6054: What we learned this year

[matthewdenny]

Lessons Learned:
1.Ordering parts is hard. Getting a system in place at the school to decide you need a part, and get it sooner than 3 weeks requires some outside the box methods of procurement for a school district.
2.The Kitbot is really good. It was simple yet flexible enough to allow us to modify it. The time we saved was crucial to writing code, and practicing driving.
3.Having FRC teams to rely on is awesome. We were lucky enough to be part of the NEOFRA, and going to kick off with those teams, and seeing their robots from previous years was awesome. New teams should definitely find nearby teams to work with.
4.The control system setup walkthrough needs special attention to detail. A slight omission on step 4 of 30 will have you banging your head against the wall for days trying to get it sorted out.
5.Metal shavings are very bad for electrical components.
6.The stress on the drive team is hard to simulate outside competition.
7.As a new team try to pick a few things to well in the game. If you have time to add in new functionality after mastering that…. Nah, you won’t have time.
8.Getting sponsors is difficult. The average manager at a car dealership isn’t as excited about robotics as a high school student. You need to have a few kids that are able to sell your team, your vision, and FIRST in general.
9.It’s really important to keep track of dates like when FIRSTchoice opens, and when registration is due, and all the things that are on deadlines.
10.Retired mentors make great mentors. They have more free time, and a lifetime of experience.

Student Quotes:
“Robot’s are so cool. It would be cooler if it worked right though.”
”This is the best thing I have done in high school.”