Ku-FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), ukuwa kweqembu akuvamisile ukwenzeka ngokuqhuma okumangazayo phakathi nomdlalo. Kunalokho, kuyinqubo ehamba kancane, ethule yokuncipha. Kwenzeka lapho iqembu lifika emqhudelwaneni kazwelonke eGoli noma eKapa, likhipha irobhothi lalo, bese liqaphela ukuthi ukuxhumana kwe-USB okuxegayo noma umshayeli ongazilolongile kwenze umsebenzi wezinyanga ube yize.

Emaqenjini aseNingizimu Afrika, lapho izabelomali ze-hardware zincane, izikhathi zokuthunyelwa kwempahla zinde, futhi ukucinywa kukagesi kunganciphisa izikhathi zokuzilolonga ngesigamu, la maphutha abuhlungu kakhulu. Uma ufuna iqembu lakho lisinde onyakeni walo wokuqala futhi likwazi ukuncintisana ngempela, kumele ugweme lezi zingibe eziyisithupha ezivamile.

1. Irobhothi "elenza konke" (ukweqisa ezinhlelweni)

Umdlalo uyethulwa, bese iqembu ngokushesha liklama irobhothi elingathatha izinto phansi, lihlunge izinto zomdlalo ngombala, liziphakamise amamitha amabili phezulu, futhi lizidonse phezulu ekupheleni komdlalo. Leli iphutha elibulalayo. Iqembu elisafufusa elizama ukwakha irobhothi elinjengommese wesosha waseSwitzerland livamise ukugcina nomshini owenza izinto ezinhlanu kabi futhi kungabikho nokukodwa okwenziwa ngokwethembeka.

Izibalo ze-FTC zilula: irobhothi elingenza umsebenzi owodwa kuphela—njengokufaka izinto zomdlalo egoli eliphansi ngokwethembeka—kodwa liwenza kuwo wonke umdlalo ngaphandle kokuphuka, lizothola amaphuzu amaningi futhi likhethwe ngaphambi kwerobhothi eliyinkimbinkimbi elingasebenzi, njalo. Gxila ku-drivetrain elula neliqinile nasendleleni eyodwa yokufaka amaphuzu. Qala ngokukwazi lokho kahle.

2. Ukwakha ngaphambi kokuqonda imithetho

Amaqembu amaningi aqala ukusika insimbi nokuhlanganisa umzimba werobhothi ngosuku lokuqala, ngaphambi kokuthi iqembu lifunde kahle i-Competition Manual (eyayihlukaniswe ibe yi-Game Manual Part 1 ne-Part 2 ezizinini ezedlule). Lokhu kuholela ekwehlulekeni okubi kokuhlangabezana nemibandela lapho kuhlolwa. Uma irobhothi lakho lingamasentimitha angu-46 ububanzi esikhundleni somkhawulo oqinile ongu-45.7 cm (amayintshi angu-18), noma uma usebenzise izinto ezingavunyelwe, uzochitha usuku lwakho lonke lokuzilolonga usika irobhothi lakho ngesaha esikhundleni sokulungisa ikhodi yakho ezimele.

3. Ukwethuka kwe-Engineering Portfolio ngesonto le-10

I-Engineering Portfolio akuwona umbiko wencwadi obhalwa ngempelasonto engaphambi komncintiswano. Iyingxenye eyisisekelo yenqubo yokwahlulela. Amaqembu abheka le portfolio njengento yokugcina alahlekelwa yithuba lawo lemiklomelo yokwahlulela ehlonishwa kakhulu, evamise ukuba yindlela eyinhloko yokudlulela ezingeni elilandelayo lomncintiswano.

Uma uqala isizini yakho, nikeza umfundi umsebenzi wokubhala phansi wonke umhlangano, konke ukwehluleka, nazo zonke izinguqulo ze-CAD kusukela esontweni lokuqala. Uma ulinda kuze kufike isonto leshumi, izinqumo zomklamo, izibalo ezingemuva kwezilinganiso zamagiya akho, nezifundo ezivela kuma-prototype akho ehlulekile kuyobe sekukhohlakele.

