1.1.4 - Engineering Design Process

Objective: Finish FIRST Module 8, then use the design loop on a mechanism and name the mechanical basics it depends on.

Danger

Finish every section of Module 1.1 before you are in the shop. Then tell a mentor you are ready to start safety training. This page does not clear you to cut, drill, or power a prototype.

Do this first

Module 8 is the required training for this page. It covers structure, materials, actuators, drivetrains, and subsystems. Open it, finish it, then come back. Take it straight through, or open the topic you need. A Dashboard login stores the credit. A school Google account does not.

Open Module 8: Design and Mechanical

Let a mentor know the module is finished. Be ready to point at a prototype and say which step of the loop it is in.

The loop

A good mechanism is not the first idea on the whiteboard. It is the idea that still works after a requirement, a second concept, a prototype, and a drive-team test.

Step	You are doing	You are done when
1. Problem	Name the job and the limits	One sentence a new member can repeat, plus one constraint
2. Options	More than one way to do it	Two concepts, scored against the requirement
3. Prototype	Prove the motion cheaply	Wood, cardboard, or PLA has shown the geometry
4. Test	Let the driver run it	A failure is written down, and the CAD changes from that
5. Build	Cut the thing you tested	Not a new idea that skipped the prototype

“Score fuel into the active hub” is a problem. “Build a cool robot” is not. More than one idea. A wild idea is allowed. Yes Griffin, even a trebuchet. Pick against the requirement, not against how it looks. Draw the winner in Onshape, then prove it so a sub team lead can determine if its worth pursing a physical prototype to build.

Mechanical foundation

Structure

The frame holds everything else and has to survive a hit. Bolted or riveted so a bent corner can be swapped.

Materials

Aluminum for structure. Steel for small high-load parts. Plastic and plywood for prototypes. Heavier is not stronger if it blows the weight limit.

Actuators

A motor makes rotation. A gearbox trades speed for torque. Pick the motor for the job, not the brand.

Drivetrain

Tank runs each side together. Swerve steers each corner. If this fails, the mechanism on top does not matter.

Subsystem

An intake, shooter, or climber is its own loop, then it joins the robot.