[kylelanman]

This is not directed at any team in particular just something that I heard from a spectator at the WI regional while walking to launch.

"It is a lot like pine wood derby, you can tell which ones the kids built"

After a quick at robot rules I do not see thing that specifically says the parts are suppose to be built by the team. The only thing I see is that the price even if donated has to be accounted for in the BOM.

I would say you can ask anyone that has seen one of 2481's robots is it student built? They would say yes. It is rather obvious. The robot is almost always made from angle aluminum stock and bolted or welded together if time allows. It shows cosmetically but it gives the student a much bigger feeling of accomplishment when the team goes as far as it did this year or last. Trying to build a robot with out the latest and greatest tools and by ourselves that is able to out compete the sponsor built ones is what drives our team to work as hard as we do during the build season. So as far as we are concerned if teams want to have there sponsor build parts or all of there robot and ship it to them then it is there prerogative. It simply gives the teams that build there own bot a bigger feeling of accomplishment in the end.

Edit: I did not read the beginning of this thread. I just came in on the end talking about sponsor built robots. I'm in no way saying that 217 did not build there own robot. I have no clue. I'm just stating my opinion about sponsor built robots.