Quote:
Originally Posted by Cory
Another robot tip: make it an inch undersize in all dimensions. You don't want a sizing box "oh $*@^" moment where you figure out that your welded frame is sticking outside the box a quarter of an inch with no easy way to fix it.
|
I've seen that happen to rookies before. Fortunately it was a steel frame, so a grinder took care of it. But those bolt heads sticking outside the frame can really add up.
Here is my list of hints for rookies (and veterans who need the reminder):
--Read The Manual. Sections 1-5 (non-game-specific) are already available. The rest of the Manual (game-specific) will be released in a heavily encrypted form shortly before Kickoff; download and be ready when the password is released at the end of Kickoff.
Read Sections 6, 7, and 8 immediately; Sections 9 and 10 can wait a day or so. (Sections referenced: Arena, Game, Robot, Tournament, Kit of Parts, respectively, at least in the last few Manuals.)
--Before you begin building, strategize. What is going to win the game? What is the sacrifice to do X? Is there a way to avoid the sacrifice? No strategy is not a good plan.
--Manage your weight. This bites more teams than anything else (except not reading the Manual). In the past, you get 120 lbs without battery and bumpers. If you were 120.1 lb on weigh-in (next to sizing), then you had to find a way to lose that 0.1 lb. If you were 150 lb on weigh-in, you had to start removing functionality. I'd find a scale that can handle that kind of weight and fit the entire robot.
--The kit drivetrain is fairly solid. It's a great system to get running quickly, say in the first couple of days, so you can do some testing.
--Find a pre-ship event near you--and show up with your robot. Often, there will be an unofficial inspection. I'm going to emphasize the "unofficial" here--I inspected a robot last year that had passed that inspection at a pre-ship. The mentor gave the "But we passed at X event" reasoning. The Lead Robot Inspector sided with my no-pass ruling--they had to rework the non-compliant system a bit to pass. But on the other hand, those unofficial inspections can catch stuff like a rotated regulator, the team number not showing up on the display, and other stuff of that nature--and they'll help you fix it at the event, or let you know what you need to work on in the shop. The competitions are great for pre-strategizing and testing out the robot.