[topgun]

As a three year regional volunteer I see many many teams struggle with basic engineering concepts. Many teams struggle to have any mentors, much less a mechanical engineer mentor. I myself am a non-mechanical engineer mentor.

This year our team math wizard (student) walked us through force calculations needed to kick a 1 pound soccer ball from any point on the field into the goal (sadly we weren't able to implement those calculations). A couple of our engineer mentors were doing some calculations for arms, springs, etc. I myself used the motor data xls and the wheel calculator here from CD.

In an effort to help those teams that don't have engineering mentors, are there a set of basic engineering formulas/tools/principles that can be given to teams to help them get some basics right?

I am not looking for 3rd year mechanical formulas, but something that can help teams solve some basic problems, something along the 80/20 rule. Maybe even just being able to confidently calculate drivetrain speed and torque would be enough for some teams. After all, the purpose of FIRST is to inspire students to pursue a STEM career, not just be a garage tinkerer.

- T