My team, 2855 BEASTBot, is thinking of doing a square shape this year since the size limit is just a perimeter and not length and width, but we’re curious what other teams are thinking.
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Form follows function.
What does the robot need to accomplish?
What shape allows it to best accomplish that?
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We’re thinking we’ll make our robot able to be a ramp that other robots can drive on to get them up to the 3rd level habitat, which is why we’re curious what other teams are thinking as if we’re not the right width it would be or even impossible for other teams to drive over.
My team, 2506, is thinking about doing a H-Style chassis. It’s in the shape of an H(obviously) and utilizes both omni and traction wheels to get around. We hope it would be mobile enough for the game.
We are also putting two wheels on the end of the longer sides of the chassis a little bit higher. This is to allow us to climb that second platform. We deduced that if two teams climb the second platform and one climbs at least the first one, we would get 15 points. That would be enough for a ranking point.
Very interested in climbing the tall platform.
I can’t recall games other that 2004 where there was a platform to climb. Should be interesting to see what kind of mechanisms are developed to get up there this year.
I’m thinking seriously about an octagonal-shaped chassis
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Why stop at eight sides?
Dodecahedral or its not worth it.
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Going off of your square shape, which would work as a square is the most versatile robot shape, I personally would do a square with a cutout to “herd”/move balls/cargo around and possibly lift them.
EDIT: Heck, you could do a circle if you really wanted, too.
EDIT 2: I mean “herd” as in guide a single ball/cargo into your bot to pick it up.
“herd/move balls/cargo around”
I’m pretty sure that’s several fouls and a yellow card.
Sorry for the confusion, I meant “herd” as in guide a single ball into your bot to pick it up. My bad. 
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Oh, that makes more sense. Have a look at 2910’s robot from last year. It had a U chassis and an intake that just took any cube it touched.
My team, 857, made the first (some guy on reddit told me it was) Kiwi drive train in FRC back in 2002, so we always joke that we’re gonna do kiwi bot. We might do one just 'cause.
sphere
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Look at how bad 4230 sucked in 2017.