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Basic Brainstorming that has worked well for the RoboDAWGS:
On Kickoff Day we get together and view a tape of the Kickoff and attempt to get at least the basic rules copied and distributed to all team members. At this session there is not a lot of discussion, mainly review and clarify the "Game". Everyone is sent home to get more familiar with the game and think on their own.
At the following Monday meeting, we have some models, full scale mockups, or scale diagrams to give everyone a feel for relative size (Get a few volunteers to do this on Sunday or late Saturday).
The first discussions work backward from the goal (win):
How do we win (win matches, be a good alliance pick, etc.)?
How do we do that (offensive tasks, defensive possibilities, etc.)?
What kind of mechanisms, characteristics does a robot need to accomplish these? (Lots of ideas, drawing, modelling, etc.)
Each of these questions are handled in small and large group brainstorming sessions, followed by decisions (voting) at each step.
At times the decisions in an earlier stage get revisited, but a strategy and basic design has to be firmed up in the first week.
The basic idea is to control the process enough to keep it moving and prevent everyone from being overwhelmed, but not so much as to discourage creativity.
Mark
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