1. maslab 2007: building your robot
(so it actually works)
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
- Albert Einstein

2. maslab 2007: today Physical Strategy narrow your options Benchmarking know if it works sooner

3. mini-quiz what is the difference between a design and a strategy?
3 minutes
write your name and team on the card

4. sketch your ideas design your robot, sketch anything,
don’t build it
sketch anything,
don’t trash any ideas at the start, especially if you haven’t even drawn them yet

5. compile your ideas into a final strategy know the tools figure out where you can work, and when gauge your skills and those of staff and your friends research possible materials material is everything always have a backup something always goes wrong

6. knowing the tools always clear your tap holes ¼ every 3
end-mills are not drill-bits and drill-bits are not end-mills
band-saws like to cut straight lines and fingers
center drills will save time no one wants to re-do parts
if you can buy it, don’t build it don’t invent the wheel
if it feels unsafe, it probably is so don’t do it

7. thinking out of the box paper tower contest
build the highest tower from the materials provided in 15 minutes
towers must be free standing and use only the materials provided

8. go!
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.0
11.5
12.0
12.5
13.0
13.5
14.0
14.5
15.0

9. time’s up. who has the highest tower
time’s up! who has the highest tower? new ideas can come from anyone, even people who don’t know anything about what you’re working on

10. after you have a strategy design your robot’s structure
use sketches, CAD, or image editing program
label your sketches with dimensions and material
attempt to keep your drawings to scale

11. test your design before you build benchmarking
make 5 to 10 minute mock-ups of small parts of your design
test portions of your design as you would portions of code

12. check point 1 design plan
each team to submit one proposal per team
should include general drawings of your intended design
the more detail you give, the more we can help
due thursday,