4. Indawo eyodwa yokwehluleka: akukho i-Control Hub eyisipele

I-Rev Robotics Control Hub yingqondo yerobhothi lakho. ENingizimu Afrika, i-Control Hub entsha ibiza ngaphezu kuka-R9,000, okungaba yingxenye enkulu yesabelomali sesikole esisafufusa. Ngenxa yale ntengo, amaqembu amaningi awathengi esipele. Lokhu kuwukugembula okukhulu.

Uma ukushaqeka kukagesi omile noma ukushoda kwezintambo kubulala i-Control Hub yakho eyodwa emncintiswaneni, isizini yakho isiphelile. I-electrostatic discharge (ESD) iyisihloko esivame kakhulu kuma-forum aku-inthanethi, lapho izingxoxo zanyanga zonke ze-"disconnect-per-match" ku-r/FTC zikhombisa ukuthi irobhothi elilodwa elinqamukile lingagcina "lithathelwa amaphuzu enhlawulo" afinyelela ku-800 yiqembu eliphikisayo. Ukuba ne-Control Hub eyisipele akuxoxwa ngakho. Uma ungakwazi ukuthenga esipele, cabanga ngokusebenzisana nesikole sendawo ukuze nabelane ngesitoko sokugcina sezinto zikagesi ezibalulekile.

5. Ukubheka ukuzilolonga komshayeli njengento engadingekile

Irobhothi eliphakathi nendawo elinamahora angu-20 okuzilolonga komshayeli cishe njalo lizolinqoba irobhothi elihle kakhulu elinemizuzu engu-20 kuphela yokuzilolonga komshayeli. Amaqembu asafufusa avame ukuchitha ama-99% esikhathi sawo akha futhi ehlela izinhlelo, ashiye abashayeli bathinte amakhontrola okokuqala endaweni yokulungisa emqhudelwaneni.

Ngaphansi kwengcindezi, abashayeli abangenayo inkumbulo yemisipha bazoshayisa ezindongeni, baxakane namarobhothi abaphikisi, futhi bagumbuqele imishini yabo. Kumele umise umklamo werobhothi lakho okungenani amasonto amathathu ngaphambi komdlalo wakho wokuqala wokuzilolonga ukuze unikeze iqembu lakho labashayeli isikhathi esizinikele, esingaphazamiseki enkundleni elinganisiwe noma eyingxenye.

6. Izingxenye ezakhiwe ngabeluleki

Kuyabalinga abeluleki—ikakhulukazi labo abanolwazi lobunjiniyela—ukungenelela bakhe izinto eziyinkimbinkimbi ukuze bonge isikhathi. Leli iqhinga elingaboni kude elilimaza iqembu ngempela. Njengoba abasebenzisi ku-r/FTC bekhombisile, "irobhothi elakhiwe ngumeluleki lichitha lokho… lidala inkundla engalingani."

"irobhothi elakhiwe ngumeluleki lichitha lokho… lidala inkundla engalingani"

Okusebenza kakhulu, uma uhlelo lokuthatha olwakhiwe ngumeluleki luphuka ngesikhathi esinzima semizuzu emihlanu endaweni yokulungisa phakathi kwemidlalo yokukhetha, abafundi ngeke bazi ukuthi balulungisa kanjani ngoba abazange baluklame noma balwakhe. Incwadi yemithetho ayiwubeki umkhawulo ekubandakanyekeni komeluleki — lapho kubuzwa ukuthi abeluleki kufanele basize kangakanani ekwakheni, i-FIRST iphendula ngokuthi “ngangokudingekile ukugqugquzela intsha eqenjini” (Competition Manual §1.4.3) — kodwa u-R101 udinga ukuthi irobhothi nezingxenye zalo ezinkulu zakhiwe yiqembu elibhalisiwe, futhi abahluleli bahlola ukuthi abafundi bawazi kangakanani umshini wabo. Uma abafundi bengabuqondi ubunjiniyela obungemuva komshini wabo, ngeke bakwazi ukuwulungisa ngaphansi kwengcindezi.

Uma ufuna ukusungula uhlelo lwe-FTC olusimeme, olusekelwe kahle, olugwema lezi zingibe ezivamile zokuhlela, ungahlola ukwesekwa kohlelo lwethu oluhlelekile ku-ukusekelwa kohlelo lwe-FTC ukuze kusizakale ukuhola iqembu lakho esizini yalo yokuqala.