cnc mill with it's little 1/8" endmill!
i <3 our shop as it is, but i wish they would let us use the gym to practice on!
Yup..let's keep working on it. And Bertucci is younger than me, Lewis. :) They could be ancient instead of oooooold. Oh wait they are...
*Enough small hand-tools so that everyone can have their own.
*A vacuum system that cleans up all the shavings and dust instantly.
*A full size, exact match, regulation practice field.
*An infinite supply and excellent selection of materials, all perfectly organized.
*water fountains and mountain dew fountains
*enough computers so that anyone can CAD or program, anytime.
*Plasma, laser, and regular CNC machines.
*A nice powder coating machine
And of course in the dream shop you need...
The ultimate FIRST team who can design the ultimate robot every year!!
Rosiebotboss
16-06-2008, 13:59
You mean it comes with one of these (or an army of them if you really are messy)?
http://www.mobtech.it/wp-content/rosie.jpg
Rosie does not even clean up her own shop, we're not going to clean up the X-Cats too!!
thefro526
16-06-2008, 18:24
CNC machines to make new complex parts and the ability to weld. And if we're really pushing the envelope, I want a trap door that goes right into the andymark storeroom so that we can get parts instantly.
Billfred
16-06-2008, 18:54
Assuming we can't clone Baker (or Copioli, or JVN, or any other mentor), my dream shop would have the following:
a) Clean, unlocked bathrooms (you laugh, but...)
b) Suitable internet access, including making sure CD is unfiltered. (This was an issue on 1618 early on; fortunately, it was unblocked quickly once the request went in.)
c) Enough white-board space to ensure we can write things as we desire without having to worry about erasing immediately.
d) Storage for several old robots, and decently-organized materials.
e) Doors wide enough to allow a robot with bumpers to fit through easily.
f) A real water fountain, one that puts out a stream of water about as thick as your pinkie finger. When it's easier to drink the water, people drink the water.
g) A fridge for storing team drinks. (We use the teachers' lounge across the hall for this task.)
h) Enough computers to do what we need to do, and enough space away from them when we need kids to focus. (This we have.)
i) Enough carpeted space to build the relevant field elements.
j) Enough tools to assemble a robot well. (We're not there yet, but we're slowly growing our resources.)
k) A large-format printer. (I used the University of South Carolina's for making 1618's last two robots' side panels, and it really has about the perfect combination of cost, flexibility, and visibility to do the job. I imagine we could also have some fun with monocoque, if we chose.)
l) The ability to allow a pair of vetted mentors to come in and run meetings without a school employee present. (Burnout kills, y'know.)
I may think up more later.
Katie_UPS
16-06-2008, 18:59
Massive server space, a comfy programming corner, (as everyone else said) maid service, an automatic can recycler (how awesome would it be to have a robot made out of recycles mountain dew cans!?!?), even better welding stations, Replicas of the most successful FIRST robots (so rookies can see how they work, and so we can figure out some engineering tricks...), food, and a massively awesome organization system, a feild, and many things that I prolly forgot.
Andrew Schreiber
16-06-2008, 20:37
My dream shop would simply be one that is well laid out and had some a mill, lathe, band saw, and an arbor press all logically placed so that when in use material is not having to be held across a doorway. A decent amount of the proper hand tools with ample storage space for them (labeled storage!).
Also on my wish list:
Students who are willing to learn.
Parents who are supportive.
School Administrators who support us.
A place for students to do homework (college mentors included ... cough uh me cough)
Some place where Flint's finest don't show up because an alarm somehow got tripped.
Room to set up half a field.
Internet access allowing us to access everything we need.
Schnabel
16-06-2008, 21:16
I think it would be cool to have a meeting area that is large, and cool, that is separate from the rest of the shop. This way we can eat in there without the mess from shop dust.
ComradeNikolai
16-06-2008, 22:00
-A large area which isn't used as a classroom everyday (hello cleaning every night), as well as not having 90% of the room be occupied by unmovable desks with computers lining them - we had to bring in portable tables to build our robot on
-A programmers' corner with comfortable seating and a programming laptop (or two) which are not used by other students every day
-Enough power tools that we don't have half the mechanical team standing around idly watching the others work
-Enough cabinet space to hold everything from the KoP, as well as anything else we obtain, while not disrupting our coach's space for his classroom materials
-Storage for cool drinks and refreshments other than the vending machines - we only have so much money to spend in them
-A mill / lathe / anything that allows us to make custom parts without waiting and hoping our NASA engineer can expedite it (quick word: he is AWESOME. He got us a custom machined drum for a motor on our robot within 12 hours of asking for it (required some reminding NASA they did sponsor us), and that was I think 4 days before ship. We goofed up majorly, and he fixed it for us)
-An high ceiling: I hit a light once and a ceiling tile another time, and almost dropped the arm on our coach once while testing it. We need room for Fluffy to roar.
