[pschre]

Some general weight loss tips:

The accumulation of steel nuts, bolts and washers can be significant. Since robots cannot extend past the bumper perimeter this year, you may find that 1/8" aluminum rivets will suffice to fasten surfaces together that won't provide much structural strength. Aluminum bolts are lighter but more expensive, though my team has never used them. If you're using a lot of corner brackets, those can be pretty bulky. You could buy some 1/8" thick aluminum strap, 1" or 2" wide, drill holes and/or bend into an L, and they will do a good job in many instances. As far as aluminum bar stock, T-slot extruded aluminum is about 2 feet per pound, whereas hollow square tubing is about 3 feet per pound (both at 1" square).

I don't know how thick the lexan you're using is, but to mount and shield your electronics you can probably go as thin as 1/8". This is the first year that my team has varied from 1/4", we are using some 1/8" thick and some 1/2" thick for places we need the strength (1/2" thick lexan is still lighter than 1/4" thick aluminum plate, methinks).

Finally, there are always good old speed holes. Just don't go overboard and damage the structural integrity. Figure out the volume you'd be drilling away, look up the density of the material, and think if it would be worth it.

Overall, since robots cannot extend past the bumper perimeter, my team has the feeling that we can be a little less RTAD (Robust To A Degree).