Pitfalls to avoid when brainstorming the 2011 game and robot

[davidthefat]

Originally Posted by Cyberphil

The Cybersonics team has had many pitfalls, but here are some of the most significant ones:

The biggest thing we have looked over in the past 3 or so years is the importance of picking up the game pieces efficiently, fast, and for sure. We always go right to how we are going to score and overlook the importance of picking up the game pieces.

But the one thing I feel our team has done extremely well (an aspect in which I feel many teams have huge pitfalls) is our drive train. We have used just about the same drive train for the past 3 years (including Lunacy), and it has served us extremely well! I see so many teams changing their DT's when in past years, they have worked great!

Another key idea: Simplicity is key, or as it is more well known, "KISS." When you make something simple and effective, it makes your life infinitely times easier!

Just my $.02

Our team took the KISS route last year, I can't say from experience because that was my first year, but looking at archives, our team did better when we went more complex. Like the omnidirectional drive a few years ago, they got an award, we didn't get one last year. The KISS method brought a very generic robot. Sure its robust and "reliable" (Not really, our robot broke down and stuff) but how is that innovative? Sounds more like imitation to me.

With that in mind, that is one reason for having such ambitious goals this year: Not to be ordinary. "Innovate not imitate" is one phrase that really stuck with me from the whole FIRST experience; I am taking that to heart.

I guess my advice is not to be satisfied with competence but to aim for the stars; go above and beyond of what is expected.