[phargo#1018]

From an electrical engineer perspective, I find FIRST somewhat limiting. This is a chance to remedy the situation.

Perhaps consider allowing or facilitating access to devices such as FPGAs or PLDs. This could provide the opportunity to bring VHDL or Verilog designs into the robot design process.

As for brushless motors, they would be a great addition to these systems. They will increase, perhaps significantly, the wiring requirements on the robots. Additionally, care must be taken to manage the new failure modes; the motor drive commutates the machine, and not the brushes!