Will your robot fit in the box?

[Otaku]

You could do what we do -- Max dimensions are 36" x 26". That's an extra 2in for each dimension. For bolt heads, zip ties and so forth. Worked well last year, too. Even when our frame was warped. And we never needed to use a hacksaw.

[Jeff Waegelin]

I've always allowed 1 inch off of each dimension. It's come in handy quite often, for when you suddenly decide you have to bolt some new componend onto the outside of the robot.

Another recommendation: if you're building an arm or any kind of mechanism that folds up, make sure you have enough clearance for the pieces to fold into starting position. I misjudged one section on last year's tube gripper (a pneumatic fitting!), and suffered in every inspection because of it. I couldn't make any modifications without destroying other parts, so we were one of those teams trying to get the robot to fit "just right". It's no fun, trust me. 2006, with our 27"x37"x59" box, was much less stressful, by far.