Lab RATs

EGIL/ IMSLab Student Lab Researchers and Technologists (Lab RATs)

Students Lab RATs work on small-scale, one-off projects, in the lab as their availability allows. The expected minimal commitment is a few hours a week per semester/two terms (A + B Term, C + D Term), but students are encouraged to be Student Researchers as long as they’d like in consecutive semesters or moving in and out of the position on a semester basis to accommodate academic scheduling. What Lab RATs Get As long as your Lab RATs status is “active”, you can: Access/use all equipment in G11D for personal use including: Tools Instruments Strings Pedals Amps/Speakers Recording interface Microphones Request to borrow off-access equipment for personal use outside of the lab including: Guitars Audio Interfaces Microphones Controllers Keep any “Free Treasure” placed in the giant treasure chest in the lab Get first refusal on independent/special/high-profile project offerings that are “for credit”, “for pay”, or “for experience” before any other classes or students List an official position/title “Student Researcher”, “Student Lab Researcher and Technologist”, etc. on your resume Get credited for your contribution to these projects on our high-visibility website (resume/portfolio fodder!) Work on personal projects in the lab (space permitting; no guests, please) Make recommendations about things we should buy for the lab Meet likeminded students and establish potentially lifelong camaraderies that may improve your overall quality of life and contribute to your sense of personal meaning and fulfillment. Reserve time in the studio in Riley G11B

What Is Expected of Lab RATs

Lab RATs are expected to dabble, noodle, tinker, and get involved in various lab tasks while active; V.J. Manzo and Ryan McKenna will host regular very brief “standup” meetings to check on projects and maintain several threads where new tasks (of all sizes, scopes, and timelines) will be offered for your involvement...just volunteer for one of the projects that you can reasonably handle given your other academic commitments. When you’re finished with one task, pick up another one! The expectation is that you have a few hours a week to work on these things, minimally.

Examples of tasks include the following:

• Fixing broken stuff
  • Fixing pedals
  • Swapping out broken potentiometers
• Help to keep the lab clean and orderly on a regular basis
• Changing guitar strings
• Doing one-off CAD/CAM/machining projects
  • Oftentimes for sponsors like Ken Parker or others
• Testing out new and old equipment
• Debugging and Compiling Code
• Building things in “kits” along with guides
  • Pedals
  • Amps
  • Pickups
  • Controllers
• Updating/maintaining/moderating websites and GIT repositories
• Act as liaisons to students who may be using the lab as part of a practicum or class project
  • Ability to train students on specialized equipment, eg: Soldering, Pickup Winding, etc
  • Direct students as to locations of items in the lab
  • Serve as a role model of the rules and protocols of the lab

Most projects are not time-critical and can be knocked out in a number of hours though a few do have more pressing due dates; these are the types of things noted in the standup meetings and on the project cards in Trello.

So in short the commitments are:

• Be part of the standup meetings
• Have at least one “task” project going
  • Sink, minimally, a few hours a week into that project

How to Become a Lab RAT

To become a Lab RAT, email Prof. Manzo (vjmanzo@wpi.edu) and say you wanna be a Lab RAT; explain who you are, what you know (skills, major, etc.), and what availability you can realistically commit to over a two-term span. If it's a good fit, request swipe access to the lab here and request access to our Slack channel here.

Working on Projects

When a new project is announced, a card is created on our Trello group and a link is sent on the Slack channel. If you are able/willing to work on this, click the Trello card, "Write a comment..." in the Activity saying so, and get started--there's info in the card description. If more than one person is working on a project, get together and set up some times to meet up and discuss the projects, dividing it up until smaller tasks with some sort of timeline.

Completing Projects

• When this project (or the "project sprint") is completed, open the card in Trello and check the box next to the Due Date.
  
• Push any relevant info back up to the GIT Repo and bring any physical materials back to the lab.

Equipment You Can Borrow and Take Out of the Lab

If you are a Lab RAT, you may borrow items from the lab by simply taking a photo of what you're borrowing and posting to a Slack channel with the message "will return by {date}/{time}".

Equipment in the Treasure Chest You Can Just Keep for Free

From time-to-time, Manzo and other EGIL/IMSLab people will put free things in the large treasure chest in the lab and post a photo of it to this channel; if you are a Lab RAT, anything in the chest is yours to keep as long as you agree to do something "useful" with it; if you’re ever not doing something useful with it, return it to the chest. First-come, first-served on anything in the chest--just go and get it as soon as you see it pop up on the feed!