I just want to put my 2 cents in here. I have been involved with two rookie teams as a mentor. In one case there was nothing but the kit of parts. In the second case there was a "ready-made" or prefab frame kit. In both cases the teams adjusted well. In the first case the students got going and made it go on their own. Total time was about 3 weeks. They learned a tremendous amount about steering, power, balance and weight distribution. In the second case total time was about 3 hours. The team learned about steering, power, balance and weight distribution. The difference was there was no initial phase of head scratching and do-overs. For the new teams it would be a great help. Maybe the idea could be that "rookie" or inexperienced teams could request this as an add-on to the kit. The more experienced teams, or those that have access to machinists, metal lathes and aluminum welders could fore-go this "luxury" and blaze new trails in design and fabrication. In both cases the teams would get what they want/need. In the first case the new teams would get past the initial frustration and build a functioning robot. The more experienced teams could get on with their building and prototyping without the problems of the extra stuff cluttering up the work area.
I realize it's more than 2 cents worth but it is a different perspective.
Go FIRST!
