[EricH]

Originally Posted by mechanicalbrain

I know heavy carbon fiber weave has a much weight to strength ratio than stainless steel but it doesnt take sharp impact well (it shatters because its brittle)

Run a robot at full speed into a properly built sheet (or something similar) of carbon fiber, then come on here and say that. 330 ran an old robot into a piece many times and the only damage was a few scratches and scrapes.

Originally Posted by mechanicalbrain

Im willing to bet fiberglass has a similiar limitation due to the epoxy or glass (one or the other will give).

Not necessarily. If you drill a hole through fiberglass, you might have an easy time breaking it, but if you keep holes to the minimum, and only use it above the frame (or as the frame as previously described), you should be OK. I don't kno how brittle fiberglass is, but 330's arm in 2004 was mostly fiberglass, and it didn't break easily.