[Gdeaver]

Every time the belly pan subject comes up I have the standard reply of "composites". This is the perfect place on the robot to give students some experience with composite construction methods. A team could use G-10/FR4 sheets. I suggest that teams make their own. A piece of 1/4", 4mm or 6mm birch plywood laminated with a layer on both sides of carbon fiber s2 glass or Kevlar makes a wonderful belly pan - electronics board and provides a great learning experience for the students. Once a team can make a flat sheet other forms can be experimented with. This year we used a .06" wall tube of layed up Kevlar for our beater bar. Took tremendous abuse and is extremely light. Put some fiber in your robots diet.