Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Now that we are almost done with the bulild season I would like to put forth some information about when you get to your regional(s) and need your robot inspected.

1) Have your BOM (Bill of Material) ready in a hard copy format. There is no guarantee that someone will be able to print one for you from your jump drive.

2) Leave the bumpers off when you get your robot sized. It's a real mess when you have a team removing their bumpers, in the inspection area, and other teams are trying to get their robot inspected. Some regionals don't have allot of room for this (ie BMR)

3) Please have only two students interact with the inspectors. It's alright if the team wants to watch, but please do it from a short distance away. It's hard for an inspector to ask questions, about the robot, and four people answer.

4) Make sure there are NO sharp corners, protruding screws etc on your robot. I don't like to see blood, especially my own :ahh: :D

5) Don't wait until the last minute to get your robot inspected.

The inspectors are here to help you enjoy your FIRST experience and we are not out to pick on you.

If any other inspectors would like to add to this list. Feel free to comment.

Thanks

Your BMR Inspector

ps I can't be bought, but I can be rented :D

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

From a 6th year veteran, I would like to second this good advice.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

We will be pushing you to get inspected way before that! And please, make sure you have all that you need to have on the robot for inspection! i.e. Legal Flagholder w/ PWM, Rockwell Distro blocks, Team LED, a tether cable for power up testing, two guages and the KOP regulator if you use pneumatics, school name and team number on four sides, and nothing that tastes bad, smells bad, messes the carpet or glows in the dark.
Another BMR, MWR, MNR, Championship inspector.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Wayne,
This is Excellent. This list should be included in the manual with the Robot Checklist. Or all regionals should have copies given to the teams as Highly Recommended reading. Thanks for putting this together. It's all simple stuff but having the bumper off alone could save a LOT of valuable time, and Frankly, I hadn't thought of that!

Steve

(You can be rented? How much?)

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

I would also advocate that you walk through the Inspection Checklist section of the manual for practice. Have one of the mentors or more veteran students play the role of the inspector. Take turns with different students answering the inspection questions.

Do this today. Do it again in a few days. Do it again a few days after that. With my rookie team this year, we've gone through it about once per week, with the robot in whatever state it happens to be in.

A lot of teams will be attending some sort of pre-ship scrimmage. It would be great if someone at each of these events could set up a robot inspection station and walk through the inspection checklist with each and every team. Most teams probably won't "pass" at this stage, but it would be good to at least know what areas they should work on, especially if there's something big they forgot.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Team 1501 (my team) will be attending the scrimmage at Ball State U put on by Team 1720. I will be happy to go over any robot that attends.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Wayne, can we rent you to help with inspections in St. Louis? :)

All of your points are great advice. My favorite robot is the one that breezes through inspection because the team is prepared and everything is tidy.

This year, inspectors will be looking carefully for sharp edges, corners, points, or anything that might pop a trackball (or draw blood :eek: ).

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

We will see you there Wayne, but don't look to close yet :)

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

All of the aforementioned inspection notes and musings are great. I don't want to feel left out so here is my partial list. (Yes, that means I will be posting more later.)

And to reiterate Wayne...Please have you BOM printed out. (Major pet peeve of mine.)

1. <R04> Leading edges of lifting devices, forks, grapplers etc shall by not less than 1 in sq.

2. <R05> 1/8" radius minimum on points and corners and .030 minimum radii on all contact point with the Trackball.

3. <R08> 6” minimum section of bumpers

4. <R14> and <R15> school name, number and primary sponsor must be visible on all sides. Number 4” in tall ¾’ stroke.

5. <R16> 80” rule……enough said. Look it up.

6. <R17> Flag holder to be 51” from floor, ½" PVC, capped, no holes.

7. <R18> male PWM end w/in 4” of top.

8. <R19> 0-8” from floor,, frame to be w/in 10 degrees of vertical

9. <R45> Circuit breakers must match KOP issue exactly.

10. <R54> Please follow recommended color coding of wiring.

11. <R58> Fisher Price p/n 00968-9015 only!!!!

One last thing, Al said it earlier, we are here to help and make your tournament enjoyable. I enjoy inspecting and really enjoy the interaction with the students. Don't forget your GP if we find something that needs attention. I'll have mine.:D

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

One minor point, the only thing that is required to be visible on all four sides is the team number.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Agreed, last year 330 didn't have a single sponsor showing through the first minute and a half of every match, unless you could see in between our ramps. We passed inspection. We had team numbers in 8 places, though--one front, one back, three on each side (1 bumper, 1 outside of ramp, 1 inside of ramp)--to make sure we always had four numbers showing.

All our sponsors were on the inside of our folded-up ramps; they showed when we deployed.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

I know that lighting holes are not allowed, but are we still ok to have holes for mounting? In the past we have had a 10mm hole in the side of the holder so that we could get to the bolt heads that held the flag holder to the frame.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Emphasis mine in both cases.

No Holes is relative. Mounting holes are permitted, but if you know what's good for you, keep them smallish and to a minimum.

