[EricH]

Originally Posted by Kearse

I'm going to have to disagree, I feel that there is a large difference between design and execution.

A driver is something that is outside of the robot, and as much as it seems some people on this forum would like to, you can't design a driver. You can design the driver interface (intuitive controls, logical presets, fluid/consistent motion, etc) though.

If your driver cannot drive what you put on the field for him to drive, your robot is useless at worst. At best, your robot will be performing at less than its best the entire time.

As a pilot for an R/C airplane team, there are certain things that I will be insisting on when the plane's control surfaces are designed, so that I will be able to keep the plane in the air when it is time to fly it.

Can you design a driver? Not necessarily (practice helps, but not if you don't have some degree of talent). Can you design to play to the driver's strengths and driving style? YES. Designing in such a way that the driver's strengths and style play into your strategy will really help you on the field. This is, of course, assuming that you know your driver ahead of time.