Designing the Robot

[Al Skierkiewicz]

We start brainstorming at kickoff as soon as the event is complete. Everyone is required to read the game manual (we recommend once each day). Then we break for luch and begin again. Same on Sunday and Monday, our general team meeting day. Parents are invited to give ideas as well. We also make up a model playing field and begin to play the game. Brainstorming continues everyday for the next week until we have a concept which we also test on the game board. Then we go into "What would Beatty Do?" mode, wondering what the other teams will do and what defense will be like. (This list grows longer every year!) By the end of the week we have a good idea what the robot should be able to accomplish and what kind of mechanism and drive system will be most effective. Startegy starts to get worked out here and then we go to the design board and other start building a proto robot base so we can proto design ideas as they are built. It also gives the potential drivers the chance to practice.