surefire ways to break you robot

[Cappeh]

Run matches with a small crack/hole in your chassis where your air compressor is? 8D Thank god we found that.

[deshirider430]

Forget to tighten down all the bolts when replacing parts on the elevator.

http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv...p?matchid=6050

Focus in at about 60 seconds left in the match, our support brace which runs from the elevator to the back of the robot snaps off and the whole elevator dips forward. Lucky for us this was an easy fix, and we got some points for herding the ball across the red finish line

[Ian G]

A few things that happened to us:

Driver is egged on by a mentor to spin the robot with a arm holding a trackball straight up...

During the pre-ship scrimmage, my team didn't tell me they were testing automode... which consisted of the robot running full speed down the track and then reversing... sometimes I think 127 and type 0, which is why I tell them to test it on blocks.

On Thursday afternoon, I finally get to download code to test... and the robot inexplicably wouldn't turn on.

Try to add more IR receivers 30 seconds before the match...

[A_Reed]

Upon entering FIRST you immediately apply Murphy's Laws.

[NorviewsVeteran]

Originally Posted by A_Reed

Upon entering FIRST you immediately apply Murphy's Laws.

ONE OF OUR COACHES TRIPPED ON OUR FTC BOT

THAT'S RIGHT MR. GRIMES, I'M PUTTING YOU OUT THERE

[Chris/Fish]

Forget to secure the battery so it falls out of its holder...and onto the main breaker.

[The Megan 2207]

Find a minor problem and say, "I can fix that." It will turn into a major problem.

Alternately, say, "I can make that work better."

[lasereyes]

Originally Posted by The Megan 2207

Alternately, say, "I can make that work better."

I think that was the reason why the mentors wouldn't let me make some changes to the robot that would make it work better...

[Enigma's puzzle]

Say, "we will get it after the next match",

Responding yes to "Is it fixed?"

Any time They call for the Pits to clear

[logicalyrandom]

-Cross wire the speed controllers. Fortunately we realized what we'd done before we turned the robot on.

-Forget to replace broken fuse.

-Forget to tighten zipties after replacing battery

These are all things we did with a test bot earlier this year.

[NorviewsVeteran]

-when figuring where to put the battery, remember to drop the uncovered contacts directly on the metal frame. TWICE.

seriously though, kick it away with your RUBBER SOLED SHOE

[Gabe]

Don't loktite the set screw on the CIM shaft.
Go full speed off any kind of ramp.
Not bother making an enable/disable dongle.
Use cheap limit switches to halt your lead screw's travel.
Overconfidence.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by NorviewsVeteran

-when figuring where to put the battery, remember to drop the uncovered contacts directly on the metal frame. TWICE.

seriously though, kick it away with your RUBBER SOLED SHOE

I'll second this, but a little more general.

Design, Wire and Maintain your robot so that shorts are not probable. Electrical layout should be the responsibility of both the mechanical/design teams and the electrical teams. Don't ever get into the us vs. them mentality. If you're mechanical and don't go out of your way to make electrical easier, you can't complain when it fails.

Your wire runs should be clean, organized, labeled and easy to differentiate between wires. If you have a short, or a motor not working somewhere, etc... you want to spend as little time possible finding what wire is hooked to what.

Electrical failures suck, they can cripple a mechanically perfect robot, and can be difficult to fix and diagnose.

Same goes for the relationship between mechanical/design and programmers. Make it as easy as possible for them... You are the SAME team afterall

[Booksy]

Originally Posted by NorviewsVeteran

-when figuring where to put the battery, remember to drop the uncovered contacts directly on the metal frame. TWICE.

seriously though, kick it away with your RUBBER SOLED SHOE

Yep. Done that. Leaves a cool battle-scar on the frame though

Also, wiring through holes with sharp metal jagged edges.

[GillSt.Bernards]

When your school building is surrounded by windows (Which we have) and you test autonomous mode in that hallway for the first time without the bumpers on. The robot was not the only thing broken after that.