Quote:
Originally Posted by team 3311
Other teams do more than we do, because they have good machines that we could just dream of.
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This is off topic, but I've seen this thought expressed in a number of threads recently.
Please don't think that a machine shop is the answer to all your problems. You don't need a lathe/CNC/laser cutter etc to build a winning robot. In 2006 (our second season), we built a robot that I'm sure many people would be tempted to smile at because of the build quality and the materials and construction techniques we used. The ball shooter was built from plywood, aluminum angle and door hinges. It was fabricated in a home basement workshop with a table saw, a chop saw, a drill press and a bunch of hand tools. We were fortunate enough to win the Granite State Regional, be an alliance captain in our division in Atlanta and win some off-season tournaments because our hand-built-held-together-with-wood-screws camera-guided plywood shooter could sink all 10 balls in autonomous. We still have our 2006 robot, and every now and then we look at it, smile at the way it was built, and enjoy some fine memories.
Have our design and construction skills and techniques improved since then? Definitely, and we now have sponsors who will machine things for us. Our robot is still made in the same basement workshop, though. We even have a bandsaw now
The important point though is that none of these things in themselves make a competitive robot. Working out a successful game strategy and then designing a reliable robot that you can build within your team's limitations so you can play to that strategy is a challenge that every single team faces. So please don't convince yourself that a "good" robot is out of your reach.
I hope this helps - I'm trying to encourage you, not make you feel bad.
Noel