POLL: Six Week Build Season

[techhelpbb]

Originally Posted by gblake

If two to three days is enough time for a well-prepared group to build a successful-on-the-field, fun-to-use robot; how on earth does the current 44 day build season (or one that was a true 44-day build season) keep any team from building two, or three, or 44/3 = 14 robots????

Blake

I pointed this out in the other topic and one of the posts I linked above touches on it:
http://blog.idonethis.com/two-pizza-team/

I alone can build a robot with the FRC parts in my barn in less than 1 day.
Then again I have significant automation experience, deep knowledge of my tools, control over my shop and I would be answering to - well - me. I also won't make a unique website. Write a thorough business plan. Do any community outreach. Give me 10 days for that - all by myself. Heck I can create a LLC in NJ with a website in 24 hours and with what I have now be in business in <45 days complete with IRS information for that business. How? I bought all the FRC droppings off eBay. I hit the Andy Mark Tuesday 'Deals of the Day'. I've been a: FRC-mentor, CSA, FTAA, small parts, FTC-Judge, FLL-Judge. Little by little...step by step...I've made this possible. Just my professional robotics experience alone would not be enough.

Now put 75-125 students in a room who don't have intimate knowledge of: their shop, their tools, each other, the history, have to interact with the school, a control system that doesn't mirror their PC programming experience (if they have any), limited knowledge of control theory, limited funding, limited business experience....

Heck I can see a school that gets otherwise high marks for 'No Child Left Behind' not finishing a robot at all in 45 days. That's the whole point for me at least. What the schools are teaching - does not cut it. Worse no teams are more impacted than the new teams. At least after a few years with some luck most people figure out they can literally buy themselves extra time with the practice robot.