Design Space & Schedule

Design Space & Schedule:

The bulk of the design and construction work on our rover takes place in our Design Den. The Design Den is a 8,500 sq. ft. makerspace and shop, housing a number of power tools such as welders, a plasma cutter, 3D printers for prototyping, a CNC ShopBot router, and a laser cutter. The Design Den is open throughout the school day. Engineering and robotics classes meet there, but the space is large enough that students may also come in and work on independent projects or other school projects during free periods or study halls.

Our design work begins in September, the team gathers for weekly lunch meetings at which, we assess problems from the previous years, brainstorm any major design changes, and make prototypes. This year, once the challenge was released we brainstormed various strategies available to us because of the new competition guidelines. We began to consider which obstacles to skip and which tasks to attempt. In addition to lunch meetings, we began after school work sessions on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 – 6pm. From the end of November to the beginning of March, we are fortunate enough to have allotted class time (80 minutes every other day) to work on the rover. Mid-January begins Saturday work time. We have six-hour windows in which we can come build and test the rover. These sessions continue right up to the weekend prior to competition.

To maximize our efficiency, our team broke into specific subgroups: frame and drivetrain, composites, telemetry, STEM engagement and wheels. However, all subgroups were connected to each other through our team’s chosen project management software: SmartSheet. Every subgroup entered each subtask to their overall goal along with the start and finish dates. Once the task was accomplished, the group would mark it complete. If a task was behind schedule, it was marked backlogged in SmartSheet and if a task was being completed it was marked in progress. Dates could be edited in case we planned our time incorrectly. In addition, we utilized 10 -15-minute weekly briefings to make sure the subgroups were aware of each other’s work. This aided communication vital for those instances where systems work was interdependent.

Experience has taught us that it is best to have the rover completed two if not three weeks prior to competition. This gives time for our drivers to practice, as well as time for the team to fix whatever inevitably breaks during the testing. This window allows us to correct the weaknesses, thereby improving the rover’s performance and reliability during competition.

Our goal to test drive was March 1, a deadline we met early on February 22.