Since it seems you've spotted your own err, i'll go easy
The technokats are a very inspirational team. They inspire their engineers, their students, and other teams. Many teams have had a good season because of the Technokat's generosity.
For example, team 909 (i think) was able to compete at a regional with a robot that was prototyped, designed, constructed, and loaned by the Technokats. Now, I say the team name because it wasn't just their engineers. It wasn't just their students. It was their team. Their students working
directly with their engineers.
I, for one, am against "Engineer Built" robots. My reasons are posted in other threads. It's a much different story with "Engineer Assisted" robots, and I even envy the "Student Built" robots.
I was on a team in my home town for 3 years. I joined as a freshman, loved the program, even though the robot sucked and it was mostly engineer designed and built. Second year? About a week after we got the game, we went to the sponsor's building, and were shown cad drawings of what was going to be built. Again, engineer designed, performed.. better. But, at this point I was exposed to two things: 1) The awesome power of CAD, 2) How engineers think. Onto my 3rd year, again, mostly engineer designed.. but me and my dad saw a major flaw in a major part of the robot. After a redesign, we ended having our best year yet.
This year I was on a different team, one that is 40 miles away from where I live, (that's about an 45 min to an hour by car). I made the drive almost every day. The robot is mostly student built (more than 85% designed and built by students), but also had engineers who wanted to "Make you guys the best $@#$@#$@#$@# engineers you can be."
We were taught through the season engineering practices, and building methods. If something wasn't working right, an engineer would take a look at it, and modify it's design. This was my best season ever.
Now here's the reason you read all of that (assuming you did)...
I would have ZERO drive to join team 470 if it weren't for team 247. The engineer built robots made me want to be the builder. I got my chance every day, after driving through the lovely Michigan winter weather.
Now I've graduated high school, while most kids take that first Monday after school's out and sleep until noon then go out and party. I started my job. Where do I work? Comau Pico Powertrain Systems, in the engineering department. (Oddly enough, Comau Pico is one of 247's sponsors
).
So honestly, if the team is inspired, then so be it. An engineer built robot doesn't always perform better than the student built ones. Inspire your students, then build a robot as you all see fit.
Technokats have done this tremendously. The way they build is to let everyone be inspired once their students are.