Pit design help

[Alan Anderson]

Start simple. Mark a ten-foot-square area on the floor with tape, assume you will be provided a power outlet and a two-by-six-foot table, and figure out where to put everything you want to have. Make sure it will also fit in an eight-foot-square space, because some regionals are that cramped.

Rolling shelves are good as both storage space and a way to move things into and out of the pit. You'll probably want a workbench. Decide how you're going to deal with your battery charging needs.

And if you're feeling ambitious, build a nice frame that you can decorate with your team name, your sponsors, and anything else you want to show off. Lots of teams use PVC. Ten feet is the absolute height limit.

After you've been to a competition and looked at what other teams do, sit down and design something that fits your team's needs. Don't be too hasty.