Before the 6 weeks even started, my team and I were always advised one thing: "Rookies: Measure EVERYTHING"
And did we?? ... of course not
We ended up being 10-15 lbs overweight (yeah, it's possible!) when we put everything together, and had to "swiss cheese" our entire chassis, and cut our beautiful claw design to , well, something not as amazing (look at attached before and after photos)
Life lesson #987345: Listen to the pros. They know what they're talking about. And don't just LISTEN -- actually DO IT.
Other than that, because it was my rookie year to do all this, I learned a whole bunch. I learned how to wire a bot together, that a "jigsaw" is more than a puzzle, the mere difference between different types of screwdrivers (yeah, go ahead --laugh
), and a whole lot more.
And not to sound cheesy and all, but I also learned a great deal of "gracious professionalism". During these past 6 weeks, I have been in touch with various teams that have reached out to mentor us (e.g. 604), and have been given the opportunity to work with engineers of the highest calibre. It's definitely been an experience I've learned from -- not only about the mechanical and electrical sides of engineering, but also about how you deal with people and interact with your community -- which, in essence, is FIRST's goal, right?
Silicon Valley Regional, here we come.
