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Unread 27-02-2004, 18:37
Shawn60 Shawn60 is offline
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#0060 (Bionic Bulldogs)
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Kingman, Az
Posts: 86
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Re: [moderated] Collaboration

Quote:
Originally Posted by dlavery
Hmmmm.... I am getting even further convinced that any group that goes down this road will quickly discover the point of diminishing returns.

I'm thinking about 300 studnets and 30 engineers, spread across 10 different locations, working on the same project, trying to set interface standards for at least 10 different subsystems, establishing production procedures for at least 10 copies (20 if you want a spare robot, 30 if you want spare parts) of everything, setting up communications infrastructures, the required layer of management and bureaucracy to get everything coordinated, shipping and logistics for all the parts, quality control for the production runs, new facilities needed for parts production (you are no longer in "one-off" mode here), etc. etc etc.

Then there is the fact that you need to get 330 team members to agree to the design approach (that will take at least two weeks of negotiation - just try to get a group that size to agree on ANYTHING). At least 30 engineers need to converge on the design details (there goes another ten days). Develop the interface specifications (one week), and control theory. Assuming you actually want to practise with your completed robot for at least 48 hours, that least one week for actual construction of parts, shipping them around the country, assembling and integrating them, finding out the specs were wrong, and iterating through the whole thing at least one more time. They are going to spend most of their $300,00 budget just on paperwork, logistics, communications and shipping.

As I said before, if some group wants to go through all that, I say "BRING IT ON!!! )

-dave
We were two teams and it took us about two weeks to get the CAD and desing done, let alone build a thing. Mistakes are worse when they are done at long distaces. Here are just two examples. After the gear boxes were designed, 254 made the side plates and 60 made the gears. 254 shiped the plates to us, 6o, and we realized they were designed wrong. We, 60, then had to re-engineer and build new paltes and ship them back to 254 (both teams losing time), Secondly, 254 made the plates for the wench. They made side plates and not the mounting paltes. OOOPS again. I think we sent 254 the wrong drawing, I still don't know what happened. Collaboration like this is easier in some ways and harder in others.

I have found over the years that when you try something new you solve some problems but also trade old problems for new problems.

My experience so far this year is that is has been as challenging, exciting, stressful, and rewarding as my previous 5 in FIRST. My students are equally happy and excited.

13 Days until the Phoemix Regioanl

Shawn
Team 60
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