How many teams are 100% student built

[Dan Petrovic]

No...

We aren't 100% student built. Not even 100% student assembled. Most of the assembly is done by students.

Let's see. I like the way Cody Carey layed out rough percentages of stuff that is done by mentors and students.

100% of the design is done by students.
100% of CADing is done by students.
100% of prototyping is done by students.
~90% of assembly is done by students.
~70% of programming is done by students (simply because the software team is shorthanded, there comes a time when mentors do need to step in)
Almost all in-house machining is done by mentors (don't really have the time to train kids to use the machines.)
We do have mentors look over designs to make sure they aren't outrageous.
Mentors teach us calculations of certain things.
Mentors help us solve big problems when they show up.

Yeah, I can't say we are 100% student built. Sometimes I'd like to say we are, and others I really wouldn't. Yeah, this program is intended to teach the students, but why not let the mentors have some fun? They are giving up their personal time to do this after all.

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by InfernoX14

but why not let the mentors have some fun?

nice perspective!

[AustinSchuh]

I am a little nervious about joining the fray, but here is how we are working this year.

I, a student, am the person who designed the WHOLE robot. After the initial design process, I reviewed the design with 254 who graciously agreed to look at it and comment. I then fixed up some things, and went on to visit our machining sponsor. They gave me more suggestions, and I added those. The students then drew up all of the robot, and sent it off to our sponsors and mentors to be machined. Now that the parts are coming back, we the students are putting the robot together.
We work with our mentors and sponsors to check the design, and to machine it. Once the parts get back, the students get to work assembling and making the robot work. We have one machinist mentor who is helping us, but he is mostly helping file the axles he helped make and make the spacers fit. It is great to work with him, since this is the first year we have ever tried to design something in cad Before we make it.
This year, we are some what of a mix of student and mentor built, but I can say with certainty that the students are the driving force behind the design, and the mentors are just helping us get over the quirks that we are running into.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by InfernoX14

Yeah, this program is intended to teach the students, but why not let the mentors have some fun?

There is no instrument or tool that has been found that can measure the depth of commitment of many of our mentors to students unless it be the heart.
100%