GREAT post Andy!!!!
 

ALLWAYS built from the ground up. The ground being the drive train and the up is all the extras!! As we found out in 2001. After we jumped the ramp a few times with it in high gear and 4 wheel tank drive....Well it sorta kinda got twisted like a pretzel!! And allways allow a few extra days so you can PRACTICE!! Last year we had allmost a full week to test drive it! yay. I allways see team in the pits geting out all those drills and hacksaws lol. because they just reallized it didnt work or it was over weight. Allways check your weight before you put it in the box! Also leave a little le-way just in case FIRST's scales are a little different!

Bad Brad (as everyone on the team calls me!)

Murphy is da best!!!

Hmmm... he might need some lightening holes... ;)
Which are a nice little way to reduce a little weight that night before shipping when you realize you're a pound or two over. Of course, don't drill them in structurally essential areas, and keep in mind moments of inertia for rotating pieces.

One very important thing that seems pretty obvious but can easily getlooked is to PLAN! Make sure you make the blueprints before you build the bot, having down exactly what you think you want will help you to realize errors and make the testing and redesigning process shorter!

Blueprints B4 the 'Bot ??????
 

WHAT A CONCEPT !!!!!!

It would be nice to have it all down on paper B4U cut parts but I doubt many teams can pull this off. We model what we can as sub-assemblies and draw the big picture after the fact. Hence my desire to constantly add to the parts library during the off season.

Maybe one day ............. :D