What's your Build Pace this year?

[Thromgord]

Hi everyone!

Well, it's about two weeks into this build season. At about this point, the majority of teams have put something together, even if it is just part of the chassis and a prototype or two.

So, I'm wondering, in your opinion: Is your team further towards robot completion than it usually is at this point? Are y'all working at the same speed as always? Or is this year a slow one for you?

Our team, for one, is working quite a bit faster than we have in previous years, but that may just be because we have a better mind-set and a record number of juniors and seniors.

I'm looking forwards to your thoughts

-Thromgord

[Kevin Ray]

It's strange, we initially thought that once we determined the strategy and the corresponding design to compliment it, we thought that it would be a breeze since we've used all of the mechanisms in previous years so there would be no real impediments to a quick construction. YEAH RIGHT. As always, we re-evaluate each and every part and design feature to determine how to make it lighter, more robust, and most importantly, more efficient. Although we don't really change the design (making 3D CAD team happy), we have had a few ah ha moments this year when we've realized serendipitous discoveries which HAD to be added.

[mistakwa]

Currently our competition robot is finished and drive practice is starting!

[Spen-curr]

The difference in build pace between this year and last year has blown my mind.

Last year, with Ariel Assist, we worked up to the deadline, duct-taping weights onto the robot just before we bagged and tagged. This year, we are almost competition ready now at the end of Week Two.

I believe that part of this increased building speed is due to the ease of Recycle Rush compared to Areal Assist. Last year, we had to make robots capable of chucking exercise balls with power and accuracy. This year, we get to make forklifts!

[Billfred]

It feels like we're about on pace with last year on the whole. Drive was pretty much together by this point last year, but this year we have a drive system with more...configuration. (Which is a fancy way to say we're having to make some more custom spacers and adjustments to get it how we want it.) But on the flip side, last year we were far more stymied on our ball shooter and intake, while this year we have CAD that's about 85% on our mechanisms.

I still expect us to cut it about as close as we did last year (11:58 on the Bag & Tag log).

[asid61]

Last year was bad, to say the least.
This year, we are doing so much better.

[MrJohnston]

Our base is basically done and we are perfecting our manipulators through continued prototyping. In about a week, we should have a viable robot - though we'll still have plenty of adding/tweaking/adjusting to do to keep us busy for another three weeks.

For those of you who are done with your competition robot: How? Or, perhaps I should ask: What does it do and how well/quickly?

We, for instance, were looking at a couple of forklift designs, but had the goal of being able to create a full stack (recycling container, pool noodle, six totes) in under 30 seconds - including drive times, gathering and stacking. We could not find a way to do it with forklifts, so we abandoned them in favor of an internal stacking machine.

[xXhunter47Xx]

Aerial Assist
- Not enough designing
- Final build within first week
- Tweaking "final" build
- Programming was a nightmare
- Worked to midnight deadline
- No testing whatsoever
- Roles all mixed up

Recycle Rush
- CAD EVERYTHING
- Will not start building competition frame until CAD is done
- Programming is a lot better (because I'm not doing it )
- Testing every little thing as we go along
- Defined roles

We did a lot of administrative rebuilding in the off season and it's going along much better now. Last year was just terrible in terms of workflow.

[jimwick]

faster than usual.

needless to say, we will get complacent, so the last two weeks will be worse than usual.

[Christopher149]

About on pace to last year to slightly slower. Last year we didn't drive until week 4, but we were also shooting same day and autonomous was pretty good in the next few days.

This year, we should be driving about the same time, but product delays (REV extrusion and bearings) will hold up finishing the elevator for a bit.

So maybe not the best, but it should all be wrapped up before Feb 17. Just so long as we have no repeat of 2011 with designing our elevator grabber in week 5.

[Rypsnort]

This year we have a young design team as far as experience goes so that may be a factor in our slower pace. As well we have a pretty aggressive idea that needs a lot of work in the design and CADing stage. I feel that once we have our chassis together and our parts back from our sponsor who cuts many of our parts we will progress quickly. We have a strong and experienced fabrication team.

[Donut]

Should start building the frame tomorrow, still arguing a few points on our manipulators but the concept is pretty set. This is my first year with this team and I feel behind compared to the pace of the past two years with 167. The students are ecstatic about how much we've already accomplished compared to last season for them though and considering we got registered to even compete by the skin of our teeth this season I suppose we aren't doing too bad. I just hope part supplies aren't an issue for us.

[Thromgord]

It's wonderful (and slightly worrying) to see that a lot of teams are doing so well in terms of build speed. Nice job everyone!

One thing that we did differently this year is we finalized electrical board design and started building it very quickly. Most of the time, our robot is mostly done before the electrical board... but this year, our board was finished at about the same time as our chassis... which was really great.

[Scott Morgan]

The same as every other year*: not fast enough.

*Except 2005.

[mackenzieg]

Last year, we did a better job then ever before with keeping up with our goal pace. This year, we've done even better and pushed for a more aggressive schedule. We didn't expect to be able to meet it, but so far we have been successful!

We managed to get a design that we agreed on after only a few days of prototyping and at this point have most components built so we can go ahead and start wiring and programming.

Something that's really helped us is making a calendar, having officers and mentors approve it, and sticking with the calendar as best as possible.

_______________
Mackenzie Glaser
Team 1261