Robot Tips For Rookie Teams

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by thefro526

- Make Friends. A lot of teams, Rookie and Veterans alike seem to spend the 6 weeks of build season in a vacuum for fear of giving up the 'secret sauce'. Trust me, it's not exactly a good idea - although, every team has the right to share as little or as much as they want with the world. Sometimes a quick 5 - minute discussion with a local team (or not so local team) can be an excellent catalyst for new ideas, or improvements to current ones, or the voice of reason to a bad strategy.

This is the biggest piece of advice I would give to rookies as well. There's no such thing as a team that accomplishes everything on their own. Branch out and ask for help. Don't end up in your own little bubble, especially if you are a struggling veteran team.

Another big suggestion - continue to raise money throughout build and competition season. You WILL need to purchase new parts, rent buses, or get hotel rooms. You most likely will run out of money, so don't stop fundraising. Money is also crucial to being able to improve your robot throughout the season if you need to change motors or transmissions or electronics. When you get to the point where you think you have enough money, keep raising money.