Where can I find robot kits that are 'beyond' the basics? Soldering OK.

December 27, 2004 7:41 AM

I'm looking for robot kits that are a bit more interesting than the basic line trackers. The ideal kit would combine soldering with some building. Any suggestions?
posted by drezdn to technology (8 answers total)

I do not build robots, but surely robotstore.com will have something to suit your needs?
posted by bDiddy at 7:59 AM on December 27, 2004

I'm not a programmer, but here's a few ideas which come to mind include pattern recognition, audio response/echo location, speech synthesis, telerobotics, and haptics.
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:12 AM on December 27, 2004

Probably not what you're looking for... no soldering, but CompUSA had this SumoBot for $29.99 a week ago. I didn't get one, but I really want to.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 8:18 AM on December 27, 2004

BEAM robotics is a fun (and relatively cheap) hobby.

You can find kits at solarbotics.
posted by AmaAyeRrsOonN at 8:48 AM on December 27, 2004

another "not sure it will help" reply, but try googling for "basic stamp robot". basic stamp is a simple processor that a lot of diy hardware people use.
posted by andrew cooke at 2:56 PM on December 27, 2004

You might also look at the handyboard, which was developed as the successor to the 6.270, which i used in school. It's reasonably flexible in terms of what kinds of sensors/effectors it can control (at least it was at the time), and it's programmable through a serial port, which is nice. Also, with a bit of EE background, you can gin up novel sensors (and effectors, but those are harder) to make yer 'bot respond to different kinds of stimuli. Even if you get it pre-assembled, there will still be some soldering and building to do to make it interact with the outside world.

Pricier than a cheap line-following kit or a simple basic stamp, but a lot of fun, too.
posted by dkg at 7:31 PM on December 27, 2004

I do not build robots, I'm not a programmer, nor am I a fireman. But I second the BEAM machines. I particularly like FRED easy to build, but you need a nice solar pannel. the rest can be bought at radioshack for under $5. But don't take my word for it, I'm no Geologist!
posted by joelf at 10:28 PM on December 27, 2004

If you've not already, check out Nuts & Volts and Servo magazines. They've lots of interesting articles that are robotics-related. Servo is specifically robotics-oriented (and targeted a bit more towards beginners).
posted by todbot at 10:46 PM on December 27, 2004