Drive Practice

[beijing_strbow]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

We have tried to have ten or more of those hours for drive & pit practice beginning week 5 of build. We achieved that in 2015, with very little pit time. In 2016 we were a week later starting, and a far greater fraction was pit time.

What does pit practice entail? Is it just when you have to fix an issue, you handle it like you would at a competition?

[D.Allred]

Originally Posted by beijing_strbow

What does pit practice entail? Is it just when you have to fix an issue, you handle it like you would at a competition?

Our pit crew has a post match inspection checklist and pre-match routine. Pre-match the robot gets a quick check of joystick functions, charge the pneumatic system and load a fresh battery. Post match they inspect for loose items, damage, and review issues brought by the drive team.

Pit practice is just as important to prepare for a competition. Little items that can be caught in the pit can ruin a match.

David

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by beijing_strbow

What does pit practice entail? Is it just when you have to fix an issue, you handle it like you would at a competition?

That's the main thing - don't bother fixing it right, just get it working again as quickly as possible - but make notes so that repeated problems will be really solved when there's time. This is also a chance for the pit crew to internalize their checklists - things like swap the battery, be sure the pneumatic dump valve is closed, chains are in place, non-loctited bolts are tight, and check that that piece of foam rubber that wears out every few matches is still in good shape, or replace it if not. In rough years (e.g. 2016), realistic pit drills are as much benefit to consistent performance as driver practice.