Team Organization and Engineering Roles

A robot is too big a project for one person. When everyone works on everything, people wait for each other, tools go missing and nobody knows who decided what. Giving each member a clear role helps the team move faster and lets everyone become skilled at something, while still working toward one shared goal.

Common sub-teams

On a small team of five or six students, one person may lead two areas, for example CAD and build. That is normal. What matters is that every area has someone responsible for it, so nothing important is forgotten. As the team grows, you can split areas into separate sub-teams.

Leadership and key roles

• Team captain: keeps the big picture, runs meetings and makes sure sub-teams talk to each other.
• Sub-team leads: plan the work in their area and help newer members learn.
• Safety captain: checks that safety rules are followed and that safety glasses are worn.
• Notebook keeper: makes sure every meeting is recorded in the engineering notebook.
• Drive team: the students who operate the robot during matches.

The drive team

The drive team usually includes one or two drivers who hold the gamepads and a drive coach who watches the whole field, calls out strategy and keeps track of time. Good drivers are calm, practise a lot and communicate clearly. The number of people allowed at the field and their exact roles are set in the Competition Manual, so check it before choosing your drive team.

The role of adults

Coaches and mentors handle things like registration, safety supervision and transport, and they teach skills and ask good questions. The students design, build, program and present the robot. Judges and other teams can tell when the work belongs to the students, and you learn far more when you make the decisions yourselves.

Meeting and decision routine

1. 1
   Start with a stand-up

   Spend five minutes at the start of each meeting: what each sub-team did, what it will do today and what is blocking it.
2. 2
   Use a task board

   Write tasks on a whiteboard or online board with three columns: To do, In progress and Done. Put a name on every task.
3. 3
   Agree on how to decide

   Decide in advance how choices are made, for example by discussion and then a decision matrix, with the captain breaking ties.
4. 4
   Close with a notebook entry

   End each meeting by recording what was done, what was learned and the plan for next time.

Your team structure will change during the season as people discover new skills. Review it every few weeks and adjust it. A good structure is one that helps the team finish its work and lets every member grow.