FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

What's important to your team?

The “Desert Survival Scenario” (such as this one here) is a common team building exercise. This is the first draft of an FRC version that I may use with my team(s) as a team building exercise and to help the students understand the resource requirements of a successful FRC team (I'll add monetary value in the final draft).

The Scenario: Your team must start over with nothing but the returning students from last season and the knowledge that they carry in their heads. You have no partners/sponsors/school, no money, no mentors, no facilities, no tools or materials. A parent on your team allows you to congregate in their unheated two-car garage while you regroup. A mysterious generous and magical benefactor comes forward and will grant your team an unspecified number of resources from a given list. Your team must rank the offered items/resources in order of importance to your team's success. The list is as follows...

• Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
• Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
• Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
• Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
• Drill press & bit set + Band saw
• Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
• Lathe & tooling
• Mill & tooling
• Laser OR water jet cutter
• 3 Axis CNC & tooling
• Sheet metal bending capabilities
• Welding capabilities
• An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
• A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
• A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
• A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
• A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
• A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
• A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
• $500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
• $500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
• $500 voucher for AndyMark
• $500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
• $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
• Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
• Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
• Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
• Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
• Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)
• Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)
• Team Meeting Area (2)
• Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
• Six additional batteries and chargers
• $500 Visa Debit Card

1 - supportive in that they recognize the value in FRC and allow your team to recruit there, however they can’t provide you with any resources at all
2 - sufficient size for your team and property, if you don’t receive this resource you will continue to work and store all of your things in the unheated two-car garage. (you can not meet or store anything on the theoretical practice field. you can just drive.)

Resources are not returnable or exchangeable.

If your team qualifies for Worlds your generous and magical sponsor will pay the registration fee and travel expenses for you to compete, in addition to resources provided at the beginning of the season.

Now roll a dice. Your team gets the first D20+10 items on your list!

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

Can I get a bonus +3 on my role due to my intelligence modifier?

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

Depends, how much XP do you have and what level are you?

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

1. Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
2. Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
3. Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
4. A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
5. A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
6. A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
7. A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
8. An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
9. $500 Visa Debit Card
10. Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
11. Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
12. Drill press & bit set + Band saw
13. $500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
14. $500 voucher for AndyMark
15. $500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
16. Sheet metal bending capabilities
17. $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
18. Welding capabilities
19. Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
20. $500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
21. Team Meeting Area (2)
22. Lathe & tooling
23. Mill & tooling
24. Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
25. Six additional batteries and chargers
26. A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
27. 3 Axis CNC & tooling
28. Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
29. Laser OR water jet cutter
30. A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
31. Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
32. Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
33. Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)
34. Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)
    

Top 11 bolded since they are guaranteed.

Assumptions and reasoning:

• The goal is to qualify for championship. I will disregard the Chairman's/EI path to qualification as that would vary heavily on the team and what the students had done in the past.
• Events: I picked registration and travel to 2 events. At the current state of FRC, districts are tough competition. I will go to 2 regionals that are either new, underpopulated, or in a "weaker" region robot-wise. Let's not get into arguments deciding which regionals these would be.
• Mentors: I left the "electrical expertise" and "CAD expertise" down the list for later. I figured a group of engineers and former FIRST students could handle the task of wiring a functional robot. I also left the CAD expertise for farther down the list, for using 3-axis CNC and up tools. A NEM to handle all our hotels and transportation booking and helping with other things also saves a lot of the stress from the other mentors.
• Tools and fabrication: With an experienced FRC mentor I figure the team will be able to build within its means, upgrading its level of construction as it gains more fabrication methods.
• Batteries: I'm sure some nice team would help us out if we couldn't afford extras :)
• Possibly against the spirit of the challenge, Money-wise I also figured that the mentors have jobs, engineering or otherwise, and wouldn't mind chipping in some cash. I also assumed that the programming mentor would have some sort of personal laptop or other computer to use if the number of items wasn't met for the 2 laptops.
• Spirit/Image items: While important, and one of my favorite parts of first, these dropped to the bottom of a list purely trying to qualify for Championship.
• I set my baseline for comparison at the $500 dollar debit card. A number of things lower on the list are because I felt that the essential parts of it were worth much less. Ex. "Pit and Robot Cart", I felt only the robot cart was essential, and depending on the robot, transportation could be done with something pretty inexpensive.

EDIT: Just realized the max is 30 items! Byebye spirit items!

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

NOTE: This is my personal list, and most definitely does not represent all or even most of the members of Team 20.

1) Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
2) Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
3) A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
4) A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
5) Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
6) A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
7) A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
8) Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
9) $500 Visa Debit Card
10) Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
11) Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
12) $500 voucher for AndyMark
13) An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
14) Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
15) A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
16) Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
17) $500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
18) Drill press & bit set + Band saw
19) Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
20) A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
21) $500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
22) Team Meeting Area (2)
23) Lathe & tooling
24) Mill & tooling
25) Six additional batteries and chargers
26) Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)
27) $500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
28) Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
29) Laser OR water jet cutter
30) Sheet metal bending capabilities
31) 3 Axis CNC & tooling
32) $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
33) Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)
34) Welding capabilities

My basic goal was to be a competitive, basic level FRC team. The kind that could get into eliminations at any FRC regional or district event. I also based the list off of myself (i.e. Programming and Electrical mentors are high up on the list because those are my blind spots.)
I think that any team can build a competitive robot with some intelligence and my top 11 items. (You can substitute those mentors with mentors that suit your blind spots.) I have a non-engineering mentor in there not as much for award submissions, spirit, imagery, etc., but more for the financial, non-engineering mentorship aspects to be taken care of. After that it becomes things I'd like to have in order of preference.

The most interesting part was discovering what I found to be the least important. The bottom four are guaranteed to not be in my list of items this team could have.
31) 3 Axis CNC & tooling- Do you really need CNC to succeed?
32) $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot- I already have raw materials and vouchers for andymark/vexpro/McMaster, do I need Home Depot items?
33) Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)- I already have team buttons, these are unnecessary.
34) Welding capabilities- This was the most interesting part to me, because my team welds their robots, but if I have the ability to work with sheet metal, I don't need this. And even without either, I can have a pretty good drivetrain with just the KOP drivetrain.

I think I might bring this to our team's attention and see what comes of it.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

Considering the laser or waterjet costs more than the entire rest of the list (even the combined salaries of the engineers listed), I would put that #1.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

Where's the choice for dedicated students? That would be top on my list. Then every mentor listed. Add in the registration fees and the rest of the stuff will get done. Dedicated students getting taught by passionate mentors is my personal definition of a successful team.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

I think the scenario would be a little clearer if you were to say that the team has tried every other company that could potentially sponsor them, and this is the only sponsor to say yes. If there is a possibility that other sponsors come in and give the team some more stuff, then people will be more inclined to pick stuff that is harder to get but not necessarily as important

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

I'll play...

1 Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
2 Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
3 A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
4 A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
5 Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
6 Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
7 An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
8 A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
9 Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
10 Team Meeting Area (2)
11 Six additional batteries and chargers
12 $500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
13 $500 voucher for AndyMark
14 $500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
15 A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
16 A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
17 Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
18 Lathe & tooling
19 Drill press & bit set + Band saw
20 $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
21 $500 Visa Debit Card
22 Laser OR water jet cutter
23 A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
24 Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
25 Mill & tooling
26 $500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
27 Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
28 Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
29 3 Axis CNC & tooling
30 Sheet metal bending capabilities
31 Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
32 Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)
33 Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)
34 Welding capabilities


I'm assuming that any tools come with knowledge of operation...

My list is different due to the fact that you said I keep my students. Which means I retain the resources they bring in. I have the benefit of being in a relatively affluent area in which almost all of my students have ready access to a computer at home. It also means I can expect students to cover their travel cost (we currently do) Options 1-11 are assured, this means I've done my best to build a group that can provide the next couple key items (most notably recruiting mentors and raising the small amount of funds needed to build a simple effective robot). 12-20 are things that would be nice to have given to me but that I can ultimately get given 1-11 and a few months of work. 21-34 are things that would be nice to have but ultimately don't impact my ability to get things done.

In fact, I'd be willing to say that given 1-15 on my list (and some dedicated students) I could say with relatively few doubts that we could put together a solid robot that would play in the afternoon at almost any regional and has a high chance of seeding high.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

1 Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
2 Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
3 A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
4 Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
5 $500 Visa Debit Card
6 Lathe & tooling
7 Laser OR water jet cutter
8 Sheet metal bending capabilities
9 Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
10 $500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
11 $500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
12 $500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
13 $500 voucher for AndyMark
14 $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
15 Team Meeting Area (2)
16 Mill & tooling
17 A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
18 A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
19 A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
20 A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
21 A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
22 3 Axis CNC & tooling
23 Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
24 Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
25 Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
26 Six additional batteries and chargers
27 An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
28 Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
29 Drill press & bit set + Band saw
30 Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
31 Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
32 Welding capabilities
33 Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)
34 Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)

This was picked on the basis of building the best robot and assumes you have an awesome group of students. It's possible to run a successful team with only one mentor, hard but possible. Since most of the robot is going to be laser cut sheet metal, CAD experience is the most important. Students can pick up the programming, electrical, and other stuff pretty well from all the resources that exist and getting help from other teams.

