I take it you havn't inspected. I inspected at LA and SVR this year.
Most of the things that we pointed out were sharp edges or things not wired correctly. It is more of a safety inspection then a are-they-cheating inspection. I know I saw some things that didn't make sense, and had to rely on the team to explan what they built and to justify it.
I know we were running around pushing teams at LA, helping them fix things to get everyone pass inspection by their first match. Most teams show up not ready to pass inspection. Some need an hour to open the crate and bolt a few parts together, others still haven't built their drivetrain.
Andy, I like the idea of preship inspections by veterans. Even if they are not sent to FIRST, they will take care of some things that won't have to be addressed at the regional.
The regionals themselves are not getting larger, (Except for Canadia, but their weird
) so inspections are not taking longer. And teams that are at a second regional take a lot less time to inspect.
Wetzel