Rookie team, wish I had that list!

[Monochron]

Originally Posted by hooper102

First year mentor

I have run into a tool list, and I have spent a little time searching for a forum that would give me a leg up. I already have a "things I will do differently next year" list. Are there lists of things mentors or teams wish they knew their first year or even second year. I know so little, I don't even know what I don't know.

You may already know this but the biggest thing I have learned is that, if there is a task without a person dedicated to it, it won't get done. It is very difficult for young teams to have enough 'get-it-done-itude' for people to autonomously transition from done-task to undone-task. Having a higher level structure to make sure each tasks is being worked on is critically important.

If there is something that "needs to be figured out" it isn't going to happen until you either put someone on it or do it yourself.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by adciv

Electrical:
Learning how to make your wiring neat:
- Anderson Powerpole Connectors
- Learn to make your own PWM wires
- Zipcord (black & red wire fused together)
This will make your robot reliable. Birds nests tend to contribute to failures and troubleshooting issues.

Programming:
- How to use a gyro to ensure your robot drives straight in Auto
- That "laptop" which came in the Kit of Parts? Ditch it. Get 2x ~$500 laptops (One for programming, one for driverstation).
- Figure out a language to use and stick with it. Develop a library of commonly used functions. Practice in the off season and learn an architecture to use for development.
- Sensors aren't just for Autonomous. The programmers job is to make the drive teams life easier during a match.

I'd have to disagree with most of this for a 1st year or even a second year team. Most rookies are tight on funding and while power poles and parallel bonded wire (it is not zip cord that is for lamps and other home appliances) is great it is best to use what you have and save that money for something else in your rookie year. Ditto for making your own PWM cables, again that is nice but they should have what they need to make the robot run w/o the extra expense of the tools and parts to make your own.


Yes better lap tops would be nice but again $1000 is a ton of money for a rookie team. Better to stick with the classmate as the driver's station for now and if students have their own lap tops or if there are school ones available use those for programming.

I do agree that if they have the bonus gyro that was included with the 2nd round FIRST Choice then try and use it IF and only IF they have everything else under control. Ditto for sensors, IF and only IF they have everything under control should a rookie team try to mess with sensors. I also agree that sticking with one language and perfecting it is the best plan of action. Now once the off season is here then have programmers that are returning next season play with Gyros and sensors if they didn't make it that far in the competition season.

I also agree that they should find a language that works for them and stick with it, once they have identified that language which may mean trying different languages. Many times teams start with Labview and that is great for a rookie team with inexperienced programmers. However once there are programmers that have experience or if you have programmers that have previous experience with Java or C++ then starting and sticking with one is best. Most likely Java as that is more commonly taught in high schools.

[jgerstein]

There are lots of good responses here, but here's one more:

The parents want to help. They may not know how they can help - many of our team parents didn't - or even that you need help, but if you reach out to them, they can be an amazing resource, whether or not they have engineering experience.

We've had engineering parents helping for years, but when we started doing serious outreach to non-engineer parents, they came to the rescue in so many ways: helping with communications, guiding students on the business side of the team, helping the students make reversible bumper covers, and building field elements were just a few of those ways.

[hardcopi]

Extra controller, during the heat of competition controllers sometimes break and as we found out in 2014... Best Buy doesn't open until 10 and no matter how much you knock they will ignore you until 10.

[Jessi Kaestle]

Everyone has already posted a whole lot of great advice when it comes to the Robot and tools.

When at a competition what I wish I knew when mentoring younger teams, and also see now as a Volunteer is how important a cohesive look is when it comes to being remembered, both by Judges and by teams who might be an alliance captain. It doesn't have to be fancy, just something as simple as everyone wearing the same shirt, and if possible not white, as then you might blend in with the volunteers.

[Mr V]

There have been some good ideas so far.

The most important thing in my opinion is to connect with a veteran team to act as your mentor team. I've previously suggested for you to get in contact with your FIRST Senior Mentor and have them connect you with a team. FSMs know the teams in your area and who will be a good mentor team (and hopefully one that will be at the same event). Embrace the FIRST culture of Coopertition, do not fight it. Yes, getting buy-in from the students can be a challenge.

A mentor team will let you borrow/give you needed parts. They will let you use tools you don't have yet, manufacture parts at their facility and/or manufacture parts for you. They will also review your designs for potential problems, suggest tweaks to make it stronger/better performing ect. When you get to the event and something breaks it is nice to have that familiar helpful team to get you through it. Yes lots of teams at the event will be willing to help but one with prior knowledge of your team, your resources and your robot is nice.

