Many of you may know I’m an Event Organizer for Combat Robot events. That experience is what has let me help FIRST FRC so much by transferring some of the techniques we use there. The Robot Fighting League (RFL - http://www.botleague.net ) is the organization which goes on after the TV shows which regulates rules and such in those competitions.
There is a Brazil contingent of the RFL that is really pushing bot competitions in Brazil and their organizer recently put together a bot building tutorial that although its meant for combat bots, could really help FIRST FRC teams.
Check it out. Its from many years of robot building experience.
Remember that many of the items and techniques used on combat bots may be illegal by FIRST rules, but I think there are lots of useful ideas to be transferred.