Alex.Norton
16-06-2008, 22:47
A large area that is separated into workshop space and carpeted space
This space is at a school that has a metal working class so that some mills and lathes are provided
A CNC mill and either a water jet machine or laser for large flat cuts
A tig welder
Students that have taken the metal working class before working on the bot
Around ten computers with five or so preferably laptops, the laptops for programing, the desktops for CAD'ing.
No more than that many computers so that none can be wasted on frivolities.
Enough free carpet space for programing, and driver practice
Enough old bots that several different drive systems can be practiced on with enough space to store them
The team doesn't have its own space so it does have to clean up every day after working (the shop just gets too messy otherwise in addition that this doesn't take that long to do everyday)
A teacher at the school who can use the equipment and is willing to pour their life into the team for at least 6 weeks a year
A different mentor (whether teacher or not) who is very good at getting grants and can teach the kids the in and outs of getting money
However almost everything listed above should come after students that are dedicated, motivated, and most importantly interested and excited about building a new bot. For the first two years, the team I worked on was in a physics classroom that had no free space, no carpet, and our best tool was a hack saw, but the kids were extremely interested in building the bot and everything else, while still hard to work around, didn't seem as important.
lingomaniac88
16-06-2008, 23:29
Let's see...
- Machinery that is actually designed for metal (we work in our school's wood shop, so we mainly use handheld tools)
- Computers that are not blocked by the school server (no access to ZIP files :()
- Space. Lots and lots of space. (not such a big problem, because the gym is a 15-second walk away)
- An infinite supply of parts, especially metal beams, gears, sprockets, and wiring connectors (the name escapes me, but the things that go into the sides of Spike relays - electrical isn't my specialty)
- An environment in which time stands still within the shop (six weeks go by really quickly, don't they?)
Abra Cadabra IV
17-06-2008, 00:36
Among other things, a drill press that's not missing its chuck key and a shop that we don't have to share with the 7/8 Woodshop class. Oh, and lots of space would be nice too. :D
Herodotus
17-06-2008, 00:52
My dream shop would have a full complement of students ready to learn and be inspired....
and a CNC...
=Martin=Taylor=
17-06-2008, 02:42
I already have my dream shop....
But now I need a place to park my car :rolleyes:
- Access to the shop when the school is closed
- Uninhibited internet access and wireless internet
- One of MOE's carts (though our summer build project is to build it) -- useful for when we do testing in the open cafeteria or gym, and also because our CNC is four doors down from our shop.
- Enough space for 1/2 a field, and enough vertical space to fully test lifts
- At least 2 computers that can handle CAD, as well as higher resolution displays
- More scrap wood for prototyping
- Ooh and an arbor press with appropriate broaches.
-CNC Mill, Lathe, Pipebender
-Metalcutting bandsaw, chopsaw, etc.
-arbor press
-access 24/7
-Computers
-welder
-food
-well equipped storage area
-a robotic system that can automatically fetch any raw part, from a 8-32 nut to a 8 foot length of 80/20, with a push of a button
-A largish purple button, with a nice satisfying click to it, that symeltaneously builds a 1114-quality robot in 10 minutes, and installs all the fun, knowledge, and lack of sleep that a FIRST season generates in all team members, without the...actual lack of sleep.
MrForbes
17-06-2008, 12:52
-a robotic system that can automatically fetch any raw part, from a 8-32 nut to a 8 foot length of 80/20, with a push of a button
We're hoping for a few freshmen this coming year!
takeegan
17-06-2008, 13:21
plasma cutter (it sounds cool) and a teleporter (again it'd just be cool) and a dr. pepper fountain... oh and a welder to keep the mentors happy
roboticWanderor
17-06-2008, 13:39
A GTAW (get it right fools)
CNC mill with a 38 x 28 or larger cutting area
hex broaches
more space to store old robots!
I have really enjoyed the "dream" facilities everyone is posting. That being said a friend and I built a racecar (scratch built not conversion) with a 60 year old mill, a 90+ year old lathe (6 speed belt drive Logan), and a $500 welder.
