These may help out a bit, in your quest for knowledge about some of the topics you mentioned:
http://team229.org/resources/15/
This is the series of seminars given by Team 229 last fall as a means of bringing our students up to speed for the competition season.
http://team229.org/resources/17/
This is a presentation requested to cover "overall mechanical design - (excluding drivetrain)" for a FIRST robot. It was presented to a 2005 Rookie Team in the fall of 2004. This presentation also compiles information from a variety of sources.
Your mileage may vary.
Good Luck,
John