[AndyB]

I don't think the controversy has been so much over corporation built robots but more-so the common debate surrounding mentor built robots. Many mentors represent business's though so this is possibly where this came from.

I know there isn't a place in the FIRST rule book prohibiting this from taking place. I am not going to argue that students do not still learn something from watching a build rather than building it themselves.

However, in my opinion, it is more beneficial for students to receive hands-on-learning. If you watching the whole time, why not just watch the discovery channel all day, or read a text book. If there is a student that wants to get involved hand's on, I don't see any reason why there should be any limit to his ambition. Then again, that's just how I've expierienced it. I have never worked in an environment where I've had to do everything myself without mentor aid, or in an environment where learning was occurring while observing.