FIRST Robot Design: a team-based process

Andy Baker

Mechanical Engineer, Delphi Corporation

Co-Owner, AndyMark.biz

Lead Engineer, team 45

Overview

• Foundation• Know the Game• Brainstorm• Sub-Teams• Presentations• Team Decision• Assignments• Be Ready to Change• Final Exam

Foundation

…before Kickoff,• Know your team

– Fall team builders

• Assess your resources– Equipment, talent, $$, leadership

• Develop your skills– Training, design, fabrication, software,

etc.

Team Development = Community Involvement

Know the Game

• Watch Kickoff as a team

• 1st 3-4 days after kickoff:– Review the game before each meeting

• Go over the rules many times

• Don’t get left behind

Saturday

Brainstorming 101

• Brainstorm 1st time w/ entire team

• All ideas are heard

• Each person has equal opinion

• Let ideas flow

• Don’t critique until complete

• Record and categorize ideas

Saturday

The Sub-team Process

BEFORE KICKOFF• Divide the entire team into 3-4 equal sub-teams• Name each team• Pick adult and student leaders for teams

AFTER KICKOFF• Sub-teams meet after initial team brainstorming• Get to know sub-team members• Plan meeting times• Encourage all for input

Sub-Team: Get Ideas

• BRAINSTORM• Organize & categorize ideas

– strategy– scoring methods– defensive methods– ways to grab object– etc.

• Focus on OVERALL GAME PLAY

Saturday Sunday

Sub-team: Decide on Concept

• Critique and eliminate ideas• Analyze ideas

– Do the math– Construct prototypes– Play “mock matches”– Do CAD/Animation

• Decide which ideas are best• Agree on overall design

MondayTuesday

Sub-Team: Presentations

• Sub-teams sell their concept to entire team– Use professional presentation materials– Show analysis– Demo prototypes– Explain match, walk through mock match– Display robot design– Review positives and negatives

• Students lead presentations, adults help as needed

• Present to team, sponsors, administrators, parents, media, etc.

Wednesday

Team Decision

• Sleep on it– Make the decision the day after sub-team

presentations.

Team Decision

• Review and critique, using GP• Discuss common ideas• Make a Decision Matrix

– Assign values to qualities – Rate each team’s idea per each quality– Total each sub-team’s points– Highest point total wins

• Focus on concept with highest point total• Add common features from other concepts

Thursday

Decision Matrix

Attribute Weight

1-5 Rank 1-5 Rank 1-5 Rank 1-5 Rank 1-5Speed 4 4 16 5 20 2 8 5 20Power 4 3 12 4 16 4 16 5 20Score-ability 5 4 20 5 25 3 15 5 25Reliability 5 5 25 2 10 5 25 1 5Defense 3 2 6 4 12 5 15 5 15Easy to build 5 5 25 2 10 5 25 1 5Innovation 2 2 4 4 8 1 2 5 10Wow 2 2 4 4 8 1 2 5 10Total points 112 109 108 110

Sub-TeamsBlue Red Black White

Simple robot, known designs, can score well

and defend OK.

Complex robot, stretch designs,

does all functions well if they work.

Simple robot, no risks, using

easiest designs.

Complex robot, very risky

designs, can do it all if it works.

These weights determine everything, and are dependent on the game.

Assign tasks

• Leaders commit to tasks– Drive base, Arm, Grabber, etc.

• Have overall robot design leader• Leaders communicate

– Daily standing meetings– Email discussions– Weekly design reviews during team meetings

• Don’t let a irresponsible leader drag you down

Celebrate mistakes

• Design mistakes found early are your friend

• Design mistakes found late (during a Regional) are your enemy

Be ready to tweak

• Start scouting early Regionals

• Know when to fold ‘em and hold ‘em– Teams who win Championships are

often struggling early in the year

• Strategy dictates design

Thank you!

www.AndyMark.biz