Team organization issues and Build Season Schedule

[Anupam Goli]

Hello all

I'm trying to revamp my team after 2 years of poor performance on the standards of our former mentors and our partner teams, and would like to have some help in determining the build season schedule and organization of our team for this upcoming season

While I'm not the one who has the final say in fixing our schedule, being a leader in our FRC program, I do have say, and I am sitting down with our leader on monday to discuss my points on modifying our schedule

Our team meets on Monday-Friday from 3:454 to about 7:30 or 8, and on Saturday from 10 to 4. Currently, the leader has called for 3 hours on monday after kickoff to determine the game plan for our team. I want to spend at least 2 full days on this, to make sure we have a set game plan that follows the rules and is legal. We can't have a well designed robot without a clear game plan.

After the first day, we create a design matrix with weighted objecives (no designs yet). I wanted this to be done on the third day, since we need to spend 2 days on the game in my opinion. After this, we split into small sub groups and come up with manipulator designs and chassis. We present the ideas the following day, and we use the design matrix to narrow it down to 2 or 3 designs after that.

This is where my main issue is. All Ideas should be prototyped or have a small moving model to see. Some ideas that could be brilliant and simple be easily eliminated if they aren't presented properly or if only drawings exist. I would like to give 2 days of prototyping (or physical conceptualization) with Legos and VEX parts. once the models are done, we can come back together and narrow it down to one design. One major concern with this approach is that the ideas can't be mingled together, and from concept to reality, would be separate. This can be changed by presenting the ideas before hand to the team, and prototyping them after to see the most effective using the design matrix. The remaining leaders on the team do not agree to this approach, and want to eliminate ideas before even seeing a physical model of the idea.

Another issue I have with the team is professionally fabricated parts vs student done. My take is that since we are engineers, we do the design and simulation, and we want our parts to be done professionally outside or with our own CNC router. The others want to use our bandsaw and Mill and hand tools to create most of the parts, and only send out the ones that take too long to be done in our CNC router or outside. They want to "Teach people how to use tools". My opinion is that teaching tool use is for the pre-season, and we should all focus on an amazing final product that we as students design and assemble. A part that is cut by an inexperienced student will not be able to align properly unless properly cut, leaving holes when placing the parts together. I would like to see what others think on this issue before placing my arguments

Finally, there has been constant resistance to building another robot. We are lacking in funding due to our treasurer being stolen by Marching Band, but we have plenty of wood, and even if we build a robot out of wood, it gives us that much more practice for driving and developing strategy. I don't know why the others oppose it, but I read on here that the top 10% of teams build a second robot during and ship the second, and the top 40% build a second robot just for practice. I don't think there are any other arguments for it other than the ones I have laid out, but some personal testimonies would be nice.

I'm sorry if this came off more as a rant, but from spending countless hours browsing Chief Delphi, and WPI Think Tank, I wanted to propose some major changes to our operation as a team, but they were not taken into serious consideration, and I would like to see if there are any other arguments to make when I meet with the overall lead on Monday.

True Inspiration comes when students follow the engineering design process correctly, completely, and obtain a final product that allows them to be competitive and celebrate their hard work.