Some things that haven't been mentioned that I share with rookie teams.

The most important by far It is far better to do one or a few things well than doing everything poorly or not quite at all. Your chances of getting picked for finals is greater if you can consistently do that one or few tasks and can be counted on to consistently score ~X points rather than doing good a couple of matches but also doing nothing or next to nothing other matches.

Create a pre match check list and ensure it is done every time. Important check list items.

Fresh battery
Reset robot
If you have pneumatics make sure the valve is closed, system charged.
If you have to position the robot in a particular manner ensure it is before you put it on the field.
General inspection.
Damaged items
Look for loose nuts and bolts.
Things that were knocked out of place ect.

Capitalize on the event and post event enthusiasm. Get parents to the event so they get enthused too. As a rookie team in TX I'm betting you got started in part by a Texas Workforce Commission and/or other rookie grants that will drop in value and eventually go away. After the event is a great time to start fund raising for next season and engage those parents who said "this is so cool I wish I could help but I'm not an engineer" once they have seen the spectacle that is an FRC event.

Set a realistic definition of success for a first year team. Winning it all is unlikely so if that is your only definition of success then your students are likely to be discouraged. Putting a robot on the field that contributes every match is a realistic goal for a rookie team.

For most teams the 2nd year is the hardest.

In your first year you are blessed with the fact that you don't know what you don't know. So you keep on plodding along and your expectations of what your robot can do are low. Once you've been to an event and have seen all of the great robots and all they can do the natural desire is to shoot for the moon. The problem is those top robots you see are usually created by teams that have great institutional knowledge built up over 3, 5 or more years. (this is why you want that veteran mentor team with that knowledge) So while you should certainly try for a more complex robot your second year you need to keep in mind the "do one thing well" motto.

The other problem that many second year teams face is rapid growth in team size. When the number of students increases significantly it can be hard to keep everyone engaged, and ensure that everyone is learning something, having fun and their knowledge is growing. This is the point I'm really struggling with on my second year team. Our first year we had 13 students and we now have 37. Note, I'm struggling with this one and while this is the 2nd year for my current team it is my 8th season in FRC and I'm a FSM so I knew it was coming.

[philso]

Originally Posted by adciv

Electrical:
Learning how to make your wiring neat:
- Anderson Powerpole Connectors
- Learn to make your own PWM wires
- Zipcord (black & red wire fused together)
This will make your robot reliable. Birds nests tend to contribute to failures and troubleshooting issues.

Teaching that the person doing the crimping should perform a pull test immediately after each and every crimp then having a second person verify that the connections are correct and do a second pull test will contribute more to the reliability of your robot more than any particular type of connector that you use.

Labeling the wires, connectors and other components are an important troubleshooting aid.

I personally do not recommend using the zipcord. If the lugs or Anderson contacts are not crimped on exactly evenly, one gets a "bump" in the wiring due to the two wires not being able to move relative to each other. Twisting the wires together keeps the wires together (like zipcord) but allows them to slip a bit if the lengths are not exactly the same. I have also found that a lot of the zipcord has insulation that is stiffer than on single wires making it more awkward to route.

[lpickett]

I always say we need to buy stock in ty-raps. We use a lot to secure things. Velcro is also a nice thing to have. Several rolls of gaffers tape, duct tape and painters tape. You should have several taps and tap handles to go along with the drill bits you will go through. Teach the students to be careful when tapping holes so you don't break a lot of taps. Always start out with wood prototypes. It is easier to get scrap wood from people and you don't waste money on metal until you decide on your final design. A lot of plexiglass is also nice. Ask your parents, mentors and sponsors for donations of tools, equipment and material. I donated a full tool box when my husband died. I am still going through items that we can use from time to time. Good luck and continue to use Chief Delphi for any help you need.

[vhcook]

These are probably the things that would have made the biggest difference in my rookie season:

In the general case, the wire sold by automotive supply stores is considerably more flexible and easy to work with than wire sold by hardware stores.

Gearboxes apparently need to be greased. (My rookie-year team, which is not my current team, had a lot of electrical experience but a shortage of mechanical types.)

If there is a mathematical possibility that you might end up as one of the top 15 robots at the end of qualifications, you need to be preparing in case the student you send out for alliance selection ends up as an alliance captain and has to choose. (This didn't happen to my team, but I've seen a few surprised rookies find themselves on the field selecting with no preparation when teams above them chose each other, and it's always painful to watch.)

