[IKE]

I wouldn't mind taking a stab at a couple of these:

I was not around in the really early days when everything had to be custom. Because of that, I am trying to throw in mixes of really cool custom stuff and really cool COTS stuff.

GEARBOXES[*]1 Speed: The various ways to get a 1-speed from a FP-gearbox, and Banebot planetaries.
[*]2 Speed: AM Super shifter vs. 254/968 custom (it keeps getting better each year)
[*]3+ Speed: 3 speed: NBD-Whitepaper 4 speed: KB33-white paper (2004? I think)
[*]Continuously Variable Transmission- Does the 217 Crazy Chicken Drive Count?
[*]Worm Drive: Window and Van-door Motors. [*]Clutches: I really liked the clutches used on grippers this year (71 used some nice COTs clutches from McMaster, and a bunch of teams used belts as slip clutches.)
[*]Winch
[*]One-Way/Ratchet: NBD with clutch pins installed.
[*]Power Take Off: 254/968 2010 lifter.
[*]Other-Belt drive systems. There were a whole bunch in 2009 I think I liked 234 that year.