This summary highlights specific tips and cautions that the mentor should keep in mind at each step in the design process.
1. Carefully define the different tasks that must be performed to accomplish your goals:
- You probably need something to make your robot mobile.
- You probably need to pick up and place scoring objects.
- You may need to move other objects around.
- Encourage thought about both offensive and defensive strategies.
- Do NOT encourage/allow destructive strategies.
- Understand the capabilities of the components (motors, servos, etc.).
- You might use preliminary brainstorming sessions to narrow the problem statement.
2. Brainstorm conceptual solutions to each of the sub-functions that make up the problem.
- Generate as many different ideas as possible.
- Don’t discount any idea, keep a verbal description of every idea.
3. Use a decision matrix to choose a conceptual direction.
4. Brainstorm embodiment solutions for each sub-function in your chosen conceptual direction.
5. After the brainstorming session, draw sketches of each of the solutions.
- Your sketches should have enough detail to convey the idea to a non team member.
6. Narrow down the ideas, then use a decision matrix to make a final choice.
- Simple construction is preferred.
- Flexibility to accommodate different strategies is preferred.
- Modular components are preferred (in case the design changes direction).
- Reliability in an aggressive competition environment is required.
- Minimized dependence on driver skill and forgiving of driver error is preferred.
7. Choose the best idea and then start making detailed drawings or prototyping the idea.
- Design before building.
- The drawing should have enough detail so that you know exactly what parts of the kit you will use. Most ideas seem reasonable until you get to the details.
- Cardboard layers can be glued together to build rigid mock ups.
8. Make sure you finish building in time to do a LOT of testing.
- Test sub-assemblies.
- Practice driving the machine.
- Practice driving some more!
- The best teacher is our own mistakes…but it feels much better if those mistakes aren’t revealed on game day!
- Redesign as necessary but do not disassemble a working machine for long periods of time. That time should be used for driving.
9. Document everything.