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Appendix - Extra Team Organization Information

Team Goals

  1. Develop Functional Amphibot Prototype: Design and integrate 3 modular UART-chained PCBs (ESP32 Wireless Gateway, Sensor + HMI PIC, Actuator Control PIC) into a cohesive R6 Recon Amphibot for land/water scouting.

  2. Ensure EGR314 Standards Compliance: Implement exact 2x4 IDC pinout, serial sensor/actuator reqs, PIC+ESP32 MCUs, SMD components, and verified UART passthrough before integration.

  3. Deliver Tactical Recon Value: Create a lightweight throwable FPV scout enabling safe hazard exploration (gas/obstacles) via real-time MQTT alerts, where humans cannot safely go.

  4. Master Modular Embedded Systems: Build expertise in KiCAD/Cadence PCB design, UART daisy-chain protocol, PID control, MQTT bidirectional wireless, and amphibious mechanical integration.

  5. Execute Professional Engineering Workflow: Maintain team GitHub repos, individual datasheets, structured documentation, Gantt tracking, and weekly milestone reviews mimicking industry cadence.

Roles & Responsibilities

Appendix Table 1: Project Roles and Duties

Role Duties Member
Meeting leader Schedules team meetings, creates and distributes an agenda for each meeting, and runs each meeting Mihir Patel
Meeting recorder Takes minutes of each team meeting, including attendance, and records action items and to whom they are assigned Lakshanand Sugumar
Assignment leader Coordinates the team's work on a given assignment to Canvas before the due date Raunak Singh
Project monitor Tracks the team's progress relative to the project schedule (Gantt chart) and keeps team members apprised of deadlines and project status Rotating

Process for Roles

  1. Core roles are assigned based on each member's strengths, with the Project Monitor role rotating to distribute scheduling responsibility evenly.
  2. Assignments made during weekly meetings by consensus.
  3. Team members support one another to ensure role responsibilities are met.
  4. Technical responsibilities (e.g., sensors, actuators, PCB design tasks) assigned based on strengths and interests, but cross-training encouraged.

Communication Channels & Procedures

Appendix Table 2: Team Member Communication Modes

Name First Choice Communication Second Choice Communication Third Choice Communication
Mihir Patel Text Message Slack Email
Raunak Singh Text Message Email Discord
Lakshanand Sugumar Text Message Discord Email

Main Method for Group Communication

Based on the information provided on in the "Team Member Communication Modes," the group primary method of communication is Text Message, with Email reserved for formal submissions and Slack optional for technical documentation threads.

Communication Procedures

  1. Instructor Correspondence: Assignment Leader handles instructor communication, with updates summarized in Text Messages.

  2. File Sharing: Google Drive folder(team-shared) for reports, diagrams, and minutes. GitHub repositories for code, schematics, and datasheets.

Meeting Schedule

Appendix Table 3: Weekly Schedule

Time Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
8:00 AM - - - - - M,R,L R,L
9:00 AM R R - R - M,R,L R,L
10:00 AM R R - R - M,R,L R,L
11:00 AM R R M R M M,R,L R,L
12:00 PM R M,R - M,L L M,R,L R,L
1:00 PM - M R M L,R M,R,L R,L
2:00 PM L - R - L,R M,R,L R,L
3:00 PM L - R,L - L,M,R M,R,L R,L
4:00 PM L L M,L L M,L,R M,R,L R,L
5:00 PM L L M,L L M,L,R M,R,L R,L
6:00 PM L L M,L L M,L,R M,R,L R,L
7:00 PM - L M,R,L L M,R,L L,R R,L
8:00 PM - L R,L L R,L R,L M,L
9:00 PM - - R - L R,L L,M

Table Legend for Appendix Table 3

Name Abbreviation
Raunak Singh R
Mihir Patel M
Lakshanand Sugumar L

Meeting Coordination

  1. Reminders: Google Calendar reminders 24hrs in advance.
  2. Changing Times: Adjustments made via majority vote.
  3. Meeting Format: In-person preferred, Zoom as backup.
  4. Shared Availability: Confirmed at least 4 overlapping hours per week outside of class.

Team Coordination & Accountability

  1. Assignments must be finished 48 hours before deadlines for review.
  2. Each member must "sign off" on work before submission.
  3. Feedback from design reviews shared with the entire team and acted upon in the next cycle
  4. Missed Work Policy: First occurrence - private reminder, Second occurrence - team discussion + redistribution of tasks, Ongoing issues - escalate to instructor

Conflict Recognition & Resolution

  1. Disagreements acknowledged openly in meetings.
  2. Conflicts resolved by structured discussion: majority vote if no consensus.
  3. Avoid overloading members with multiple roles to prevent conflicts of interest.
  4. Escalation to the instructor only if the conflict cannot be resolved internally.

Signatures

We, undersigned, agree to abide by this Team Charter: Mihir Patel | Raunak Singh | Lakshanand Sugumar - Jan 18, 2026