This is a slight tangent from the current discussion, but I've seen this come up in both this thread and others, and I want to address it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DampRobot
I know you don't "buy" your robot, and I wasn't trying to imply that. What often bugs me is where mentors do much of the design work, and sponsors do much of the machining work. It really seems that if it shouldn't be impossible to built the robot you want to build with students. Why not teach more kids CAD? Why have your students machine all the parts in-house? To me, the design and machining experiences are one of the things that makes the FIRST experience truly valuable.
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(emphasis mine)
I always find it a bit odd when I see the comment that I bolded above. I understand why many individuals feel that way, often because the first defense for that statement that comes to their mind is "we couldn't build as good of a robot as team XXXX because they work at a professional factory while we work in a garage. If we worked there, we could be good too". I find it odd because in industry, the person who does the CAD is not always the one who operates the waterjet. I'm not saying that operating in the same manner of current-world industry should be a priority, but students will have a major advantage if they have even a general idea of what they can expect when they get a job.
Now, don't get me wrong--being able to fabricate your own parts is an AWESOME capability for a team (if it's Saturday and I need a wheel hub turned on the lathe, I'm SOL until Monday if I have to outsource my machining). But, it is not feasible for all teams for a variety of reasons: can't afford the machinery, don't have the resources to train students/mentors, don't have the space, you name it. Great robots have been fabricated in machine shops, and great robots have been fabricated in garages, but not having machinery available is no reason why a team can't field a competitive robot. Funding is a different matter entirely, but that is not a discussion for here.
For the record, 1189's 2010 robot was sheet metal that was cut and waterjet at GM, and we were lucky to see it move more than an inch on the field.