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Weeks 5-6: Integration and Freeze

Dates: Oct 10 - Oct 23

These weeks are about turning separate subsystems into one reliable robot and reducing last-minute redesign risk. Students should shift from adding ideas to improving consistency.

EDP Stages

  • Test and Evaluate
  • Refine and Optimize
  • Implement and Produce

What Students Should Do

  • Integrate mechanisms, wiring, and code into the same robot
  • Run repeated autonomous and teleop tests
  • Collect simple performance data such as cycle time and success rate
  • Fix reliability problems before adding anything new
  • Stop major hardware additions by the Oct 23 build freeze target
  • Review portfolio content and update documentation with final iterations
  • Begin focused driver practice on the robot that will actually compete

What This Looks Like in a Team Meeting

  • Test the full robot, not just one subsystem at a time
  • Run the same test multiple times and write down the results
  • Fix repeated failures before chasing new features
  • Practice with the robot configuration that is actually going to competition
  • Decide what is frozen and what is still allowed to change

Suggested Student Outputs

  • Test logs with success rates or cycle times
  • A short list of reliability issues and fixes
  • A build freeze checklist
  • Finalized mechanism and wiring layout
  • Updated portfolio pages showing iteration and evidence

By the End of Week 6, Students Should Be Able To Say

  • Our robot can perform its key tasks consistently.
  • We have data, not just opinions, about how well it works.
  • We know what problems still remain.
  • We are practicing on the robot we plan to compete with.

Student Learning Focus

  • Learn that full-system performance matters more than isolated subsystem success
  • Practice using data to guide improvements
  • See how mechanical, electrical, and software decisions affect each other

Good Weekly Questions

  • Does the full robot still work well when everything is connected?
  • Which failures happen repeatedly?
  • What should we improve now, and what should we leave alone?
  • Are we ready to freeze the design and practice with consistency?

Quick Team Checklist

  • We tested full robot workflows multiple times.
  • We recorded cycle time, success rate, or other useful data.
  • We fixed repeated problems before adding new features.
  • We agreed on our build freeze date and what it means.

Important Team Rule

After build freeze, do not keep adding new features unless a change is necessary to restore reliability or meet a clear requirement.