Building tips

[Liz C]

I am working on a tip sheet with the aid of my mentors for a team we are helping out. I actually started the document and then realized a similar one was already posted here and discussed here ; however, I had a few tips that were additional to the information already present. Most of them are pertaining to the mechanical aspect of the build season; they are pretty basic, but I think they are still helpful for both new and old teams.

They are as follows:

-Be conscience of safety. Do not have any sharp protrusions or ends and remember to sand down sharp edges anywhere on the robot

-Be conscience of measurements. This is something that will be very difficult to fix at a competition, so be sure that the base and the arm of the robot fit within the standard measurements. At the competition, your robot will be placed in a “box” that has the maximum measurements. If your robot protrudes anywhere, then it fails inspection.

-Be aware of time do not get caught up on details. After the first four days or so, you should have a plan of what the robot will do, and building should be underway

-Be flexible. It’s good to have a design, but it is OK to be flexible with it too; every team ends up changing a few things by the time their robot is complete.

-Drill holes in tactful areas to help with weight. It adds up! Always remember to avoid drilling holes in areas that will be under a lot of stress, though

-Label everything. For example, label your speed controls as to what motor they are controlling; label the wiring if possible

-Mount the motors in a secure/safe position. Do not let your motors be “out in the open”

-Remember to have the proper display of your team numbers

-Cover your motors, wiring, etc. with lexan, plexiglass, omega paneling to prevent damage done to the robot

-Use sturdy materials while being aware of weight. Try not to use materials like Velcro in your actual robot

-Make sure all breakable parts (e.g. motors, relays, etc) can be replaced without tearing the entire robot apart.

-Be aware of vulnerability to damage. Do not have hanging wiring, strings, or any other attachment that could easily fall off your robot or get caught on something else; make sure everything is tightened and nothing is loose; use loctite where necessary and solder/tape electrical wirings.

-Monitor the FIRST Website every few days for updates on rule changes, answers to common questions and general information

-KEEP IT SIMPLE! Many veteran teams, including ourselves, live by this saying. Do not try to accomplish too much - it ends up being more trouble and teams who are successful are always good at doing one thing really well, versus a lot of things with inconsistencies. (It’s best to design and build 10 things that work 100% of the time on your robot than it is to design and build 100 things that work only 10% of the time.)

I would appreciate any other tips, advice, changes or any other form of feedback on this list as I hope to make it as effective as possible.

Thanks!