Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

Standardizing on heads sounds like a great idea. Related to this is stocking multiples of key sizes of tools and not just buying a gigantic "one of everything" tool set. Sure you've got one of every possible socket or wrench in the giant set but three of your students are looking to use the same 7/16 socket to work with those standardized sizes and you've only got one...

Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

2x4's and 2x3's should be your go to material for prototyping. A lot of the best teams use them for prototyping. Look at 254 in 2014. Also, vex hex shaft and thunderhex is good because it can drive most wheels for prototyping and a minor modification makes them able to be driven with a drill. Watch the recent game sense series on prototyping. Other good materials are the igus products. Super quick pivots and mock ups of arms can be made using igus.

Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

Watch some of the 973 RAMP videos on designing with sketches in CAD. One thing we've been known to do is print off full-scale drawing templates to trace for our prototypes and actual parts. Works great and gives the students an additional visual aid in addition to using traditional measuring tools.

The trick is to build your prototype to a high enough quality that will allow you to actually learn from it. A flimsy prototype that falls apart on its first use isn't a good prototype. Wood is a great material because you can keep drilling and adjusting things on the fly too.

For rookies, I'd highly recommend getting your AndyMark drive base assembled ASAP (have a few people start building it week 1, heck even day 1) and then attach your prototypes ontop of that frame to give you a more real-world test. Most teams use previous season drive base platforms but you most likely won't have that option.

Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

That is the alternate definition of CAD - Cardboard Aided Design :D

Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

If all you have for a drive base is that one KoP chassis, I recommend waiting until you have your overall robot design done, at least to the extent of knowing your horizontal dimensions, drive type, gearing/speed, and any interruptions that you will need in the frame (e.g. for game piece pick up). We did essentially as Ryan suggested above our first year (Rebound Rumble, a basketball-based game), and seriously compromised our chassis' integrity when we added a gap to pick up balls.

It's probably obvious to you as you've done this before, but for rookie teams especially: Decide before you start building something whether it is a prototype or will be the competition part (subject to later modification, of course). If it's going to be a competition part, you'll want to do a more careful material selection and construction than if it is just a prototype to provide dimensions and such for the real mechanism. With a prototype, you can stretch dimensions and weight that you know you will have to tuck in when you build for real.

Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

Guess I should have specified - get your kit chassis assembled initially in the default configuration. Don't go modifying it significantly until you are fairly confident in the dimensions and functionality of your prototypes. Cutting a big chunk out of your frame without knowing how the rest of your robot will compensate for that is not a good idea.

The KOP chassis is usually made to be modified fairly easily so assembling in the default state and testing ontop of that as early as possible is still a great idea in my opinion.

Re: Rookie Prototyping Materials
 

Also, bear in mind that some areas will have Kitbot build days. As in, as many teams that think they'll need help with that show up at one spot with the parts and leave with it functional. If there's one near you, go to that one.