We have realized that one of the most important key in this type of project is the concept, the model and the researches which are done before the realization. We have learnt a lot on the Martian rovers' history and their principal characteristics, we also developed a work autonomy, our skills in electronics, IT and project management.
Define specifications, a bill of material (BOM) and protocols to make the work understandable, describe the progression on laboratory notes on Moodle, explain the problems considered (and/or met); all of these are also very useful. We have organised many meetings as possible according to our different schedules to sum up and comment on the work done, to make and modify the planning according to the advancement, to discuss issues and find a way to solve them. Indeed, we have had to face up to unforeseen, react quickly and make choices thanks to our knowledge and objectives, our complementary competences and the different advices received.
The manager has an important role because he must define the objectives, encourage the team, trust each member of the group, but also do an inventory, make a budget tracking (prevision and finally result), clean all the material... Today, we are conscious that some part of the project could be improved but the principal goal was to build quickly a first architecture like a skeleton on which we can base for the future implementations. But we have made efforts to make our code easily adaptable and understandable for future associates (arrays, comments, number of pin written on wires, explicative manual...).
