[EricH]

I'm going to echo the call on the books. Both of them should be read completely. If you can't find information on how to do something, at least at a high level, then it just might mean that you need to think seriously about not doing it. (It may also mean that it's never been done.)

Think of it this way: You get 60 robots for less than the cost of one.

Also, another option is to go to http://www.ifirobotics.com/ and get some chassis metal and some CIM motors, then go to http://andymark.biz/ and get a pair of Toughboxes. IFI also sells the old control system, but the VEX kit can probably do the trick. You'll need speed controllers; the IFI Victor 884s are the current standard and may be used next year. Build a basic drivetrain. Program the VEX controller to control the robot. That'll give you a basic idea of size, complexity... Oh, and time to build.

Any robot built that way won't be legal next season, in all probability, but the pieces will be COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) and can be used individually.