We use a lot of Baltic birch plywood in the construction of our robots. It is very strong and durable. I have seen many a robot built using mostly aluminum not last the practice matches. The plywood is not rigid so it flexes and returns to its original shape. And in the rare event that it does break, slap a little 5 minute epoxy on it and you're ready for your next match.
Perhaps its greatest benefit though is the ease of fabrication. No machining, just a saw and drill. The students on the team are able to do the work on the robot without have to send parts out for machining.
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