[Zyrano]

that's interesting, but why stop there? back in the good ol' days, the KOP was exactly what it sounds like, parts, this was before kit bot frames, motor adapters, and all of the pre-engineered parts that are available now (anyone remember small-parts catalog?). Do I miss it? Yes, because back then you really have to "make" everything work, have to figure out how to mount a motor to a shaft, etc.

But the real question is if I had a choice, would I make that a requirement for all teams, and my answer is no, having worked with a lot of the younger teams, this program really wouldn't be possible if they had to built from scratch, a lot of the newer teams just don't have the infrastructure in place yet to handle that type of work (especially for teams with minimal access to machine tools, shops, etc). I think the teams should strive for designing everything themselves, but I don't think it is a reasonable expectation right off the bat with first reaching as many students as we do now. I think a similar logic applies to the codes.