Wednesday (9/14) After School Meeting

3:20-3:40 – safety tests
3:40-4:00 – finish mousetrap cars, debrief
4:00-5:00 – introduce build project; design/strategy talk (KISS), then break into small groups and practice brainstorming designs for drivetrain, sensors, and manipulator

[safety cards and driver forms due.]

Since we haven't had shop training and we can't really start the build project, why not go over design tomorrow? (eg short 5-min lecture about KISS, etc, then split into groups. Taking a competition from a previous year, each must design a robot, its function, and parts to go along with it. Then we regroup and go over whose design(s) is/are best!)

I think the whole 5 minute lecture about KISS/splitting into groups is fine. but we should introduce the build project. that way they are consistently working on the same project--> i.e. the obstacle course/relay/chassis bot thing that we were talking about.

but yeah otherwise the schedule is good.

Oh, yeah. I meant spend 20-30 min working on design/strategy in small groups, then regrouping for the build project introduction. I suppose we could have them design for the project itself, but it depends on how much we're revealing at once (just the chassis, or the whole obstacle course/relay race idea?)

I think that the whole throwing them right into the middle of a build project with some guidance should work. (as irresponsible as it sounds)
so revealing the whole thing at once would be ideal

Why not reveal the obstacle course idea, then, but tell everyone to start with the basic chassis? Then they can add a sensor once they're far enough along into the project (ie at least 75% done with the chassis).

If we incorporate 4-wheel, 6-wheel, and omniwheel drives to the system, we could just brainstorm on the pros/cons of each, as well as how to get sensors/manipulators to work!