Pit design ideas

[Scott T.]

I'm trying to design my team's pit, but I don't have many ideas. Anyone have any ideas on how they would design their pit? Thanks

[SteveGPage]

Originally Posted by Scott T.

I'm trying to design my team's pit, but I don't have many ideas. Anyone have any ideas on how they would design their pit? Thanks

Your pit should reflect who you are as a team. Do you have a "logo", mascot, etc... that can lead to a theme for your pit? Our team, the Robobees, have a "hive" look to our pit. We put up netting that has a honeycomb look, to follow the "Bee" theme. We have a bee as a mascot, our shirts have a bee, etc... Let your pit reflect what is unique about your team!

Good luck!

Steve

[Drivencrazy]

A pit is a great way to promote your team. A lot of teams use their pit as a way to get their name out to everyone. With this in mind a functional pit design is key that is also safe and allows for easy access to tools.

At the competition each team has a 10' x 10' (with a few exceptions) allocated space for a pit. If your team has a lot of tools, a set of shelves is always a great idea. If you plan out where you want to put things, designing the pit should be pretty easy.

Also considering the chaos at the beginning of the competition, a pit should be easy and quick to set up. Many teams use PVC Pipe frame with a banner and use provided tables. Many teams also have Slide-shows that show their teams accomplishments and it is customary to hang banners from past FIRST awards.

[Zultraranger]

I would worry about your robot first...

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Scott T.

I'm trying to design my team's pit, but I don't have many ideas. Anyone have any ideas on how they would design their pit? Thanks

It must be the pits not to have many ideas for pit designs.

Sorry, I just can't pass up an opportunity to make a pun about one of my favorite topics.

If you use the search option in the orange bar at the top of the page, and type in pit design - it will lead you to threads that discuss the topic. It would be worth your while to look through them and may provide some ideas for you.

Here's an example.

Jane

[Chris is me]

Some inspiration, The Best Pit In FIRST. I've found that emulating 2062's at-competition behavior in general is a recipe for success.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Zultraranger

I would worry about your robot first...

Just remember, on some teams there are certain individuals who don't even touch or design the robot, but play critical roles in the background essential to some teams success. Website, Chairmans, Woodie Flowers, team organization, t-shirts, pit design, scouting, strategy, photography, community relations the list goes on and on, all of these help to create a well rounded/successful team.

I would recommend that whatever you design be functional, light, and easy to assemble/disassemble. Plastic shelves are a good idea for storage as you will be bringing a lot of stuff with you. Remember that you will have a table provided for you so that you plan to not overcrowd you pit. And just remember to keep it clean and organized which really helps when trying to get work done at a faster rate of pace and it is safe!

Good luck with your design!

[DonRotolo]

Just make sure the pit you come up with has space to work on and store the robot, somewhere to work on things away from the robot (like drilling something, or programming) and a place for your battery chargers and tools.

As a bonus, make a place for your team to show off a little, like a book of photos near the front for visitors to look at.

No matter what you do, there will never be enough space in the pit. But with some creativity it can be functional (most important) and look good, too.

[Edoc'sil]

My team, Team 2531 built a nice wooden pit this year. It consisted of two 5x2 (ish) tables bolted together as well as a platform to put the bot on similar to one you would see if you worked on cars at a shop. We slid a few big toolboxes under the tables for storage and put a pegboard up on the back. total cost will about $150 - $175 once we wire up the thing with a few power outlets. Weighs about 250 lbs, but it disassembles in 15 min so it can be moved. It was a good solution for a low budget team. If you have any questions I could post the CAD models.

[ksule]

Hi could you please post the cad files. If you could that would be great

[Matt H.]

You should also spend at least a little time considering how you will transport pit materials to the regional. If your pit can fit in the crate with the robot (and also meet weight limits) then you save considerable space in vans or save money on check baggage if you fly.

[Edoc'sil]

Ya, I can get them up tomorrow no problem.

[Jon Stratis]

Worry about aesthetics second - make sure the pit is functional first. Tape off an 8x8 area (that's probably the smallest your pit will be - remember, they do vary by regional), get a few people in before everyone else, and move everything you need to work on the robot into the pit. Get it organized. Then have your team spend a day working on the robot "in the pit". If they have to leave the pit to get something, write down what it was. If people are constantly running into each other, try to work out a way to give them more room, or to get the tools in better locations so they don't have to move around as much.

Once you've got the essentials of the pit laid out, you can start sprucing it up. Add banners, lights, a tent, whatever you think will set your team apart, show who you are, and make the place feel like home. Above all else, though - make sure everyone around will know who's in that pit! A big sign across the back, 8 feet up is a great way to do this - include both the team name and the team number. Walking around scouting, it's equally bad to see a team you can only identify by the number FIRST put in their pit and one you can only identify by name and can't find their number anywhere.

[Zultraranger]

Make sure you "Keep your pits clean!"