Actually, this isn't such a genius innovation; the Spider Model was originally designed like this, modular mass production, rugged and durable. Even if only the chassis remains, it can still be used as a transport vehicle. It's just that in this era, technology and productivity have developed too quickly, and it's all interstellar warfare, with ground tactics being neglected. It's basically millions of drones clashing against each other, not many engineers bother to delve into the structure of a small mass-produced combat vehicle.
Well, Li Pan didn't really care at first either, but who asked those teachers at the Corps of Engineers Technical Academy to make things difficult for him by siding with the Mantid Association, insisting on testing him on this obscure stuff...