Concept Lock

[DUCKIE]

Don't know if this will help... and MOEmentum probably has better information, but MOE starts off with the following basic process every year...

Day 1: Watch Kickoff, Re-watch game animation a couple times, break down scoring/field/rules basics while also creating a question-list for mentors at kickoff/remote kickoff locations or things/field parts to get pictures of. Eat Lunch. Divide up into 4-5 general strategies -like aggressive defense or offense- Student homework is to read the rules and be ready for tomorrow.

Day 2: Parent volunteers and couple mentors oversee the construction/inflation of important field elements / scoring items while students take part in brainstorming. Students encouraged to draw/sketch anything and everything... from an autonomous program track or gripper design to a drive train idea or an entire robot. While students and mentors take turns presenting their ideas to the group, the ideas are taped up to the wall in groups with similar concepts/robot parts. Usually before or after a short visit to see the under-construction field parts / prepared scoring items, each person is given so many vote ticks or dot-stickers to vote for their favorites ideas. Top items or concepts are collected after voting, and are used for the designs as well as to how sub-teams will be broken down for the build season.

From there we are able to finalize a robot concept or at least strongly narrow down what will be built with everyone before the first week is up... although some items [like last year's kicker or the bin lifter in '04] need mock-ups and testing by relevant sub-teams to finalize.