FTC Engineering Notebook
Success Levels
Index
1. No index, table of contents, tabs, or labeling of any sort is included in the notebook to help
organize the data. Pages within the notebook that are labeled will not count towards this without
a forward index page.
2. Team has managed to include the most basic of a single page index at the front of the
notebook.
3. Notebook has an index, but has neglected to place some sort of tabbed dividers along the right
side to separate the sections for easy browsing.
4. The notebook has all of the proper organization, but lacks the additional single page description
and call outs along the top edge for pages to highlight for the judges. The notebook also
includes a section at the front detailing the list of team members, short bios, duties, tasks,
and/or individual goals.
5. A notebook that has included all of the previously mentioned elements, including a page with a
concise list of pages they wish to highlight for the judges that has been specifically updated for
the current event. The notebook also includes a section at the front detailing the list of team
members, short bios, duties, tasks, and/or individual goals.
Design Process
1. No mention whatsoever of anything about the robot before the final product.
2. The notebook has at least one reference to building the robot, designing it, or brainstorming
ideas for it.
3. This notebook is beginning to form a clear design. They have pictures showing
construction/assembly as well as documentation from their meetings that describe who is doing
what and when.
4. Well documented, but more information could be provided. Not all areas suggest in level 5
where included. Team has documented external assistance from someone in industry (e.g.
Engineer mentor).
5. This notebook has a detailed description of how the team began by breaking down the game
rules for this season, made a scoring strategy, brainstormed design ideas to score points based
on their strategy, and built / tested / revised their ideas.
Revision 1.0 September 26, 2014
Design
1. No drawings of any sort, CAD or hand sketches have been included. A team that built a robot
through “tinkering” and not designing.
2. Notebook has no CAD drawings, but has begun to have some hand sketches either directly in
the notebook, or pictures/scans of whiteboard sketching.
3. Any CAD drawings will merit this level at a minimum. A notebook with no CAD drawings can still
qualify for this level if the hand sketches are detailed, done with care, labeled, dimensioned, and
supported with thoughts on the design.
4. CAD drawings required for this level. Although theoretically possible to completely design a
robot in CAD, a notebook that has detailed, labeled, and dimensions hand sketches in addition
to CAD drawings will merit these high marks. A notebook at this level has some of the best
drawings, but is lacking the final pieces that show CAD drawings led the design instead of
following it.
5. Three dimensional CAD drawings required for this level. This notebook has many drawings
detailing the ideal design process. Initial strategies and concepts, leading into detailed sketches,
which are then designed and drawn in CAD. It is only then from these drawings that the robot
components are constructed. Design must proceed construction, and not be an afterthought
tagged onto the end of the notebook.
Programming
1. No data is submitted about the program itself, or the process of designing/coding the program.
2. The notebook mentions the programming and the creation of a program, but lacks any printed
code, detailed design/strategy documentation, and controller schematic.
3. The team has expanded on their programming and has begun to consider autonomous as well
as teleop. We should see at least some printed code by this point.
4. The notebook has a well-rounded amount of documentation on the programming, but lacks
100% of the items listed below.
5. Team has included printed code of the finished program, preferably autonomous and teleop.
They have shown data that supports a well resigned strategy. (This is what we need our robot to
do, so this is how we will break the tasks up in the program). They have also included some
form of schematic showing how the teleop controller has been mapped to robot functions. In
addition they have started thinking how their program interacts with an alliance partner and have
documentation showing different autonomous options to run depending on their alliance
partner’s strengths.
Revision 1.0 September 26, 2014
Electrical
1.
No reference is ever made to what makes the team’s robot move.
2. Some references have been made to the placement and routing of electrical components
3. Team has some good electrical information, but no schematic drawings and the other
information is lacking full detail.
4. Team has included both full schematics and details of the electrical system OR detail about the
design process that led to their electrical system with clear information about issues found and
solutions enacted. Schematics and line drawings may be either CAD generated or neatly hand
drawn.
5. Team has fully detailed their electrical system. Schematic drawings show the connections and
routing between all motors, servos, controllers, battery, Samantha, and NXT. This will include
any special hardware like ferrite chokes or USB surge protection. They have also detailed any
modifications done to make the wiring connections and power distribution more reliable. Also
included detail about the design process that led to their electrical system with clear information
about issues found and solutions enacted. Schematic and line drawings must be CAD
generated.
Engineering Calculations
1. No calculations are included.
2. References to gear ratios or basic geometry for at least one of the components.
3. References to gear ratios or basic geometry for major components of the robot, including hand
sketches of these calculations.
4. References to gear ratios and geometry for the full drive train, and all robot functionality. This
will include any components that are lifting, rotating, or traversing. Hand sketches must be
provided showing these calculations.
5. Calculations must include CAD drawings of the components a long with more detailed
calculations beyond basic gear ratios and wheel radius. An example would be using statics to
calculate the torque needed to rotate a lifting arm or similar component.
Revision 1.0 September 26, 2014
Meeting Documents
1.
Nothing has been included about the meetings.
2.
Notebook has pages that document the meetings, but did not follow the proper format of date,
time, and two columns.
3. Notebook has a fresh page for every meeting that has the date and start/stop times at the top of
the page. The page needs to be broken up into two columns, a task column and reflections
column.
4. Mote notebooks here will have a detailed meeting documentation, but have failed to properly
initial the pages for each meeting. Even on an electronic notebook that has been printed out,
every meeting needs to be hand initialed by team members in ink and not pencil.
5. The meeting pages have ALL of these following elements. (Date, start time, stop time. Task
column, reflections column, entries from multiple team members, initials from team members
who entered a section as well as a date next to initials, no information is removed/erased, any
mistakes are simply marked through with initials and date next to the corrected information. Any
white space is clearly X'd out in some fashion. Be wary of notebooks that seem to be written
100% by a single person, or have start/end times that are never changing.
Outreach
1. No outreach data is provided.
2. Documented some outreach effort within the school.
3. Documented some external outreach beyond the school.
4. Documented at least two of the following forms internal (within the school), external (within the
community), and FIRST (Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC, FRC) with some effort.
5. Documented internal (within the school), external (within the community), and FIRST family of
programs (Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC, FRC) with strong efforts in all 3.
Revision 1.0 September 26, 2014
Business Plan
1. No plan has been documented.
2. Proposed means of financing the team has been included.
3. Detailed budget plan of income and expenses.
4. Detailed budget plan of income and expenses as well as detailed accounting of actual income,
actual expenses, and how they all compared to the planned budget.
5. Detailed budget plan of income and expenses as well as detailed accounting of actual income,
actual expenses, and how they all compared to the planned budget. Notebook includes
contingency budgeting for further advancement within the competition (paying for state
championship, super regionals, world competition).
Revision 1.0 September 26, 2014