Tech Team Policies

These are the policies for the Racerbot tech team. They cover how work is assigned, how meetings run and what is expected of every member. Looking for the autonomous software team? See Team A Policies.

What We Do

• IT services for Racerbot: using and setting up Ubuntu, JetPack, Jetson, Cloudflare Access and remote desktop, so the car can run the code the car teams are developing
• Maintaining and setting up physical components on the car
• Designing and testing hardware improvements to the car

Task Management System

Ongoing tasks and who is involved in each are managed with threads in a Discord forum. This method is easily accessible and doesn’t require additional apps. We will see how it works and evaluate its effectiveness over time.

How tasks are organized

• The forum is tasks
• Each task is its own thread in the forum
• Each task has tags identifying its topic and priority
• Each task has a pinned message with the member limit and which members are working on it
• Each task has a title and a short description
• You can sort by tag using the buttons at the top of the forum
• Tasks are first come, first serve

What you need to do

1. Pick which tasks you want to work on
2. Send messages, interact with other members, do research
3. Update others on your progress by sending messages
4. Work to complete the task, putting in good and consistent effort
5. Once done, pick another task

Google Drive folders will be shared for each task (where applicable) to store information and help collaboration.

Meetings

• One mandatory meeting each week, in the Racerbot lab, room 9819. The day and time are set each term and posted in #tech-announcements
• Meetings are mainly in person, but we can accommodate members working on a task with their teammates virtually
• Weekly meetings are mostly car testing and discussion. Having enough time to work on your task on the car is not guaranteed, so you will need to work on your tasks outside of meeting time
• Other in-person task work can be done throughout the week when the tech team lead is available (just ask). You are also welcome to meet amongst yourselves for specific tasks

Member Expectations

• Be active and communicative on Discord. Interact with what is being discussed
• Be available and flexible for more than just the weekly mandatory meeting
• Put in 4 to 6 hours per week on the club
• No consistent progress without explanation will result in removal from the team. The same applies to low effort and low quality work. Warnings will be given
• You must notify the tech team lead if you will be missing a mandatory club meeting, provide a reason, and provide a plan for how you will make up that lost time

Before the two-stage Anti-Slacker Policy is used, a warning will be given and accommodations will be attempted. If non-existent or subpar work is still produced, a final deadline will be established and the Anti-Slacker Policy used. We have zero tolerance for slacking.

Progress Reports

• Progress reports are required every 2 weeks for the task you are working on, due before the weekly meeting
• Progress reports are sent in the task thread for your task in Discord
• Each person submits their own progress report, detailing what they did and where the task stands

Onboarding and Lab Access

• All members must have completed the Stage 2 Tech onboarding requirements
• Once onboarding opens, everyone has 8 weeks to read the remaining lectures, do the associated quizzes, and complete the lab safety quizzes and orientation
• Lab safety quizzes and orientation are required before any work with Racerbot materials or in the Racerbot space is allowed
• Although we do not have lab access right now, start or continue working on your tasks. Research and planning can be done in the meantime