[EricH]

Originally Posted by gorrilla

also 2005 was the first kitbot year correct?

And incorrect. 2003 had a kit robot. It just took a lot of engineering to put together. The assembly video for the year had three "average joes" putting it together "during the kickoff". Note: said "average joes" also had Ph.Ds, IIRC.

In 2005, the kitbot was provided by IFI; the transmissions were an early version of the AM single-speed now known as the Toughbox. About that time, AM opened up its doors, and demand for their products started going through the roof within 2 years.

That's another game-changer, though they might not agree with me: AndyMark. Before they came along, there were very few COTS/shifting transmissions used, mainly DeWalts from the NBD drivetrain or custom team-built ones. Once they came in, any team who had the money could buy a 2-speed tranny (or a one-speed), or some other cool toys like omni wheels. They're now almost a one-stop shop for KOP items, as the IFI store was previously.