What aspects of the robot should teams focus on improving during a rebuild?

The primary focus for teams during a rebuild should be on enhancing performance, reliability, and effectiveness. This is crucial because the ultimate goal of a robot in competition is to perform tasks efficiently and consistently under the constraints of the game. By prioritizing performance, teams can ensure their robot delivers the best outcomes in matches, which involves optimizing its mechanisms and systems for the specific challenges it will face.

Reliability is also vital; a robot that fails to operate effectively due to mechanical issues or design flaws can lead to missed opportunities in competition. Therefore, teams should assess their previous robot designs and identify weaknesses that could be addressed in the rebuild process.

Effectiveness ties into how well the robot can meet game objectives. This could involve refining strategies or enhancing the robot's capabilities to ensure it can perform all required tasks reliably.

While aesthetics, speed, and cost are important considerations, they should not take precedence over foundational aspects such as performance and reliability. Focusing solely on speed without ensuring reliability could lead to performance failures, just as overly prioritizing cost might compromise quality and effectiveness. Hence, the right approach during a rebuild is to enhance those core attributes that directly affect how well the robot competes.