Inspections -- Solutions/Ideas

[Ken Patton]

Now that there is some discussion/feedback on the Michigan tournament structure - thanks for bringing it to the people AND asking for input Dave! - what are we gonna do about it?

A lot of legitimate, and potentially serious, issues have been raised and will likely continue in Dave's thread. Hopefully the people "defending" the new structure take it for what it is: constructive discussion. But now that we are going to be required to do this, we could also get some discussion going on solutions and ideas for improvements. I for one am thankful that competing in FRC has prepared us teams for collaboratively working together to make things better.

So please post your ideas and proposals for solutions. Identify the problem, but focus on the solution. Unlike the Michigan tournament schedule, this thread is open to all teams worldwide .


Problem: When do we do inspections, and how do we not upset the tight competition schedule?

Idea for solution: Since this is an area that requires a fair amount of consistency, and probably on-site consistency for things like safety, weight, and size, make sure that inspections can happen on Thursday and extra-early on Friday so teams who are legitimately ready do not have to endure a traffic jam to get their inspection sticker to compete. We may need to require use of the pre-inspection process that has been in place for years, where teams self-inspect using the available checklist. Maybe ask teams to email their ~80% filled out checklist to the inspector when they bag the bot.

What it will take to succeed: A clearly defined "what to do before the event" checklist. A clearly defined load-in procedure/schedule that is specific to the venue (not an email to the main contact a couple of days before the event). Enough inspectors to handle the crush before matches start. Maybe a more robust and easy-to-use inspection checklist. More communication to teams to remind them to pre-inspect before bagging.



Ken

[IKE]

Originally Posted by Ken Patton

Problem: When do we do inspections, and how do we not upset the tight competition schedule?
Ken

Thanks for posting this in a new thread. You should win a communications award.
I am going to suggest that our team pay closer attention to having a student rep that can completely go through the check list with the inspector. While this may be common for some teams, I know we typically just send our most knowledgeable person rather than go specifically through every item of the list before-hand.
Going through this exercise should save at lest 5-10 minutes on our inspection time and ours generally go pretty quick. If 30 teams save 5 minutes of inspector time, that is huge to the overall process.

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by IKE

Thanks for posting this in a new thread. You should win a communications award.
I am going to suggest that our team pay closer attention to having a student rep that can completely go through the check list with the inspector. While this may be common for some teams, I know we typically just send our most knowledgeable person rather than go specifically through every item of the list before-hand.
Going through this exercise should save at lest 5-10 minutes on our inspection time and ours generally go pretty quick. If 30 teams save 5 minutes of inspector time, that is huge to the overall process.

I would like to point out that application of this idea (a great one!) should not be limited to just the Michigan experience. It should be a standard "best practice" for EVERY team at EVERY competition. It would make the inspection process much smoother and quicker at all events.

-dave



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[Al Skierkiewicz]

Ya know, I was just thinking... What if we broke down inspections by system and had specialized inspectors. If you don't have pneumatics, you bypass the pneumatics inspector. You stop and see the electrical guy and he looks at your wiring, checks over the list and sends you on your way.
First stop is safety, weight and size and then you can compete. Add the other stations during the day until you have passed everything. Everyone must be complete by 5 PM.
Let the Lead Inspector watch over everyone and take the hard cases. He and a few others could be exclusively responsible for rookie team inspections so they don't get confused by the inspection process.
I used a few dedicated Caterpillar engineers to troubleshoot in Minnesota last year. They went from team to team helping with problems and it took the heat off the inspectors and veteran teams there. (There were 38 rookies at that regional) It might work to have a dedicated volunteer be attached to every rookie for the weekend. They could help with robot problems and make sure the team gets to all matches. Let them know how the weekend will run and make sure they are having a good weekend. I think this needs to be an adult mentor who has seen it all. This addition of volunteers will tax the volunteer coordinator and meals, tshirts, etc. but it may be worth the small added expense.

[Ken Patton]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Ya know, I was just thinking... specialized inspectors ...

Al, thats a great idea! It would illustrate the need for volunteers who want to be inspectors to become more deeply familiar with some subject area like controls, or pneumatics, or allowable parts. And like you say it would probably be more efficient to inspect that way, as long as the checklist supports it. The checklist is kind of categorized that way already....

Ken

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I think a small modification (to the checklist) here and there would make this happen. What is unknown at this point is what operational checks we will need to make on the control system as part of inspection. Safety will need to include a power on Pneumatic check and pressure/vent cycle.

[IKE]

Wow Al! How simple and yet how impressive. I was wanting to get trained as an inspector this year. Not knowing about certain systems was concerning, but now it would be much simpler to get trained only dealing with a certain subset. This should also add more consistancy to the process.

[IKE]

On a completely different approach. Andy Baker gave out some sort of award for most creative acceptance speech at the Championship. Safety gives out an outstanding safety captain of the day award. Maybe their should be a most knowledgeable student rep award. Or most prepared for Tech inspect. Just a thought...

[Zflash]

Originally Posted by IKE

On a completely different approach. Andy Baker gave out some sort of award for most creative acceptance speech at the Championship. Safety gives out an outstanding safety captain of the day award. Maybe their should be a most knowledgeable student rep award. Or most prepared for Tech inspect. Just a thought...

I think this is a great idea to be implemented everywhere. I know that we train our students while building the robot to pass the robot through inspection, however some teams may not think of this until the robot has shipped and they no longer have a teaching tool. This would highlight that oversight and possibly make inspections go faster with all around more knowledgeable students.

[Clinton Bolinger]

Also to help improve or expand on this idea, the events can have individual areas for the sub-inspections. So there would be a table for electrical, a table for pneumatics, and etc. Then at each table maybe you get a signature or sticker on your inspection page. Then to get your final inspection, an inspector checks all of your sub-inspections (signatures or stickers) to ensure that you indeed do or do not have certain systems (ex. pneumatics) on your robot.

The benefits of this would be:

- Inspectors stay in one area, no need to walk to the different pits.
- There could be floating Inspectors to help sub-inspection tables that have longer lines

Does anyone know how many inspectors there are at a typical regional event?

-Oris-

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I like visiting teams in their pits and that is what I recommended. It gives another set of eyes for safety reasons. Too often I have found 50 amp battery chargers, homemade electrical distributions and air compressors in the pit. The Underwriters people can't catch everything.
The number of inspectors varies with event size. With 50+ teams 8 inspectors will see an average of 6 teams during the inspection day. In general, at least 3 or four will be new inspectors and perhaps all of them might be seeing a robot event for the first time. It's just the way it goes. With a thirty team event, have two each for electrical, mechanical and pnuematics and one or two at the main inspection area for weigh, size and safety checks and one Lead Inspector. At a larger event you could add one each to mechanical and electrical. Fewer teams use pneumatics. I think the inspection stickers need to go on the robot so field people can tell who has passed which inspection. That also allows the field people to remind teams that they need inspection.
The base sticker is applied when you pass weight, size, and safety. A small color for mechanical, electrical and pneumatics and then a large one for complete. Then a second one for the finals inspection on the second day. I would recommend keeping at least half the inspectors for finals inspection.
This will be a small issue to deal with. Many inspectors who are available on practice day, also serve as refs, cuers, or other volunteers on the second and third day when inspection duties are less.
Note to GDC: You might want to consider letting MI teams (who only register in MI) have one or two more days before ship/lock/bag to compensate for teams who have all practice day to modify and rebuild at other events.