I thought I'd add some first hand experience with gyro use in pattern. We host a beginners contest series at our club in SC, and early on, didn't monitor for gyro's. Then someone brought it to our attention that the guy winning Sportsman had an AS3X in his plane. We asked him to disable it before the next event, which he did, and his performance demonstrably and measurably diminished. There's no question that gyro's will improve scores, make flying sequences easier, and require lower pilot skill to perform well. These things are antithetical to pattern, in my (purist) mind. The AMA Comp. Regs. definitely agree:
4.4.2. The intent of this section is that the pilot must initiate all input commands to the aircraft. Use of autopilot control or aircraft axis stabilization during competition is prohibited. Automatic control sequencing either in the transmitter or the model is prohibited.
Gyro's are way different that any other radio function or aircraft design feature ever considered, simply because in competition, it takes over exactly what the pilot is supposed to do, which is exactly what he/she is graded on.
BUT, and that's a big one, there's always room for change. Although I'm not convinced that gyro use will grow pattern, we can change it if we want to. The question is, is it worth the hassle to change it, and will we like what we see on the other side? If gyro's are legal, what about GPS guidance? - There go your box issues. Do we need airplanes, or can we just fly on simulators, and maybe online so we don't have to travel. I'll just send in my best 4 rounds in an email attachment to the CD, and see how I did...
So, while pattern is on the decline, we should be careful what compromises are made to preserve it. Too many, and it won't be precision aerobatic competition at all. Too few, and we'll be talking about 'the good ole' days' in the not too distant future. IMO, we should try everything else first.