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Definition
To prepare the preliminary sketch and/or plans for something to be built, particularly the form and structure.
Robotics Application
Design is always the first phase of a FIRST competition, which begins after the game challenge is announced beginning in January. The design process has five steps.
Step 1: Define the task
The first task of the team is to break down the challenge into its parts then determine a game strategy. This basically means choosing which parts of the challenge we want to be able to do. Clearly list what attributes the robot should have.
Step 2: Brainstorming and research
The next step is to brainstorm ideas on what kind of parts the robot needs to complete that strategy. During brainstorming there are 'no limits', anything goes. You never know which idea will be a winner. Sometimes what seems like a wild and crazy impossibility will have the seed of an amazing idea. So encourage 'outside-the-box' thinking. Go for what hasn't been done before. It can also be helpful to see what's already out there, look up ideas that other people have generated to do similar tasks.
Step 3: Selection phase
This is where you choose one or two ideas to focus efforts on developing more fully. The first step is to cross off any idea that does not meet limits. Some ideas may get eliminated because they don't follow a game rule. Some ideas may not be doable with the resources of the team, whether that be knowledge, tools, money, time, etc. At this point, what's left will be selected according to the team's goals and opinions. Maybe the team is new and prefers something more simple while students are learning. Maybe the team wants to be more innovative, to try something different, even if it may mean performance drops. Whichever design(s) gets the interest and confidence of the majority of the team should go to the next phase.
Step 4: Prototyping
This is where you create the parts in some fashion that allows you to test the idea. Sometimes you can prototype in a CAD program, creating virtual parts that act close to the real thing, so you can refine the idea and prevent mistakes before building. Click here to see an example of a CAD drawing. Sometimes you can use a smaller or less expensive material to make a mock-up or model. Our team has used Legos or K'nex pieces or even cardboard to make models or mock-ups that show how a concept works, before using more expensive materials.
Example of K'nex prototype:
Step 5: Analyze & Review
While prototyping and building you will be constantly judging whether it will work or not. If it isn't working, then you may need to go back to an earlier step - like define the task (what exactly isn't working?) and brainstorming (how can we fix this?). Also, if at any point the prototype hits a limit - breaks a rule, costs too much, etc. It may get scrapped and you start over with another idea. If it is working, then it goes into final production where it gets made and installed on the robot.
Vocabulary
Click here for link to design game: Incredibots