Engineering Notebook
FTC Robotics: The Engineering Notebook
Chris Hoppel [email protected]
Danielle Hoppel [email protected]
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Outline
• Planning your Notebook
 Why keep a notebook?
 How will your team complete the notebook?
• Guidelines for your Notebook
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Engineering Notebook requirements
FIRST rules
Biography Page
Outreach Page
Meeting Page
• Conclusions
• Questions
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Why Keep an Engineering Notebook?
• It is an important part of the learning process!
 It encourages the students to think, plan, and reflect during
the building process.
 It leaves a written record of what was done so that students
who missed a meeting can catch up to the group.
• It is an engineering skill
 Most engineers in research and development keep an
engineering notebook
 An engineering notebook can serve as a legal record for
patents
• It is part of the US FIRST judged awards
 It is required for the Think, Design, Innovate and Inspire
awards
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
How will your team keep a notebook?
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Start at the beginning of the year
Will you have everyone write in the notebook?
Will you complete the notebook at meetings, or
afterwards?
Will you have a paper notebook, or electronic?
What material will be presented in your notebook?
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
How will your team keep a notebook? – Team 7 answers
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Start at the beginning of the year
Will you have everyone write in the notebook?
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Will you complete the notebook at meetings, or
afterwards?
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Usually at the meeting, sometimes a student will take it
home
Will you have a paper notebook, or electronic?
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Yes! Everyone writes in the notebook
We always like a real book, but every year we debate
adopting an electronic format
What material will be presented in your notebook?
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Biographies, summer outreach events, meetings in order
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Notebook Guidelines
• An engineering notebook is a legal record of what
was done
 All entries in ink!
 Do not add or remove pages, or erase mistakes!
 Draw a single line through mistakes
 Do not leave blank space, make an “X” through empty space
 All pages should be numbered in order
 Each page should be signed by two people
 Team #7 usually has the primary author and one witness
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
FIRST Guidelines
• An engineering notebook captures the team’s
journey
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Docment everything!
Capture the “Ah-ha” moments
Record design changes in your robot
Capture calculations, ideas, and sketches
Do not use separate scrap paper – make sure your ideas get
in the engineering notebook!
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Biography Page
• Biography page for each member of the team and
coach
• Each person should include a photo, and some
background on themselves
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What grade are you in?
How long have you been involved in robotics?
Why are you interested in robotics?
What else are you interested in?
What do you hope to do?
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Outreach events
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Summarize what you did
Include pictures or flyers from the event
Who did you meet with?
If you met with students, how many? What were their
ages?
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Meetings
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Two columns: Tasks and Reflections
Summarize what you plan to do and what you did
Include sketches or pictures of your robot
Pro-Engineer makes great engineering drawings
Graph paper can help with some hand-sketches
 Pictures and graphs should be outlined in ink and taped
• Include good ideas and learning experiences
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Other Important Material
Bill of Materials
Summaries of your Competitions and Championship
events
Team Budget
Fund Raisers
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]
Engineering Notebook
Conclusions:
• Your Engineering Notebook is an essential part of
your FIRST experience
 It’s a learning tool
 It’s a record of what you accomplished
• Every student should be a part owner of the
notebook
 Team #7 members competed to see who wrote the most
pages by the end of the year
• When in doubt on the notebook rules, check the
FIRST Game manual
• Have Fun!
TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * [email protected]