Tips

Some useful tips for teams when participating in WRO competitions.

If you have any tips, please feel free to contribute.

RoboMission Category

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  • If possible, come to a competition with two robots, one assembled and one disassembled. This allows the team to practice to maximum before build time commences. When build time commences, the assembled robot is placed into ‘quarantine’ and the unassembled robot is built and is used for the competition rounds.

    Teams will otherwise have to pull their robot apart completely before the build time commences.

  • Arrange the parts you require to build your robot logically in a ‘toolbox’ with many compartments. This allow teams to find parts easily during the build time.

  • Be prepared to adapt the robot physically or its program to cater for a surprise rule if it’s announced. when planning and building your robot, think about what surprise rules may be announced and how you could adapt your robot.

  • Always have spare batteries available.

  • Be prepared to recalibrate your robot for the conditions you find on the day of the competition.

  • Don’t argue with judges. If your team does not agree with a decision, don’t sign any judging or score sheet and be prepared to submit a ‘protest’ in writing outlining your argument immediately.

  • Take time during the competition to look at what other teams are doing and learn from them.

  • Many videos about RoboMission solutions can be found online (YouTube, etc.). Use these to learn from, but don’t try to emulate the solution, adapt it and make it better. Remember many other teams are also looking at them and you want to remain competitive.

  • Don’t let your coach do the work and make sure you use your ideas and not those solely belonging to your coach. You will be the ones who will have to explain your choices, if asked.

Future Innovators Category

  • Work together as a team to brain storm a problem or an issue that fits into the theme that you could develop a robotic solution for. Don’t think of an idea for a robot and make it fit within the theme.

  • Don’t take ideas directly from the Internet. Innovating on existing solutions, however, is acceptable.

  • Think of your booth as a place where you will explain and ‘sell’ your robotic solution.

  • Make sure that you use all of the space you have effectively. Always remember your audience.

  • Make sure all of your charts and posters look professional, without any spelling or grammatical errors.

  • Make sure your charts and posters can be easily read by an audience standing in front of your booth. If you have a lot of information to share, consider making a brochure you can give out to interested people.

  • The whole presentation can be based on the story around your robotic solution. It is good for team members to take on roles and dress in appropriate costumes.

  • Make sure all team members are involved in presenting the solution.

  • Robotic solutions don’t necessarily have to be large and over complex. They need to be effective, creative and innovative.

  • If you have a number of robots in your solution, make sure that they are integrated together and communicate with each other, not requiring your manual intervention. Focus on automation.

RoboSports

  • Many ideas for the sports robots can be taken from places like YouTube.

  • Make sure you always have extra batteries available during a competition.