The Enigineering Design Process is an irreplaceable system in developing a high quality working product. We implented this process in all areas of the BEST competition and found it very effective.
The Chalkboard
Designing a complex robot in your head is next to impossible. And although trial and error works, it also takes a huge amount of time and can be very expensive. So to make your design process smoother, get the whole team together with a chalkboard, (dry-erase works great too), and use the steps below to get a working model on your board.
1: Define what your robot has to do. Break the tasks that the robot has to complete down into specific actions. (For instance, if your robot has to sort balls by color, your tasks would be Manipulating the balls and Sensing color.)
2: Document what you have to work with. Go over the supplies that you have to work with. Especially figure out what your power options (motors, servos, sensors) can do. How you implement these elements will make or break your robot, so make sure you know how to properly use them and what their limits are.
3: Merge what you have from steps 1 & 2. Now that you know what you have to do, and what you have to work with, define what components will be needed to accomplish which tasks. And make sure that you don't miss anything! If you suddenly realize you missed something and you don't have any motors left, then it's back to square one for the whole project. And secondly try to creatively combine tasks. Going back to our example in #1, if you imbed the light sensor in the claw, you could combine the two tasks into one piece of equipment.
Models
Now that you have an idea of how your robot is going to accomplish your objective(s), you need to tackle your next hurdle: size. In the BEST competition, your robot has to fit in a cube measuring 2ft x 2ft x 2ft (8 cubic feet.) But in any construction project, and especially in the field of robotic development smaller is better (unless you are doing battlebots!). So you need to figure out how big your robot can be before you get $200 of supplies cut 1 inch too small. We've compiled a few of the best options for scaling your robot plans before building them. Don't skip this step or you may regret it later and lose valuable practice time.
1: Graph paper. A "must do" step for every team, graph paper is the best option for making a scale drawing, and usually comes in .25 inch squares. Draw out your robot scaled down to see what size you will end up with and make adjustments to so as to fix oversize parts. Remember to leave "wiggle room" for moving parts.
2: Cardboard or Paper Models. Cardboard modeling is a highly recommended step for beginning teams, because it gives you something you can see in 3D, and hold in your hand.
3: CAD Software CAD (Computer Aided Design) software is a great option for the very advanced robotic team. Pros include being able to virtually build your robot and find out whether certain options will work or not without buying material, and having 3D drawing of your robot (which work great for publicity). Cons are that CAD software is generally very complicated and takes a huge amount of time to learn. If you are already skilled in computer modeling, then go for it, but if you aren't, then your time will probably be better spent elsewhere. If you decide to use computer modeling, SolidWorks is by far the best available software (and the most expensive) but most BEST hubs give each team a sample version with a 150 day license. Check with your local coordinator for more details.
Trouble Shoot
Theoretical design is a very important step in almost any project, but the move from the drawing board to the construction area is usually a huge leap, not a small step. The Prototype Phase can overcome some of the problems commonly encountered when starting to construct your robot.
1: Use low-quality material. Using cheap lumber, you will be able to buy more, and experiment more with different ideas. Your prototype will end up looking very ugly and probably be rather flimsy, but that's ok, because it's just a prototype! Once you get all the bugs worked out, then build your final robot with nice material.
2: Jump start the Brain Team. Getting a basic chassis and wheels setup early will give your brain team some extra time for experimentation which allows your drivers more time with the controller.
Final Production
This last step is not any more important than any other, in fact if you haven't completed the preceding steps correctly, then your final will probably not turn out well. So remember to take the time to produce a quality product. Your dedication in this area will pay off on game day.
1: Create Look over your final robot and find parts and components that are less than perfect. Rebuild these until they are. This can be time consuming and frustrating, but stick with it. Once you have all the components of your robot completed, we recommend that you paint them.
2: Assemble. Carefully assemble your final robot. You should aim to have this step done before mall day. This allows your team to make sure your robot will be compliant, and operating in a satisfactory manner for the competition.
Construction Photos
