Engineering Notebook Resources
Check out this video below with Ignite Roboticist, Diana Gale and Bob Mimlitch, co-creator of the VEX Robotics product line & the VEX Robotics Competition, and co-founder, Vice President and CTO of Innovation First International!
In this video, Diana reveals how she creates and organizes the content of her award winning Engineering Notebook!
In this video Diana Gale shares her knowledge at our Engineering Notebook Seminar
Engineering Notebooks should contain these elements:
Team number on the cover/beginning of document.
Errors crossed out using a single line (so errors can be seen)
Unedited entries
All pages/entries intact; no pages/entries or parts of pages/entries removed or omitted.
Each page/entry chronologically numbered and dated.
Each page/entry signed or initialed by a student author.
Team meeting notes as they relate to the design process.
Permanently affixed pictures, CAD drawings, documents, examples of code, or other material relevant to the design process (in the case of physical notebooks, tape is acceptable, but glue is preferred)
Outstanding Engineering Notebooks should contain these additional elements:
Table of contents
Entries are dated with the names of contributing students included.
Notebook begins with the first team meeting.
Descriptions, sketches, and pictures of design concepts and the design process
Observations and thoughts of team members about their design and their design process
Records of tests, test results, and evaluations of specific designs or design concepts
Project management practices including their use of personnel, financial, and time resources.
Notes and observations from competitions to consider in the next design iteration.
Descriptions of programming concepts, programming improvements, or significant programming modifications
Enough detail that a person unfamiliar with the team’s work would be able to follow the logic used by the team to develop their design, and recreate the robot design using only the Engineering Notebook