Don

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Question:

<R16> I take to mean that the robot must remain in the 80" cylinder at all times even though it is possible that a malfunctioning robot could exceed that. For example we have two arms that deploy. It they deployed together then it violates the rule. In proper operation they will deploy in sequence and not violate the rule. Does the inspector inspect for 'worst case' or do they leave that to the field scoring judge ?

Q. The Allen-Bradley gray, black, red distribution blocks - where does the 2 thin grey pieces go ? and are they necessary ? And why do the wires keep coming out of the block so stinking easily ? I don't remember having this problem in the past.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

I believe that they check for worst case and alert the refs if a robot might violate the rule. I think a Q&A said that.

The thin pieces go next to the center gray wall, IIRC. Not sure about the wires

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

To give some advice from the team/student's perspective:
1) Relax. Inspections are only stressful if you let them be. Remember, both you and your inspector are trying to enjoy the competition, not stress each other out. Tell an amusing anecdote or two if it helps (just don't start on some bad "a blonde walks into a bar... ouch" type of jokes and stories).

2) The scale is usually open for use for a lot of the day. So, the first thing you should do after uncrating your robot is to go weigh it. It makes for an unpleasant surprise if you discover at 5pm that you are over the weight limit. It doesn't have to be part of an inspection or any sort of official weigh-in, just get an idea of where you stand.

3) Partial inspections are your friend. Since there is only one sizing box, in my experience, a lot of time is wasted waiting to use it. Get weight/sizing done early and the rest should be a breeze. If you know your electronics won't pass at the moment for some reason, go ahead and do the rest while you wait for the parts to fix the electricals. The same goes for just about anything. (Just don't try to get a partial inspection when the incomplete subsystem poses a hazard to the inspector)

4) Know the rules well and keep copies of relevant Q&A responses and the rulebook at hand. Everyone fears getting an incompetent (or just inexperienced, which can have the same result) inspector, and it does happen (usually pretty rarely though). Knowing the rules like the back of your hand is the most effective way to get through such an inspection.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

The wires come out easy if you don't strip them properly (5/8" insulation must be removed), insert them fully, and tighten the screw all the way.

If you do these 3 simple things, then the wires will stay in.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Thanks, that must be the problem. I think we are at 1/2" or a smidgen under. I'll check it tomorrow.

And Yes, the FIRST Q&A clearly states that a robot that could physically exceed 80" can pass inspection but cannot do so during competition without penalty.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

One side of the red and black blocks is open. The thin grey pieces go between the open side of each polarity grouping and the grey block that would end up next to it. The little plastic pegs on the corners of the thin grey piece will fit neatly into holes in the face of the red/black block.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Another thing... if the inspection station is open and ready, go and size & weigh your robot IMMEDIATELY after you take it out of the box. Sometimes your scale in the shop may not be the same as theirs, or your CAD modeling missed the placement of the flag holder and you are outside. Even if you are 100% certain you are good, or bad, see how you stack up with the REAL setup.

A little reason why... at RIT last year, we got there, found out our scale or theirs was 5lbs off... we shaved that, and just made it in under by the end of the day... and by end of the day, I mean we literally weighed our robot AS we were being thrown out the door... put it on the cart, and came back first thing the next morning. Friday morning, we all of a sudden were 3lb overweight again!! Luckily we ripped off the camera and a plastic panel and were legal, but it was crazy to see the calibration of the scale change that much over the course of a day!

And I've been an inspector before as well... let it be fun, let the kids use it as a time to really show off how much they have learned! I want to say that at least 75% of the inspectors are there to help you and can point you to other teams that can give you a hand if you need something, or will give suggestions on how to fix things.

Have fun & START EARLY!!!

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Ed,
The 80" cylinder is question we will all struggle with this season but I would interpret the rule that your failure mode may very well violate the intent. Best asked on the Q&A for clarification.

The thin grey pieces are needed when the block is used for high voltage. The Kit Of Parts Rev A has a drawing on how to assemble the block and they are not included in that drawing. The wires pull out if they are not stripped 5/8". When you insert a correctly stripped wire, the end of the wire should contact the inner plastic wall (wire stop) of the block and you should be able to just see bare copper at the entrance of the terminal. When you tighten the clamp, the wire will be secure. Add appropriate wire management so that the wire does not wiggle around in the block and you should be fine.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Thanks for the advice - this is the first year that I'm going to have to go to inspection with our robot and it was really helpful!

In regards to the power distribution block, my team found that either our wires would spread out over time, or our screws would loosen - if you're still having issues with your wires falling out of your block, try tightening them every morning before you run the robot. Also make sure that they are stripped to the proper length and inserted until the manual stop - these should all prevent the wires from falling out again.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

By the way...
Weigh and size are free so come in whenever you want to check. I won't start your paperwork until you tell me you are ready.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

What!?!?!?! I've been charging for weighing and sizing :ahh:
Not really, but I could make a killing :D

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

We're a first year time and I'm trying to look ahead and smoothen out a bit of the inspection process. I saw the advice you gave and I appreciate it. Could you give me a little more information on the Bill of Material. What all is required on that? We had some parts custom made by a mentor who works at a steel plant. How do we get those parts on there. Plus once we got some of the steel....we ended up "altering" (aka.....chopping off parts) of some of the custom made pieces. Is all that legal as long as we deburr the metal. While at the places....can you talk to an inspector and have them come look at your robot before you go to official "inspection" to make sure they think it will pass so that....if they don't think it will...you can make some changes. Thanks for the help.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

You get multiple chances to pass inspection. The inspectors will be more than happy to give you a "partial" if you don't pass the first time around. They also tend to like to inspect in your pit, as it relieves congestion around the weigh station/size box.

