[Gadget470]

No team knows the "right way" to start a design but everyone has an "our way". What's yours?

By the "silent vote" I mean something like what team 470 does.

After all rules are read, and questions answered, we are all given a small pack of sticky notes and asked to vote on generalized aspects.

For example in 2003, after the questions, a quick presentation was made using an Excel spreadsheet displaying the importance of being King of the Hill in a given match. Then we each were given a vote on:
"Stack Making" - "King of the Hill" - "Stack Smashing", and combinations thereof. Stack Making got ruled out with most votes going into KotH and Smashing combination.

The next vote was on the general design. "Expand", "Bulldoze", "Flailing" were on the table. "Expand" and "Bulldoze" were close in running and "Flailing" was ruled out.

Next a large sheet of paper was rolled out over the table and everyone drew out non-scaled sketches of what they were thinking on how to expand and bulldoze. Mechanical know-how was not important. Then we had the "Cup of Speech". (A red plastic cup). If you had the cup, you could speak, if not, you must be silent and listen. (This prevented pre-mature shooting down designs, and hurt feelings). After a quick explination of the sketch, we went around the table giving questions if we didn't understand the concept, or pointing out a rule that would be broken (such as metal spikes on tires, for example).

When all designs were completed, many were very similar and each were given a number, in this instance we had 4 types. A vote was placed pitting the 4 against eachother, and we came out with a 'winner'.

Our next step was "Make this design work" by the mechanical team. (Our mechanical team is composed of veterans and rookies who have mechanical experience and know the feasability of components, in terms of manufacturing ability, weight, and size constraints). After the mechanical team came up with a rough sketch, it was presented to the group for Q & A (Q & A was the first time mentors/engineers were a part of the design phase, as Questioners after students asked all of theirs).

Then we went to a redesigned robot from things pointed out by the team, and displayed a new product which was agreed on. Then we went to work and got the bot built.

As to the gearbox, it was a quick vote of "Power" vs "Speed" (since we weren't going to be shifting), then the mechanical team made the gearbox by the result of the vote.