Building a full size practice field

[Alan Anderson]

If I recall properly, it was initially built over a period of a few weeks by two or three dedicated mentors and some sporadic help by a bunch of students.

The big tips I can give are obvious: measure carefully and try not to let things get out of square when building the pieces. Consider well whether you want to put polycarbonate panels or metal grids on the alliance station walls. While polycarbonate is probably better for safety, it's heavy, and it's harder to communicate through it when you're trying to debug a robot.

The field comes down in only about ten or fifteen minutes, given a half dozen people to carry things and a reasonable place to put it. Putting it together takes more time, since everything has to be placed within an inch or so, but I can imagine it being done in under a half hour if everyone is paying attention. I think laying and taping the rolls of carpet is what takes the most time.