Of course we are supposed to think 5 speed based on your previous design, but I think there maybe a problem with that. 5 speed with pneumatics would require at least three cylinders per shifter which sounds like a bad idea. It’s possible they are using a servo instead.
Hmmm…5 speeds or maybe 3 speeds with neutral positions??
not neccessarily…the way they have it set up it it would/would have been feasible to use incremental control on their pnuematics…but either way i think this is either a joke, or not a useful component due to the game…
It’s also possible that the gearbox isn’t shifted with pneumatics. It could be done with a threaded lead screw and a motor. Integrate a revolution sensor and it would work well.
After tinkering around with our 3 speeds from last year, we realized that it took almost no effort at all to move the shifting rod in and out to engage the gears by way of the balls. 
I expect the same 3 general speeds as last year, with an added high torque super low speed, and a “crazy kill anything in its path” high speed.
I think we will see 3 speeds from them again this year. I think 5 is a bit ambitious and very unnecessary. But if you do have a strong 5-speed in competition, good job and kudos to you.
Servo it is.
I would think that three speeds should be more than sufficient this year. High speed for sprinting, medium for meneuvering, and low speed for pushing other bots around. Then again our team is about 300 years away from every making any kind of gearbox, or even modifying the stuff we have to even get two speeds.
Anyone every shift a manual quad or motorcycle?
Besides those electronic ones… 
Well everyone’s been sorta correct…our transmission does have something to do the numbers 3 & 5. As far as that goes you’re all gonna hafta wait and see exactly what it is. Brad, good post about the quad/motorcycle shifter…
Hmmm I can’t remember the last time I subtracted…
I guess that no one reads white papers around here!
BTW, I think this is one really neat solution - my compliments!
If you look at it more carefully, that is their 2004 transmission with 3 ball bearing “slots”, but in the picture above, there are 5 of these “slots”
And it also shows how a small pushrod is indexed through to sequentially engage the balls.
Looks like we fooled you all!
This year we only have a two speed shift on the fly just like last years except without the third speed.