[gblake]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Given the smaller scale of the robots involved in FTC, I'd think Argument #1 carries less water. It's harder to generate a "technology gap" between the haves and the have-nots in FTC because it's much easier to reliably do with a couple screws and PVC what you could do with some snazzy CNC-machined piece of aluminum.

Not true, or at least not true enough.

Access to moderately sophisticated machine tools and/or human expertise on a "have" team will mean that they can replace many of the bulky, frustrating parts in the Vex product line with high strength, light-weight, precisely-crafted, small parts.

Oh so many times, when building a machine using the Vex parts, I have wished for a small latch, or a small pulley, or crown gear (available now), or a small distance sensor, or an rotation encoder that measured direction, or a.... What has kept me from pulling out my remaining few hairs is knowing that every other team on the planet is in exactly the same boat as me and "mine", except for getting to use our team's unique set of brainpower.

If you open FTC up to handcrafted and non-Vex commercial parts, you will start seeing robots that are as complicated as mechanical watches and as sophisticated as compact interplanetary probes. Those will come from the "haves", and will be marvelous to study and see in action; but I doubt the "have nots" will feel inspired......

Blake