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Unread 14-08-2008, 20:52
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DonRotolo DonRotolo is offline
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FRC #0832
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Location: Atlanta GA
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Re: **FIRST EMAIL**/Invitation to Beta test the New Control System

Quote:
Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman View Post
will there be any mechanism in place to ensure that teams will specialize in enough "custom" development areas that there isn't too much overlap? I don't think we need 12 teams focusing on vision development, for instance. Who will manage the overall program coordination?
We cover that in our submission - the selected teams need to understand the burden and disadvantage they are subjecting themselves to.

Disadvantage? Yup. All the time we'll be spending fiddling with the controller will be time we cannot cover other subjects in Pi-Tech Academy, so while we might get good at the controller, we'll have a LOT to make up for every other thing it takes to build a FIRST Robot.

Burden? Yes. You think this is a cakewalk? Not only do you need a very intense program - we are thinking it will be almost like build season for 3 extra months - you have the additional burden of documenting everything. And not just "post a note on CD every few weeks" - I mean, you need to make teams from anywhere really, really understand this beastie, from afar - you need papers, code, video, drawings...a LOT of extra work, compared to just the Academy or even build season.

I'm not sure my family will be as understanding as they are in January. Heck, it might not even be fun. But Professionals do what they have to do, consistently and reliably. The gracious part comes from not grumbling or slacking.

The reward? Like last year at GTR, when some kid who lived a thousand miles from home, who I'd only conversed with by e-mail, found me and thanked me for teaching him how to do PID. Priceless.

Don
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