Rookie Team Tips!

[kstl99]

One very important part of any FRC robot is the electrical system. The robots take a beating and the wiring must be robust so your robot doesn't die at the worst times. If you can find a mentor experienced in machine wiring it would be helpful. Al Skierkiewicz did a great presentation that can be viewed by clicking on the "Attached Assets" link here http://thinktank.wpi.edu/article/149.

Before my first year last year I watched a documentary on PBS called Gearing Up that showed 4 teams as they went through a season which helped me understand some of what it is like. It can be seen online here: http://www.gearingupproject.org/watch-online/

Good luck and enjoy.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

* And on that note: HAVE A PLAN!

...and stick to the plan during the match. Nothing worse than counting on a team to do 'something' and they don't, because they 'changed their mind'.

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

* Read and understand the rules.

Re-quoted and bolded because it is so true. If your team reads the manual and follows all the rules, you'll be ahead of many teams, even veterans. Note that following the rules is not optional!! These are required, and if you get to competition and even think (much less say) "I didn't know of that rule", well, you will probably get what you deserve.

Originally Posted by EricH

Pre-inspect. If possible, find your friendly local veteran team and ask if one or more of them can go over your robot with the inspection checklist before you crate/bag the robot.

Yes, yes, yes. Do this. Nothing worse than having a MAJOR rules violation that is first identified at a competition. Read and learn the rules, then follow them.

Ask for help when you need it! FIRST is not a competition where it is an advantage to go at it alone!

[1jbinder]

As stated before, keep it simple!
We are a veteran team that changed leadership last year. We developed an overcomplicated design that eventually became unsafe in addition to not working. In the end we changed our kicking system and drive train at competition. I would also advice to plan the season, for example: two weeks design, two weeks build, and two weeks programing and testing. If you don't have a good programming mentor or team member that knows his/her stuff, keep that really really simple (I would use labview). It is really easy to develop programming bugs, especially with a complicated drive system. This one is from experience. Most of all, have fun. It can be really stressful when something does not work. Take a break, come back the next day, and always remember you are in this to learn and have fun, winning is just a benifit if you get there.

Julian Binder
Team Captain 852