[CRUSH-build] project sub-teams

[Bill Bennett]

Yesterday we divided into sub-teams corresponding to four major areas of our robot design:
  1.. ball shooter
  2.. ball collector/ball hopper/gravity dump for corner goals
  3.. chassis/drive train/electronics
  4.. software
Each person on the team is assigned to one of those groups. If there is a need to move someone we'll deal with that on a case by case basis, but in general, I expect these groups to remain more or less fixed until the corresponding sub-system is designed, built, tested, and has become a finely tuned machine. The subteams clearly need to interact, because of interfaces and other dependencies. And members from one group can make suggestions to the other groups. But the owning group owns it. For their subsystem, each subteam needs to:
  1.. develop a complete design
  2.. communicate parts and materials requirements to Bill early enough to not be stalled by ordering lead-times
  3.. build the subsystem
  4.. unit test to the extent possible (this means testing separately and independently of the other components)
  5.. integrate the subsystem into the system (i.e. mount your thing on the robot)
  6.. system test - test the systems as parts of the whole
  7.. manage work according to the competition calendar (i.e. get it done on time)
  8.. document progress
Please pay attention to the parts and materials item. Even things that can be bought locally can take a day or two to get, since some mentor has to go get it. And if it has to be ordered and shipped, the lead time will be 3 to 7 days unless we pay exorbitant shipping costs. So plan ahead and stay on top of this. 

The last step, the documentation, is important. It's good engineering practice and helps the work have continuity and organization from one day to the next. It will also help us with design reuse in subsequent years, allow us to share designs with other teams, and help with FIRST awards. Your documentation should include a keeping a log of activities, design ideas, part and material requirements, CAD models if relevant and there is time, and so on. 

We're fortunate this year to have more availability and dedication from mentors than in most past years, as well as a much better shop than in the past. Let's leverage this and create a great robot. 

Bill
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