[Marc P.]

The same basic field components have been in use since 2000 (Cooperation FIRST). The field borders and dimensions haven't changed much at all for the past 4 years. The field R & D goes more towards designing the internals of the field, goals, ramps, etc. I spoke with Woody one day about the field design, and he was telling me how they test various materials to see how well they would work out for the game they had in mind. He told me how for Stack Attack, they tested different mesh materials for the ramps, and different materials for the top platform, testing each for durability, grip, possible effects on robots, etc. etc. Aside from the actual R & D itself, new fields must be constructed every year for the growing number of regionals. And of course, you must have spare parts for each field. I heard somewhere that each field costs up to $20,000 to construct, and I don't think that includes spare items. So yes, the majority of the field already is modular (as anyone who has ever broken down the field after a regional would tell you). The major costs though are for the actual design of game components and fabrication of new fields, as well as repairs/upgrades to the current fields.