[JesseK]

My advice is to design the minibot to NOT use the NXT brick. The NXT brick isn't rated for shock loads like a typical FRC bot will experience. If you are the team creating the bots for others to use, then those will be YOUR NXT bricks on the field, significantly increasing the likelyhood that you'll have to spend a couple hundred extra dollars replacing them.

It's quite possible to do without a NXT. We are allowed 2 light switches ya know...