Plexiglass shatters, use Lexan (a.k.a. polycarb) instead.

Loctite eats plastic.

Checklists are your best friend.

Drink more water - dehydration is a serious risk at events. Make sure the drive team is also drinking plenty of water.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by adciv

- That "laptop" which came in the Kit of Parts? Ditch it. Get 2x ~$500 laptops (One for programming, one for driverstation).

This year's rookie kit contained an Acer Aspire E11 which is actually a pretty decent little driver station computer. I would not count on it as my primary or only FRC computer, of course, but it beats the pants off any Classmate.

[ayo_christina]

Looks like much of the build supplies are covered.

From an administrative standpoint:
•Urge your students to maintain professionalism. Standardize a letterhead and communications. Create your brand early so you do not get lost in the sea of rookie teams.
•A dropbox/drive. You're going to want a communal place to dump pictures and documents. Set this up somewhere students/parents/mentors can easily unload things like pictures. You're going to want and need these later.
•Storage- stock up on totes/bins. Over the years chances are you'll have an impressive wheel collection...
•Label Makers. Give everything a space and get team members accustomed to putting things away correctly. This is especially true during competition - think Nascar pit crew.
•

Originally Posted by jgerstein

The parents want to help.

Parents are such a valuable resource.
•Snacks. People get grumpy when they're hungry.
•First aid kit extras. Motrin, Advil, TUMS.
•Make sure everyone knows something about the robot, particularly if they are in your pit area. I can't tell you how many times I've see great teams go down because they have spectators in their pits just as judges make rounds. I understand not everyone is necessarily "build team" but nothing is worse than someone says "yea it shoots the rock things" and not knowing how.
•Don't forget FIRST is more than robots. Keep your team active year round to retain students.

[Donut]

If you can afford to, stock up on standardized motion parts for making manipulators (arms, shooters, intakes). This means some hex or keyed shafts, and then gearboxes, bearings, hubs, wheels, and sprockets/pulleys that match it. You'll also need chain or belts.

From my time in FRC I think that teams that are inexperienced or lack mentor support seem to struggle the most with creating motion consistently. Most teams can figure out how to bolt some wood or metal together to create a super structure, even if it is rickety and held together with four different bolt sizes. Getting power from a motor to a game object is a different story, and you can't really zip tie shafts together when you find out you don't have any hubs or sprockets to mount to your motors.

I might be a little biased with my response today as I learned earlier that we don't have a chain breaker (one of the most common FRC tools) since our veteran team has not had chain on a robot since 2012, and it walked off sometime in the last 4 years.

[Chief Hedgehog]

Your own team's experience will be the best arbiter for building your tool kit.

But that being stated, start with the simple and build toward what you need for each component/build. Once you build a 'must need' list, contact a local hardware store or manufacturer and see if they can donate or help you purchase a tool cabinet and the tools to fill it.

As you build your robot, keep the hardware in mind. This will help to build the tools you need.

[cpernat13]

The advice people have listed on here is great! I have a few things to add as an alum of a FRC team and as a mentor.

-Engage students during the competition. Yes, you will have a few students in the pits, but you will need to make sure that the other students who are not in the pits have something to do. A great use for this is a scouting team.
-Have dedicated students who will communicate with other teams at a competition. The value of creating friends and alliances with other teams before final alliance selections is essential.
-Don't start building immediately after getting the game. Plan for at least a week about the strategy and what you want to accomplish, and then get into how are you going to accomplish it (i.e. what will your robot do).
-Make sure to bring food to a competition, and also have a rotation for those who are eating lunch. During my first year on FRC, my mentors did not factor in food at the competition. Since I was part of the pit crew and we were having robot difficulties, I (and the rest of pit crew) did not eat lunch one of the days since we spent the lunch break working on the robot. What we learned from this experience is to have 2 groups in the pit (lunch 1 and lunch 2). Send lunch 1 out of the pits right after your last match before lunch (with food you already have or a parent has as lines for food at competitions are very long) and give them 15-20 minutes to eat. Once lunch 1 returns, send out lunch 2. This system allows for people to be in the pits at all times if needed, and it also makes sure that everyone gets food for the day.
-Try to find as many sponsers as you can from a variety of fields. My team does not have many tools in our shops, but we have sponsers who will help
us out if we need something more complex done.

I hope this helps! Good luck with the build and competition season!!