pic: Cheesy front

[s_forbes]

Originally Posted by Ben Piecuch

3/4 to 1lb per side? How heavy IS that fiberglass? I was under the impression that it was lighter than Aluminum (well, less dense at least.) But, I guess the 1/4" wall thickness adds up pretty quickly.

Fiberglass is roughly half as dense as aluminum, so a sheet of 1/4" fiberglass is near the same weight as a sheet of 1/8" aluminum. The fiberglass works pretty good for making a very strong drive frame that will take a beating, but aluminum is more suitable for some other robot applications (like light, strong manipulator arms!). This year our team's robot will be made with both materials, as well as (possibly) some other fun structural materials.