Edina Robotics FIRST® Team 1816
The Green Machine
GETTING THE TEAM READY FOR COMPETITION
Why Plan Ahead?
Where you actually are with planning
Expectation v. reality in planning
Where you think you are with planning
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Planning Ahead
Where you actually are with planning
Expectation v. reality in planning
Where you think you are with planning
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Planning Ahead
Where you actually are with planning
Expectation v. reality in planning
Where you think you are with planning
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Planning Ahead
AGENDA
• Months
– Competition, travel, awards
• Weeks
– Pit, robot cart, bumpers, robot shipment, promo materials, forms,
scouting materials
• Days
– Robot, tools, supplies, safety, forms
Everything Except the Robot!
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Months Ahead
• Regional competition
– Select
– Register (Dec. 5)
– Pay (Dec. 6)
• Hotel (should be booked by now)
– Number of rooms (no. of kids per room? no of adults?)
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Months Ahead
• Travel
– Students, mentors, parents
– Pit, including spare parts, tools, etc.
– Robot (bag & tag only)
• Meals
– In hotel?
– Lunch, dinner, mixer event
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Months Ahead
Submissions for FIRST awards
• Chairman’s, Dean’s List, Woodie Flowers, Entrepreneurship
– Chairman’s (Feb. 13)
• Essay
• Prepare presentation
• Practice
– Dean’s List (Feb. 20)
• Up to 2 nominees per team
• Scholarships
• Juniors preferred
– Woodie Flowers (Feb. 18)
– Entrepreneurship (Feb. 13)
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Months Ahead
• Safety
– Safety Captain
– Safety Presentation and quiz
(Need to have quizzes at competition)
– Safety Glasses (for working on robot and taking to competition)
– Safety log – incidents, MSDS
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Weeks Ahead
THE PIT
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Place to work on robot, keep tools, spare parts
10’ x 10’ x 10’ space, table, electrical power
Customize work area
Signage/team promotion
Blue banners
http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/7#4.8
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THE PIT
Customized pit
Eye-catching
Shelves for displays
Blue banners
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THE PIT
Customized pit
Identifies team
Floor
Display space
Place for tools
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THE PIT
Customized Pit
Tidy
Displays
Blue banners
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THE PIT
Homemade
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THE PIT
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THE PIT
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THE PIT
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THE PIT
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THE PIT
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THE PIT
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BATTERIES
Batteries
• Stored
• Charged
• Transported
• Safety issues
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BATTERIES
Transport
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THE PIT
• Points to remember
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Identify self and sponsors
Organized as an efficient workspace
Stand out
Promo and display materials
Materials for judges
Easy build/tear down and transport
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THE PIT CREW
• No more than 6
• Engineers, programmers
• Who’s talking to judges and visitors?
– Need to know everything about the team and the robot
– Develop elevator speech
• Pit rules
– never leave unattended
– don’t use to store coats, bags etc.
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ROBOT CART
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No more than 30”
Non-damaging wheels
Stays in pit when not used
Display team
number/sponsors
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BUMPERS
• Required on robot
• Rules for position change from year to year
• Red and blue required
– Spare material and red/blue duct tape
• Design stays constant
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BUMPERS
Plywood
Pool noodles
Cloth cover
Attachment to
robot frame:
require <10 min
to change
Plywood
backing
Pool
Noodles
2.5" diameter
Cloth cover
2 sets of bumpers one red, one blue
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Bumpers
Alternative to switching sets of bumpers
See http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/beta/wp-content/uploads/kbotics-reversible-bumper.pdf
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SHIPPING THE ROBOT
Regional Competition
• “Bag and tag” event
– Bags and tags provided at kick-off
• Robot gets bagged on Tuesday, Feb 18, 2014 (stop-build day)
• “Tagged” by a responsible adult
• Carry bagged robot to regional competition
• Take care not to tear the bag
• Cannot open bag at competition until after inspection
• If competing after competition, must bag on the way home
• See: http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/8#5.1 for details
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SHIPPING THE ROBOT
CHAMPIONSHIP
• Robot is shipped in crate via Fedex
• Must be shipped by Thursday after the final qualifying event
– Lake Superior and Northern Lights regionals: 6-8 March, so ship by 13th
March
– 10,000 Lakes and Northstar regionals 27-29 March, so ship by 3rd April
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SHIPPING THE ROBOT
CHAMPIONSHIP (cont)
• Must have a crate ready
to go (rookies beware –
at least one rookie
team, often two, qualifies
for Championships
• 48” x 48” x 70” max
• Weight limit 400 lb.
• Do not exceed weight
limit unless you have a
healthy budget
• http://frcmanual.usfirst.org/upload/pdfs/2012/12/Shipping_Crate_Constructio
n_v3.0.pdf
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PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
• Team buttons, flyers, giveaways
• Peer-to-peer awards
• Spirit materials:
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Mascot costume
Flag
Other
No noisemakers
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FORMS AND PAPERWORK
• Bill of Materials
– Spreadsheet online
• Select parts from KoP and add additional materials
• Brought to competition on jump drive
• http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/2012-competition-manualand-related-documents
• Team Roster
• Chaperone binder
– Team lists, emergency contacts, maps etc.
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SCOUTING
• Plan how to do it
– If going to need forms, make forms
– Clipboards, program
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ONLY DAYS TO GO!
• Finish building/testing robot
– Prepare for shipping
– Ship without batteries
– Add protection at sharp corners to prevent tearing bag
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DAYS TO GO
• Select and pack tools, spare parts, supplies
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Prepare checklist for tools, spare parts, supplies
Gather and pack
Don’t forget zip-ties and duct tape!
Label all tools with team no.
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DAYS TO GO
SAFETY
• Safety glasses (carried in, need in pit and on field)
• First aid kits (pit and stands)
• Battery spill kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Safety log, safety manual
• No shoes with open toes in pit or on field
• http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FRC/Team
_Resources/Team_Resources_Assets/FRC_Team_Safety_Man
ual.pdf
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DAYS TO GO
• Forms and paperwork
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Consent forms
Roster
BoM
Chaperone folder
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USEFUL WEBSITES
http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/
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Useful Websites
http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/7
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Useful Websites
http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/8
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Other Useful Websites
www.firstnemo.org
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/portal.php
www.edinarobotics.com/
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Where you actually are with planning
PLANNING
Where you think you are with planning
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Where you actually are with planning
PLANNING
Where you think you are with planning
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THANK YOU
AND HAVE FUN AT THE
COMPETITION!
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