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Unread 27-02-2004, 17:56
KenWittlief KenWittlief is offline
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Re: [moderated] Collaboration

Id like to propose an idea that takes collaboration almost up to this point, but still allows each team to create a unique machine.

When you have a regional in your hometown its much easier to form new teams - the travel and shipping expenses dissapear, unless you want to goto more than one event.

a couple years ago I was talking with other engineers during the championship at epcot, and came up with the idea of cities that have regionals also having a year round FIRST facility. A place with a single machine shop, a single playfield, computer room, lunch room, parts room, electronics equipment

but separate meeting and assembly rooms for individual teams. this would allow small teams with no real resources to meet in a common location and share a great deal of facilities and resources, while still being able to be independant teams with regards to their robot design. Engineers and mentors could choose to be team mentors or site mentors (im sure they would all end up helping all the teams as needed).

From my experience over the years the competition part of FIRST is extreemly important. When we have tried to get students to work on ideas in the off season, participation drops through the floor - nobody is interested.

There is something about human nature that makes us want to compete with each other - Im worried that having too many teams working together on a single design will take that away from FIRST, and the energy will drop like it does in the off season.

Having a single central location for multiple teams to work on their machines allows the maximum amount of cooperation, without loosing the element of competition. FIRST needs both.