New engineer, need to know the basics....

[Anna]

I am new to Robotics. I know the basics of engineering, but not for Robotics. I have been put as the Chief Engineer, and would love it if someone could give me so advice and explain my job to me.

Thanks

Anna

[Protronie]

Sit in your office and trust the folks working under you to know what they doing... don't touch the robots till you fully understand them.

[DonRotolo]

Now's the time to learn about robots. This site will help, a lot.

Step 1 is to read last year's rules. That should consume a week. Really learn the robot rules, and at least skim over the rest of the sections, so you understand the competition and where the robot fits into it.

Then read the whitepapers on this site, learning about Pneumatics, Electrical & electronics (including wiring), the robot controller & the operator interface, then motors, drivetrains, metal fabrication...

Hmm, maybe that advice above isn't too bad - don't assume you know everything, or even anything. If a team member says they understand how to wire up a victor, or how to cut metal, or whatever - trust them that they can. Know who to go to for whatever you need, and instead focus on being the coordinator of the design and build process.

Ah, design. Read up on that, too.

You have a few months, start reading. And asking.

Don

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

Ah, design. Read up on that, too.

For this application, FIRST Robots: Behind the Design would be a very good read. It gives insight into what design processes some of the top teams use.

[skimoose]

Go through the pictures archived here on CD for ideas on how teams have designed mechanisms for tasks in previous years. Also, if your team is close to any seasoned teams, make contact with them they'll be happy to give you plenty of help and ideas.

Just have fun, and remember your weight budget!

120 pounds adds up quickly.

[MrForbes]

Great advice so far!

And remember that there are an infinite number of ways to design and build a robot...the "right way" for your team is whatever way that you can actually get it done and working.

Learn about what your team is capable of doing already, what resources are available, and think about what new skills you can acquire together.

Oh yeah...think about weight ALL the time! the last weekend of build season is too late

[IndySam]

Have you guys registered for a regional yet? I don't see you on the list.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by IndySam

Have you guys registered for a regional yet? I don't see you on the list.

2008 San Diego Regional (3/6/2008 - 3/8/2008)

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Anna

I...would love it if someone could give me so advice and explain my job to me.

You have plenty of local resources to call upon. Start here:

https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index....&option=mentor

[Simon Strauss]

http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/site/resources

Know everything on the second half of this page by heart(the stuff not pertaining to Canadian teams and events), especially the pictures of designs people have used in the past. The presentations are likely things you already know as an engineer but you should still check them out to understand how the concepts apply to robotics.

Don't be afraid to ask questions on this site, just know that if you want an answer quickly you need to ask a specific question.

See if you can visit the facilities of another team in your area and meet with their head engineer. This way you not only can develop a working relationship with someone near and in your position but also understand the subtleties of building in your area and what resources are available to you.

Don't turn into one of those mentors that ends up building the robot. FIRST is about the kids and your job is to keep them safe and teach them the fundamentals of engineering, everything else is secondary and its better that they learn and loose in competition than win and not understand what was built.

Hope this helps
-Simon Strauss

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Anna,
Welcome! Know that when ever you have a question you can come here and get an answer, but learn early that there are some good people to listen to and there are some not so good. As Chief Engineer you will be responsible for making sure everyone does their jobs. In order to do that, you may have to learn a little about every aspect of your robot. Your biggest task will be keeping everyone working to a schedule. First makes things easy for you by designing the box of parts such that rookie teams can assemble a driving base in a very short period of time. I would recommend you have a base built by the end of the first or second week to give your team something to practice with, test software and prototype. When the game is announced start brainstorming right away. Try having everyone play the game, decide what you need to do to be competitive and start designing for that goal. Modify your base as needed for your design and add on what you think you need. As others have pointed out, check weight every few days. Ask for help along the way and don't be disappointed if you put a less than perfect robot in the shipping crate. You can work on it at events and get lot's of pro help there as well. Have fun!

[65_Xero_Huskie]

if you can look up seminars of kickoffs or anything like that, they will help you alot. (Patton/Copioli is my fav, but i might be biased)
Also, this website is the NUMBER ONE resource about FIRST, all you have to do is ask and your answer will be granted.

[Billfred]

Other things I've learned over the years:

1) If it's possible, get to events. Sometimes, just looking at robots in action does a world of good. (I never fully understood the power of four-bar linkages until I saw 1902 in action this year.)

2) Keep a camera handy. If you come across something and think "Hey, this could be handy for something", snap a picture. I did that the first Saturday in build while doing my next point:

3) Know what's in your area. In the case of 1618 last year, our options for materials were to find it in the room, get it at the little True Value up the road, get it at Lowe's further down the road in the other direction, or get it online. I walked the entirety of the local Lowe's, just to know what's around. While it's nice to be able to get stuff off of McMaster-Carr, it's even nicer to be able to run to the store, get the part, and not have to wait until the next meeting to get it. (Time is one of your resources. Treasure it.)

4) Pick the brain of anybody you can. There are a lot of people out there who've been in this competition far longer than I have, and they've got a lot of knowledge. Whether it's in the pits, over dinner, or even standing in the middle of a street at 4:00 in the morning*, listen to these folks. Quite often, it will be to your benefit.

*No, I'm not kidding.

[Doug G]

Get practice learning things which you thought you'd never need to know. Every team needs a few folks that "won't drop the ball", "pick up the slack", and all those other proverbial sayings. And if your the Chief Engineer, then that's you. I like what Don said....
1) Find the Robot Rules from last year. Get used to finding out where documents are, doing searches and such.
2) Find something within those Rules that you don't understand, say maybe how to connect the Power Distribution Block. Then search these forums, FIRST forums, and the updates to get an answer.
3) Repeat step 2 over and over with other items (pnuematics, electrical, mechanical)
4) Read every thread by Al Skierkiewicz.
5) Repeat step 2 again.

Learning to be a quick learner is what you will need to be good at, and is a pretty important life/academic skill. Have some fun along the way and don't overly stress about the robot not working perfectly and find a team in your area and get their cell phone # - most are very willing to help answer questions and can save you time.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by 65_Xero_Huskie

Also, this website is the NUMBER ONE resource about FIRST, all you have to do is ask and your answer will be granted.

Although, please try to be specific about what you ask for (The first post in this thread is a very good example ). It makes a life a lot easier for those attempting to answer your question.