[Madison]

I'm interested in learning how many "100% Student Design and Built" teams began the process with any sort of master plan.

That is, I'd like to see complete drawings done for their robot, the calculations necessary to prove that a design will work, and the quality of the finished product.

I don't doubt that a group of like-minded high school students could easily hack their way through a season and produce a robot that functions; maybe even well.

I am far more interested in the process they use to get there than I am in the finished product. The how is often more important than the what, and, honestly, I don't believe that many (if any) "100% student" teams have fully experienced the entire process. I doubt that they can, really.

Engineering isn't sitting in the shop at 3 am, recutting a piece of aluminum for the fourth time; all while trying to justify it with a mantra of "student built." Engineering is planning ahead and making sure that piece need only be made once.

Qualified or unqualified, trained or untrained, experienced or unexperienced, making a part again and again due to lack of sufficient planning, calculation or knowledge makes the entire process more dangerous.