Ken, the mechanical design of the robot is the most interesting part! And the loss of mechanical design work is something to lament...at least it is for us
typewriter collectors.
Ok, seriously, it's all important...and it appears that teams tend to concentrate their efforts on the design areas in which their mentors have expertise. You might want a stock mechanical design, but another team would want a stock electronic design, and stock program to use with their fully custom chassis and drivetrain.