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Re: Preparing CS students for the Robotics Revolution
A simulation environment would be extremely helpful.
However, a bigger issue that I see is the lack of good Control Team mentors. I just finished my 6th season working with my 5th team, non of these teams had experienced or established mentors for the control teams.
Consistantly, I see mechanical engineers, industrial designers, and machinists working hand in hand with students of various abilities. This is great, and this is why every year we see less and less teams with robots that don't function.
However these teams always seem to hand off to the Control team which consists of one or two students, no mentors. Admitedly it is difficult to find engineers with a background in embedded control and/or Automation. However it is unfair to expect these students to be able to create a product as good as what the mechanical team can produce without giving them the same level of mentor support that the mechanical team receives.
It is not uncommon to go to a regional and see one Control mentor supporting many teams (any one who has seen Mark McLeod at a regional understands what I mean). Mechanical mentors are often called on to help other teams, however there always seems to be enough of them to go around.
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