How many teams are 100% student built

[MudThumper]

We would be 100% if we had axcess to a machine shop that we could use the machines, the kids on our team would learn how to use a lathe or mill. Because pretty much the only tools that we have that are able to realy do any metal work is a drill press, which some times doubles as a small lathe...(dont ask!...), and a small shop band saw. other than that we design every thing and make as much as we can, and the rest is machined by one of our mentors, then we assemble everything. the mentors just push the team to think about things a little bit more and make sagestions when need be. this is the reason that main base of our bot is normaly made out of 1" bosh every year. Our work shop is a simi trailer parked on blocks behind the school. hahah it gets the job done though we have had some awsome bots come out of it! i mean the students do all the work, now that im a mentor this year its hard to keep my hands out of the robot but its awsome to step back and see what these kids are brewing up!

[Brian C]

With team 1468 our goal is to have the robot about %85-%90 student with the mentors assisting the other %10-%15 of the time. This is primarily due to the VERY limited resources available to the team so sometimes you need to be creative in what and how you do some things. This is where experience comes into play and where the mentors can pass along some skills.

The old adage of "I do you watch, We do it together, You do I watch" is what mentoring is all about.

One other thing on a personal note. While I agree that I dislike seeing only engineeers and mentors work on a robot while the students sit in the stands. I also dislike teams wearing the "%100 student built" chip on their shoulder. Both are extremes and shoould be avoided.

IMHO the right answer is a blend so that everyone learns from the experience. After being involved with FIRST sionce 1999 there is not a year that goes by that I don't learn something from the team and I hope that they can learn from me. It's truly a trade of experiences.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

If team's robots are 100% student built, then how am I, college mentor, to keep learning? Everyone is constently learning, even engineers. Heck, I'm still teaching the engineers new things.

A good thing is that on 648, we don't send anything out to be machined. All of our machining is done in-house and the students watch. We don't weld anything, so it's that much easier for students to do the hands on work.

Congrats on having a 100% student run team, but who are you learning from? A book? What if you become a mentor, will you still accept the 100% student run mantra? Or would you be jumping at the bit to get in there an do some stuff yourself?

*Sorry if my post sounded a bit harsh, didn't mean it.

[Bochek]

Team 2200 has been 100% student built to date, and we are doing just great.

Not only that but our team consists of 12 programmers and 2 people with knowledge on actually machining and physically building the robot.

me being one of them.

so far i personally have logged approx 130 hours.

Its nice to know that you built it. and that you know that it will work for sure

- Bochek

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Bochek

Team 2200 has been 100% student built to date, and we are doing just great.

Not only that but our team consists of 12 programmers and 2 people with knowledge on actually machining and physically building the robot.
...
Its nice to know that you built it. and that you know that it will work for sure

As has been said before, if you used anything (controller, gearbox, motor, etc.) from the KOP, you aren't 100% student built. Engineers built the items in the kit.

That said, have you tested your design yet? I think you'd hate to get to your first regional and find out that the robot doesn't work, forcing you to call for reinforcements from the other teams. (And I bet that some of those extra hands will belong to engineers.) Test it now, rebuild it now, and find out why it failed if it fails.

If nothing else, you should have one engineer to figure out where you screw up when you do something wrong. An illustration: I mentored a Lego League team two years ago. The students were all rookies. The robot had trouble coming away from one mission. I looked at the "code" they had carefully and, lo and behold, I found out why they weren't consistent coming out. They'd put a right turn in with the left wheel forward instead of the right wheel backward, causing them to jam into the field element they were trying to work with. I showed them how to fix it (or how I fixed it, I forget which) and told them to consider it a learning experience. This is what the mentors are for--preventing or fixing student errors that cost the team time or money.

100% student built is not necessarily a good thing. 95% student built means that you have a mentor who will help you to do better.

[Brian C]

Originally Posted by Bochek

Team 2200 has been 100% student built to date, and we are doing just great.

Not only that but our team consists of 12 programmers and 2 people with knowledge on actually machining and physically building the robot.

me being one of them.

so far i personally have logged approx 130 hours.

Its nice to know that you built it. and that you know that it will work for sure

- Bochek

Adam,

Given your team number I'm figuring you're a rookie team. As a suggestion I would take your design and test, test, test and when you figure it's perfect.....test some more.

This has nothing to do with student built, engineer built or trained monkey built. It has to do with making sure you have no unpleasant surprises at your Regional.

Good Luck!

[Bochek]

Originally Posted by Brian C

Adam,

Given your team number I'm figuring you're a rookie team. As a suggestion I would take your design and test, test, test and when you figure it's perfect.....test some more.

This has nothing to do with student built, engineer built or trained monkey built. It has to do with making sure you have no unpleasant surprises at your Regional.

Good Luck!

not to worry, we have been testing it whenever possible, all that is currently complete is the drive train, (chassis, electronics, air compressor, exct) and i have a good start on the end effector (manipulator)

can anyone smell the fisher price?

- Bochek