Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

True story:
1. Take your bot to a potential sponsor, who's having an open house for their employee's children
2. Show all the kidlings all about your robot, the operator interface, etc.
3. Have one of the darlings fiddle with the Autonomous Mode switch, without your knowledge.
4. Turn your robot on. It now follows the "Drive Fast" instruction, waiting for the IR "Turn Left" command.
5. Since you weren't prepared for Autonomous, you don't have the IR beacon ready. Robot now drives at full speed into a steel support column.

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

While test driving the robot in the cafeteria with a bunch of non-FIRST people watching, try to show off and do doughnuts.

...without the battery securely attatched.


I did this, and the battery went flying off of the robot like I didn't think possible. It was funny in a "oh my God the battery just flew" sort of way.

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

Driving your 2008 robot around in the gym with a trackball and your arm fully extended to 10+ feet. Then your mentor decides to make a sharp left turn. WHAM! It tips over. Luckily the only thing damaged was the radio antenna, but a less beefy arm would have been destroyed. And right before the ship date.

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

let team 1886 run it in competition....
check the thread how fast have you broken stuff? to see what i mean.

trying to lubricate the axles with glue

deciding that your robot needs swiming lessions

trying to push your robot down an up escalator

you try to see if magnets stick to the computer components of the robot

you test your robot in autonomous mode inside your house and watch as it fires forward into a wall

you forget that you left your cup of water inside the robot before the next match

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

When your school building is surrounded by windows (Which we have) and you test autonomous mode in that hallway for the first time without the bumpers on. The robot was not the only thing broken after that.

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

.308 rifles work good

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

Let the freshman drive!!!!

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

lol here is one leave an electrical student alone in the roopm when mechanical work needs to be done

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

Solder the leads onto the KOP accelerometer backwards, connect to NI Analog Module with correct orientation. Turn on robot. Make sure you're wearing safety glasses. Watch accelerometer chip desolder itself from the PCB.

DON'T ACTUALLY DO THIS

Re: surefire ways to break you robot
 

let me drive it.
here let me show u!
100% guarantee of ultimate "breakage."