What qualities are required from the drive team members, how to select the team, all you need to know about practice, roles and responsibilities during a game, and much more. Presented at Swatposium 2016

1. How to Build
a Successful
Drive Team
Nicholas Oprescu-Havriliuc

2. Agenda
• Qualities your drive team need to have
• Selection process (tryout)
• Practice makes perfect
• Strategy discussions that the drive team has
• A typical game
• Roles and responsibilities during a game
• Tips and tricks for competition
• Why I think being part of the drive team is the best role ever

3. What qualities your drive team members
need to have?
• Maturity
• Skilled & Self-confident
• Communicative
• Respectful & Accommodating
• Dedicated & Hardworking
• Experienced
• Knowledgeable in mechanical,
electrical & programming aspects of
the robot

4. How do you select your drive team?
• Follow a rigorous annual tryout process to select the drivers, operator, backup
driver/operator, and human player for getting the best fit
Drive team
Pit
Crew
Strategy
Team
• The 610 tryout process includes:
• Driving the robot through an obstacle course in
the shortest amount of time and picking the
top two for each role – out of all candidates
• Interview each one of the candidates
(interviewer = the strategy head) about their
experiences in dealing with stressful situation

5. How often do you practice?
Off-Season/Build Season/Competition Season
• We try to practice every day and for as long as possible during the build
season
– How? Simulated matches, drills, etc.
– Why? Makes the drive team as confortable with the robot as possible,
understand the physics/dynamic, game element interaction
• We practice very little in the off-season
– How? Demonstrations, Events (e.g.
Fall Fiesta)
– Why? Keeps the drive team well
practiced

6. What kind of strategy discussions we have?
Pre-Requisite to competition
• Define the strategy ahead of the competition based on the game
rules, robot strengths and weaknesses, what is known about other
robots in the competition
Competition time
• Lessons learned from the last game
• Validate the strategy for the next game
• Coordinate with the other alliance partners
• Recording the game

7. What do we do for a typical game?
Queuing
• Pit-crew gets
the robot
ready
• Team is called
• Team loads
the cart
Staging
• Team goes to
the queuing
line
• Team goes
over strategy
with the
alliance (once
more)
• Team waits
for the go
ahead to set-
up on the
field
Preparation
• Driver/HP
positions the
robot on the
field
• Operator and
Driver installs
computer in
the station
• Operator/Driv
er ensures
connectivity
between
computer and
robot
Game
• Team
executes the
alliance
strategy
• Team adapts
for the
unexpected
• Team wins
the game 
Clearing
• Team
transports the
robot to the
pit
• Team updates
the pit crew
• Team and
Strategy
conduct a
strategy
session

8. Roles and Responsibilities during a game
R = Responsible, C = Consulted
Coach Driver Operator
Human
Player
Setting up the game strategy R C C C
Queuing R C R
Preparing the robot for the game R
Ensure robot connectivity for the game R C R
Drive the robot during the game R
Operate the robot during the dame R
Feed the robot during the game R
Maintain a whole field situational
awareness
R C
Ensure the strategy is followed R
Identify mechanical/electrical issues R R R R
Review the Lessons Learned from the game R R R R

9. Tips and Tricks for competition
Relax as much as you can
• Sleep well before the competition day
• Sleep longer the day of your competition
• Sleep/Nap during breaks
Communicate as much as you can
• Share with the pit crew and strategy person what happened during the previous game
• Strategize for the next game with the alliance
• Let your pit crew know how the robot behaved during a game so they can fix it
• Listen well at what your colleagues are saying
Eat and Drink
• Get the food and water delivered to your drive team and pit crew
• Make sure you eat and drink for maximum efficiency

10. Why I think it is the best role ever?
• Keeps your adrenaline up; making
decisions in split seconds is awesome
• Very satisfactory to feel in a game first
hand all the great work done by the
team
• Very pleasing to see your work (a.k.a.
electrical) in practice

11. Questions