You can buy, craigslist, dumpster dive, etc. for a lot of the small tools and items that you need. Once you have a lathe, laser cutter, and CNC break there isn't much you can't make.

The full practice area would be extremely beneficial to making a competitive robot. Several really great teams meet in a garage and figure out a way to get it done, but having a meeting space would be preferred.

A robot cart can just be a $10 furniture dolly and pit shelves while nice are not needed. I also feel like buttons in FRC are dying down a bit, they aren't nearly as "required" as I remember them being. Handwritten notes of encouragement would be better giveaways than pretty much anything you could buy anyway, so why waste the spot.

I'm hoping I role at least a 5. If we get a 1 we would probably move to a plywood laser cut robot like 1899.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

You need to view this from a logical point of view. The first 11 are guaranteed. You get a laser cutter and sell it. Mentors/teachers can't be bought. Their worth is limitless. An area to work is also tough to find. Depending on what you roll, you may have to sell the CNC as well. With all that money you now have, you can buy pretty much everything else on the list. And if you have a lucky roll, you will have plenty of money to spare. Just like that you have everything on the list except for a laser cutter. With all that equipment and some smart decisions, you will have a very successful year, get a good sponsor who will buy you a laser cutter and anything else you need.

1. Laser OR water jet cutter
2. An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
3. A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
4. A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
5. A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
6. A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
7. A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
8. A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
9. Team Meeting Area (2)
10. Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
11. 3 Axis CNC & tooling
12. Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
13. Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
14. Sheet metal bending capabilities
15. Welding capabilities
16. Mill & tooling
17. Lathe & tooling
18. Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
19. Drill press & bit set + Band saw
20. Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
21. Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
22. $500 Visa Debit Card
23. $500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
24. $500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
25. $500 voucher for AndyMark
26. $500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
27. $500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
28. Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
29. Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
30. Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
31. Six additional batteries and chargers
32. Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
33. Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)
34. Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

Doesn't EVERY Rookie team play this game during their FIRST year?.......maybe even with many less options.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

See, I viewed this from the viewpoint of "What could my team not live without".
I also figured that this mythical sponsor would be allowing you to use their waterjet/laser cutter, not just granting you a waterjet/laser cutter machine.
CNC could also be construed the same way, but maybe not. I don't know of any teams that own a waterjet or laser cutter. The teams I know of that use these have sponsors that allow them to use this equipment (i.e. we can use RPI's waterjet machine if we need to).

I feel like there should be a better way to word the scenario so there is no corner-cutting in making your list. Or maybe the list should be altered so that it says "Waterjet/Laser Cutting Services" or something.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

Yes but there are options like sheet metal bending ability and welding ability. Since it didn't say laser cutting ability, I assumed it meant that we would have an actual laser cutter because it is worded the same way as the other equipment that you would actually own.

Re: FRC "Survival Scenario" Exercise
 

1.An active teacher and supportive school of your choice (1)
2.A mentor of your choice with FRC strategic design expertise
3.A mentor of your choice with mechanical engineering expertise
4.Initial registration fee (1 regional OR 2 districts)
5.A mentor of your choice with programming expertise
6.Basic hand tools + Measurement tools + Electrical tools (nothing powered)
7.Basic power tools (Cordless drill + bit set, Dremel, etc.)
8.Two Laptops with OS + Internet access
9.Drill press & bit set + Band saw
10.A mentor of your choice with electrical engineering expertise
11.A mentor of your choice with expertise in all non-engineering matters
12.Belt sander + grinder + arbor press
13.$500 worth of raw material (aluminum, steel, polycarb)
14.$500 Visa Debit Card
15.$500 voucher for AndyMark
16.$500 voucher for VEX/VEX Pro
17.$500 voucher for McMaster-Carr
18.$500 voucher for Lowe’s or Home Depot
19.Team Meeting Area (2)
20.Registration Fee for additional regional OR district championship
21.Travel expenses (hotel, transportation, food) for two competition events
22.A mentor of your choice with CAD/Inventor expertise
23.Full Size Practice Area (Space, Carpet, Driver Stations - No Game Elements)
24.Pit Set Up of your choice + Robot Cart
25.Six additional batteries and chargers
26.Sheet metal bending capabilities
27.Mill & tooling
28.Laser OR water jet cutter
29.Lathe & tooling
30.3 Axis CNC & tooling
31.Welding capabilities
32.Team Uniforms (sufficient quantity for all team members)
33.Unique Team Give Away (sufficient quantity for all events)
34.Team Button Give Aways (sufficient quantity for all events)