On that note, the earlier you start the better.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Karl,
The inspector is there to make sure you play. He is your friend, please come over and ask questions. I will be stopping by all pits during the practice day Thursday. Wave me over if you have an issue. I (most inspectors) would rather you be ready for a complete inspection when you come for inspection, than to go through multiple partial inspections. It is more efficient for you to go through the list and check over everything before I see your robot. That way as I go through the list, you can point out the areas I am interested in and the process will go very quickly. Inspection should take no longer than 15 minutes.
As to the BOM, the robot rules Section 8 has some examples of how to handle BOM entries and costing. Simply read through the section to get an idea of how to handle your parts. It might require some research on your part to get an accurate cost.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Al, correct me if I'm wrong. The B.O.M. is mostly the extra parts and pieces you buy/get donated above the KOP parts.
The custom made parts you need to have the mentor estimate what the parts are worth.
If you buy a 10' long piece of steel but only use 2' than divide the 10' piece price by 5 to get the correct BOM price.
You do not need to include any small hardware (screws, bolts etc..) on the BOM.
Don't sweat the small stuff, we will help you pass inspection.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Wayne, the example 10' long piece has to be counted as 10' for cost accounting unless the same stuff is available in 2' lengths. It's prorated on smallest available commercial quantity (that works...;)), not on how much you use. The example given in the rulebook is a 10" x 10" piece of material, cut from an 4' by ??' sheet, but available commercially in 1' by 1' sheets.

(Sorry, I'm not Al...):D

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Wayne, this is just about right.

Minor detail: when a team uses less material than they actually purchased, the cost of the part(s) made from that material can be shown on the BOM as the cost of the smallest commonly available quantity that they could have purchased.You're also right about not having to count small fasteners; however, any fastener that costs more than $1 each must be included in the BOM.

Your final point is the main one: we the volunteers are there to help you pass inspection. We want every team to pass every inspection item so that they can compete.

(Sorry, I'm not Al either. I know he's around here somewhere ...)

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

My understanding is ALL parts need to be listed. (Including KOP items that are used) Just put KOP in the source column and leave the cost column blank.

The cost of a manufactured frame rail for example, would be exactly as you say, the total cost of a 1 x 1 alum angle, 10 ft long divided by 120 gives the cost per inch. The frame rail is 17 inches long times cost per inch equals cost of the frame rail. Plate stock, I figure out per square inch, same for plywood, lexan etc...

Think of the BOM as a training aid for your team accountant to talk to and interface with your dir of engineering student. They have to understand how a buisness works and a product is costed before going ot market.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

As far as looks go I fall somewhere between Rich and Wayne. Wayne is slightly taller and wears far more buttons than Rich or I do. Rich and I look alike but he has a St. Louis accent.
Karl,
The rules for how to account for parts are too expansive to include here. There are a number of examples included to help you judge what and how items should be included in your BOM. If you think of the reason behind the BOM and inspections, it is easier to see the thought process behind it. FIRST is trying to inspire by having you build a robot that must meet certain real or contrived constraints to help you think and to level the playing field for all teams. Gravity and playing field size are real world constraints, while robot size and weight and the parts cost limits are the contrived constraints. It is easier to say what you don't include, that being fasteners and items that you received in the KOP.
Oh by the way, buying a robot arm and splitting it into two separate assemblies for cost accounting doesn't fly and we will be watching for examples of that. Individual components must be below $400 each.

While we are on the subject of inspections. Safety of ball shooters will be very important during inspections. There will be concerns for the safety of not only participants, robots and field, but volunteers adjacent to the field as well. Designs that use great deals of stored energy, those that are designed to launch balls great heights or distances and those that have large moving parts (and the potential for breakage of those parts) will obviously be examined with those safety concerns in mind. Please read Team Update 5, we are.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Rev F of the Inspection Checklist was released by First today and is available on the website. It has some relatively minor changes to conform to the updates posted recently. I plan on using this checklist for the Midwest Regional in Chicago this weekend. It should not be a problem, just be prepared for a different look when we go through your inspection. Other inspectors from the first week regionals can add their comments below.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

I have never put KOP parts on my BOM. Also if I have to buy a 1 foot piece of aluminum for a 8" part I have always accounted for the whole 1 foot piece.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

Oh dear

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

As you might imagine, rookies tend to find the cost accounting rules to be a tad complex. What I've been advising some of our local rookies is to account for whatever they bought and used on the robot. If they run up against the $3500 limit, then they can start figuring out what they can legally prorate, but odds are that 98% of teams never even come close, so there's no sense in going through the hassle.

Re: Musings from a FIRST Inspector
 

We will be using the Rev F inspection checklist in St. Louis.