What I learned:
During this course I have learned about how to sketch model, CAD, and finally build a functional robot. I learned that the first step in design was not to just draw out a basic sketch of what you wanted, but to weigh different methods of solving a problem then creating the design based on that.
This class also taught me how to use SolidWorks to CAD parts and create drawings. I had experience creating engineering drawing before, but I had never used a three-dimensional CAD program like SolidWorks. Previously, I would simply sketch two or three views on a piece of paper for what I wanted to make. Now, I will create the design in a CAD program and let the program create the drawing for me.
I also learned how important correct tolerances are in designs. Some parts only need to be within one tenth of an inch to still work, while others must be correct to the thousandth of an inch in order to work correctly.
How the course could be improved:
My one major gripe about this course was the constantly changing rules during the first half of the semester. I realize that shifting goals and requirements are an unfortunate reality in the business world, but having to reevaluate the design and alter parts of the bot in CAD every single time the rules were changed became ridiculous. I would advise coming out with a solid, unchanging set of rules for the competition within the first month of class. Preferably, the rules would be set before the class even began so that any possible loophole abuses would be noticed and corrected for before major design work had started.
How my performance could have improved:
I found that one of the major issues during the semester was just not getting the blog posts assigned and posted in time. If I were to take the class again, I would have the blog post assigned to a group member by the weekend, with the post being due Sunday afternoon. This allows ample time for making the post, and, should someone not do their work, allows another group member to cover for them.
Another issue I noticed was that we were constantly redesigning the robot as time went on. Even beyond the normal level of, “This doesn't work, how can we fix it?” An example of this is our jamming arm. That part was designed at least three separate times by different group members each time. The designed was finalized on the very last day we were allowed to alter our design. Even after that date, though, we found issues that had to be solved quickly before the part would work. From putting weights at the end of the arm to changing where the ratchet attached to the arm, the jamming arm was a mess simply because it had been redesigned so many times and nobody was quite sure how the final version was going to work. The best way to fix this particular problem would have been to finalize the design a week before it was due, then run through the entire design for the next week and fix any problems that cropped up.
The final issue we ran in to during the semester was being unable to find shop times that worked for every group member toward the end of the year. In the last week, it was impossible to get a shop time unless you either signed up a week in advance, or came in at 8am and hoped that someone who did sign up didn't come in. Fortunately, since so few people were willing to come in at 8 in the morning, we were able to get the worked we needed done. Our performance in this area could have been improved by simply signing up for times a few days in advance at least, and not leaving a large amount of work for the last couple days before the competition.
-Peter Williamson
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