Step 4: Prioritizing Robot Capabilities
Overview
After understanding the game, analyzing Points Per Second, and defining your alliance strategy, you need to prioritize what your robot should do. This is not yet about how you'll design the robot - it's about establishing clear priorities for robot capabilities based on your complete analysis.
The Three Categories:
Must Have
These are the absolute core capabilities your robot MUST have to be competitive. Without these, your robot cannot effectively contribute to winning matches.
Examples:
- Be able to drive
- Floor pickup of primary game element
- Scoring in the highest-value location
- Basic autonomous routine (cross line + score preload)
Nice to Have
These are capabilities that would improve your robot's performance but aren't essential for being competitive. They add value but should only be pursued after "Must Have" items are complete.
Examples:
- Human player station pickup
- Scoring in medium-value locations
- Advanced autonomous routines (multiple pieces)
- Specialized endgame mechanisms
Out of Scope
These are capabilities that, while potentially interesting, are not worth pursuing given your time, resources, and skill level. Being honest about what's out of scope prevents wasted effort.
Examples:
- Very difficult scoring locations with minimal point value
- Mechanisms that require advanced manufacturing capabilities
- Strategies that depend on unrealistic cycle times
Creating Your Priority List:
Step 1: List All Possible Capabilities
- Brainstorm everything your robot could potentially do
- Don't filter yet - just list possibilities
- Consider both offensive and defensive capabilities
Step 2: Evaluate Each Capability
- What is the PPS value?
- How complex is it to implement?
- How reliable can we make it?
- Does it support ranking points?
- Can we realistically build it in time?
Step 3: Assign Categories
- Work as a team to categorize each capability
- Be honest about your team's abilities
- Consider your team's past experience
- Factor in build season timeline
Step 4: Rank Within Categories
- Within "Must Have," rank by importance
- This helps if you run out of time
- Ensures you focus on highest-priority items first
Example Priority List:
Must Have:
- Swerve drive
- Floor pickup of game pieces
- Score in high goal (5 points)
- Autonomous: cross line + score preload
Nice to Have:
- Human player station pickup
- Score in medium goal (3 points)
- Climb mechanism for endgame
- Two-piece autonomous
Out of Scope:
- low goal (1 point)
- Making the robot fly