The Bees currently enjoy a cramped space with salvaged machines (the were all set to be scrapped before we "saved" them). Personally I really enjoy our shop and would only get rid of the "red menace" which is a band saw that has been brought back from the dead too many times. I personally believe it is a Zombie Bandsaw thirsty for blood. j/k
More important than fancy machinery are people that know the basics. While really cool parts are built by fancy machines, Great robots are built by great people.
BTW I think Team 45 is cloning Andy. Anybody who has pitted next to them should agree that they are a first class students running a first class team. As a mentor I was very inspired to see them in action.
RoboMaster
17-06-2008, 17:48
A whole wall dedicated to haning bags of every imaginable color, size, use, tecture, personalized, and uniqness of...
Zip ties!
A whole wall dedicated to haning bags of every imaginable color, size, use, tecture, personalized, and uniqness of...
Zip ties!
Hahaha. Maybe just half of a wall for us though.
Somehow we've all missed one of the more important things: good speakers and music!
I also seem to have forgotten the important high powered shop vac with a multitude of attachments for getting in the knick-knacks our shop machines.
Our shop had 3 CNC's and my favorite of all was our Haas CNC lathe SL-10. As long as you have one of those babies for me to use, i'll be happy :P
Blue_Mist
19-06-2008, 01:02
In my dream shop there would be a crowd of bright and eager freshmen and eighth graders all begging to be let into our shop and join our Robotics Team. I would REALLY love that. :)
In retrospect, I would love for a younger group like our year, full of energy, talent and willingness to work, sometimes far overtime (all of us will be seniors next year, and the eight of us comprise of more than half the team. We came in just as the original group that started our team was leaving). Who came in as freshmen, stayed and worked our butts off learning, teaching and pouring everything we had into the robot and the team. Who are willing to help with more than just the six weeks of building and competitions. Who are willing to (thank you!) clean the shop every once in a while. Who are (relatively) numerous, so that not every single person has to do all of these all the time. I wish our shop was more full of awesome people like that! :cool:
And a working, non-temperamental MIG welder. That would be really cool. :D
Akash Rastogi
19-06-2008, 01:09
possibly those politicians and administrators could dedicate some of those resorces to replace some of the ancient machines in our shop (i swear some of them are older than our coach, and that is oooooold) and possibly upgrade us from a "trainer" cnc mill with it's little 1/8" endmill!
i <3 our shop as it is, but i wish they would let us use the gym to practice on!
or one of these (http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=272)
We have a lathe from WWII. Its still the one I use and will always use even though we have a newer one ^_^
dtengineering
19-06-2008, 02:58
Andy Baker clone.
You are so right that a good person outranks a goood tool any day! Give a team some bright, enthusiastic, responsible students, a few dedicated, competent mentors and they can take care of the rest with hacksaws and a cordless drill if they have to.
Of course once you've got the people... well... the rest just makes it more fun! To add to everyone else's list:
Panel Saw, Table Saw, Compound Mitre Saw, Jointer, Planer, Bandsaw, CNC router (we build a lot of stuff from wood)
Bead blaster, belt sander, disc sander, wire brush, grinder, buffing wheel. (Polished aluminum looks better, don't you think?)
Big honking vent fans. (we have used polyester/fibreglass composites in the past... a bit stinky)
A bucket of unobtanium and a cold beverage for the mentors at the end of the night.
Jason
artdutra04
19-06-2008, 09:11
... always one more thing then we have right now.
It's that idea that has always kept us pushing harder in our fundraising efforts, without making everything look like pie-in-the-sky ideas.
Right now on our short list are DROs for our Bridgeport milling machine, a TIG welder, and the homemade powder-coating oven; just recently we approved the funds to buy a vinyl cutting machine. Other recent additions to our shop also include a used 36" inkjet plotter, an arbor press, and keyway broaches (still saving up for those hex broaches though ;)).
Laaba 80
19-06-2008, 20:00
At our shop the owner/team president has a back shop that he rents out to other small businesses. My dream is to fundraise enough so he doesnt need to rent out that space. We could then turn it into a full practice field. It even has a little loft that we could use for bleachers.
Joey
Cooley744
09-07-2008, 23:59
right now our team would really like a plasma cutter!
We're hoping for a few freshmen this coming year!
us too, but we are hoping for five.
octothorpe
10-07-2008, 03:27
...what everybody else said (especially Mika about the recruits) and also:
- Hanging electrical power supplies that
A) do not have blown fuses, because they
B) do not have fuses that blow at what seems to be anything >5 amps current draw
They tell us that the power blocks were built with powering 1-amp portable microscopes in mind. Sigh.
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