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 Starting a team

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turtle
Koensig
6 posters
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Koensig




People Skills : 4875
Registration date : 2011-02-25
Age : 29
Location : Terre Haute, Indiana

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PostSubject: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeTue Oct 25, 2011 11:50 pm

I am starting a team to compete in the RFL. Any advice?
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turtle
big contributor
big contributor



People Skills : 5014
Registration date : 2010-11-14
Age : 33
Location : hanover mass

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 12:08 am

What is your roll in the team? who else will be joining? are you going to have any affiliation with a school? what size robots are you interested in making?
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Koensig




People Skills : 4875
Registration date : 2011-02-25
Age : 29
Location : Terre Haute, Indiana

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 9:27 am

I am the advisor, as i am the only one who has actually built a 'bot before. We are part of the Highline Community College Engineering Club. Other students from that club have already expressed interest in joining.
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Cody
2000+ club
2000+ club
Cody


People Skills : 7783
Registration date : 2009-03-16

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 6:53 pm

Finding people who are interested is easy, finding people to commit is really hard
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turtle
big contributor
big contributor



People Skills : 5014
Registration date : 2010-11-14
Age : 33
Location : hanover mass

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 7:24 pm

i second cody. When people realize the work necessary for building a bot a lot of kids back out.
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rdubard
mega contributor
mega contributor



People Skills : 5903
Registration date : 2009-06-10
Age : 59
Location : Ransom Everglades, Miami, FL

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 7:29 pm

What are your resources? (Machines, Money, Materials, Expertise/Knowledge, Software, Space and Sponsors)

Sorry you are getting bombarded with questions, when what you want is advice--it's just that knowing what you have can allow us to point you to what you need.

My best advice is meet early and often, give the students work to do that you check on every meeting, and expect mistakes. Lots of mistakes. But ALWAYS think SAFETY. (oh, and students attend more frequently if you have food for them at the meeting)

Some people will tell you to build a wedge your first year--I say do something with an active weapon, because while it's harder, the students will be more motivated by it. But still, keep it simple--use really 'tried and true' parts (motors, gearboxes, ESCs, TX/RX, switches, batteries, chargers), the main advantage being that other people can answer your questions.

If there is something you need (like a bearing, for example), but aren't really sure how to select one or where to buy one, ASK HERE. You will typically get at least three different answers, but you will know what the options are anyway. Smile

Keep it fun, but keep them on task, cuz the late night last minute midnight oil panic build is both painful and nearly inevitable--you will get at least a little sleep and be more confident of success if more is done ahead of time (instead of less.)

At least, that's the advice I have--someone else will likely disagree!!
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Koensig




People Skills : 4875
Registration date : 2011-02-25
Age : 29
Location : Terre Haute, Indiana

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 7:32 pm

Our teacher vetoed it, he said it was too violent for what we should be promoting about the club. I'll still try to start a team of just students (without funding Crying or Very sad). Probably will just be a few of us though. We will still be able to use the shop which has a lathe, a mill, a CNC machine (though i don't know if it actually works) and some other basic tools.
Thanks for the advice.
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rdubard
mega contributor
mega contributor



People Skills : 5903
Registration date : 2009-06-10
Age : 59
Location : Ransom Everglades, Miami, FL

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 7:44 pm

Koensig wrote:
Our teacher vetoed it, he said it was too violent for what we should be promoting about the club.

Your teacher is ignorant.

I say this will all respect--I was just as clueless (that's what ignorant actually means, btw), thinking Battlebots was somehow bloodthirsty, until I actually attended a competition and spent time in the pits. Compared to a football game, Battlebots lacks true violence entirely. Nola, who I know is not always the most popular person around here (but has been doing this a LONG time and has always been good to me), challenges the 'it's too violent' comment by asking "When was the last time a high school football, basketball, or baseball team finished a season without a single injury?--Well, it's common for a battlebot team to do that!--Now you tell me which is more violent."

And how many sports teams will meet at a competition and tell each other all their secrets? Happens all the time in Battlebots--heck that's exactly what' happens here every day!

This sport is about using your MINDS to craft a machine that can defeat other machines--no violence, lotsa fun and a tremendous amount of LEARNING.

This is the message the whiny "OOH, look at the thing getting broken" crowd needs to hear.
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Don Doerfler
super contributor
super contributor
Don Doerfler


People Skills : 5608
Registration date : 2009-12-24
Age : 29
Location : Plum,Pa

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 7:45 pm

Cody wrote:
Finding people who are interested is easy, finding people to commit is really hard

AGREEDED!!!!
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https://www.youtube.com/user/DoerflerRobotics?feature=mhum
Koensig




People Skills : 4875
Registration date : 2011-02-25
Age : 29
Location : Terre Haute, Indiana

Starting a team Empty
PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 26, 2011 8:59 pm

rdubard wrote:


Your teacher is ignorant.

I say this will all respect--I was just as clueless (that's what ignorant actually means, btw), thinking Battlebots was somehow bloodthirsty, until I actually attended a competition and spent time in the pits. Compared to a football game, Battlebots lacks true violence entirely. Nola, who I know is not always the most popular person around here (but has been doing this a LONG time and has always been good to me), challenges the 'it's too violent' comment by asking "When was the last time a high school football, basketball, or baseball team finished a season without a single injury?--Well, it's common for a battlebot team to do that!--Now you tell me which is more violent."

And how many sports teams will meet at a competition and tell each other all their secrets? Happens all the time in Battlebots--heck that's exactly what' happens here every day!

This sport is about using your MINDS to craft a machine that can defeat other machines--no violence, lotsa fun and a tremendous amount of LEARNING.

This is the message the whiny "OOH, look at the thing getting broken" crowd needs to hear.

I definitely agree with you. Unfortunately he is the one who grades the tests and signs the forms to get money. At least he is still allowing us to use the shop. Maybe if he read this forum he would agree with me.
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zebrabots2909




People Skills : 5019
Registration date : 2010-07-02

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeTue Nov 29, 2011 9:49 pm

I really want to start a team as well, but is there any events in Indiana or close to Indiana?
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Koensig




People Skills : 4875
Registration date : 2011-02-25
Age : 29
Location : Terre Haute, Indiana

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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitimeWed Nov 30, 2011 12:17 am

So instead of building battlebots we are competing in the ASME RC Baja Competition:
http://districts.asme.org/districtD/Baja/ASME_RC_BAJACompetitionRules_2010_9-26.pdf

Sounds fun...
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PostSubject: Re: Starting a team   Starting a team I_icon_minitime

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