[s_forbes]

Bumpers definitely help prevent damage, I don't see how anyone can argue against that. The mandatory bumper rule has saved many more robots than it has hurt.

In my opinion, though, they shouldn't be a requirement for future years (but they should be very strongly encouraged!). My reason for this is: teams should be allowed to build robust bumper-less robots if they choose, it makes the overall size of the robot smaller and allows for more diverse and aesthetically pleasing robots. (lame reason, I know...)