Since bumpers are not required this year, and have been somewhat of a headache for teams in the past, I am curious to see what teams plan on doing, if anything, in regards to protecting their robots. Will the lack of defense or interaction with the opposing alliance make you decide that bumpers are unnecessary? Or will you still try to add a little padding between your robot and the surrounding game pieces, walls, and other alliance members, but maybe in a different way than in previous years?
Maybe set this as a poll? I think it will be easier to see the results.
EDIT: Cool, thanks!!
Yes, we’re going to use these:
1444 has been dreaming of the day bumpers would no longer be required. Our dream has finally come true.
1885 will not use bumpers.
However, since we’re still using aluminum axles in a WCD setup, we will make wheel guards out of 2x1 to protect our axles from inadvertent clipping of a tote because the totes don’t like to move on carpet. This has nothing to do with driver skill or other robots and everything to do with how a bent axle would impact our performance.
Teams that either were around before 2006 or have mentors from before 2006 will know exactly what competition will be like without bumpers. And teams back then worked perfectly fine without them. You just have to make sure to build your frame strong, probably stronger then in previous years.
This.
Are you planning on making them easily removable as in previous years, or more more permanently attached to your robot frame?
We’ll probably use a bracket and make it permanent, but velcro will work pretty well too.
I hope everyone sees the blue box under R4.
I don’t understand what a frame has to do with axle material choice? It is as much or more effort and weight to make a direct-drive WCP steel axle than it is to make rivet-on wheel guards.
I don’t really have an opinion on axle materials. I was agreeing with the notion that wheel guards are advantageous in bumperless games. Every bumperless robot that we have designed has at least some aluminum structure protecting the wheels. We have been in many severe collisions with these robots without any effect on the drivetrains.
Ah, I thought I may have misread. Cheers 
NO!
Nope, no way, no how…
There was a round of applause at kickoff when Frank announced that. I think that says what teams think about bumpers.
I’m sure if and when FIRST goes back to a game with contact they will bring bumpers back.
And when they do, I’ll be happy.
The cushioning bumpers provide and the alliance designation really are huge improvements FIRST made to recent games to protect robots in high-interaction games and to clearly distinguish the alliances for drive teams, scouts, and spectators.
That said, I’m also very happy they’re not required this year… neither their level of protection nor alliance designation are necessary at all this year. I suspect we may want to use low-profile, lightweight bumpers (such as these) in certain areas of our robot though…
Teams 1468 and 4006 will eschew the use of bumpers this season.
159 will be making smaller bumpers for minimal protection, just in case something happens. It’s always possible that you or another robot on your alliance could lose control, or something goes wrong with autonomous, and if you’re not prepared, it would be bad. Better safe then sorry, in our opinion.