About a week ago, I read an article on Slashdot about something called the VEX Robotics System. It was reviewed by the Mythbusters, and they gave it high marks.
Since my birthday was on the 20th, I decided to treat myself, and pick up a starter kit. It was then that I found out there was a 50% off sale at Radio Shack on the stuff, and I ended up purchasing two additional motors so I'd have five plus a servo to work with, a metal kit, a rechargable battery kit, a sprocket and chain kit, and two tank tread kits. I actually purchased some other stuff as well that I returned, but I'll get to that later.
Oh, btw, if you would like this kit, the sale runs through the 1st of April. 50% off is a great deal, because the kit is really expensive normally. It's normally like $300 and $20 per motor, and like $80 or something for the metal kit. It's crazy. But with the sale it's very reasonably priced. For some reason the radio shack website doesn't have the sale listed now, but it's probably cause everything sold out.
Here are two websites for the kit:
http://www.vexrobotics.com/
http://www.vexlabs.com/index.htm
And here is the mythbuster's review of it:
(Their link to the second page at the bottom is messed up)
http://www.botmag.com/articles/vex_1.shtml
http://www.botmag.com/articles/vex_2.shtml
This is another mythbuster review in the same mag, somewhat better with more pictures:
http://www.botmag.com/articles/mythbusters_test_the_vex_robotics_design_system_1.shtml
Anyway, my review of the kit is that it is pretty fun to play with. It comes with a six channel remote that is like an airplane remote. Very sophisticated. You can control up to eight motors with the remote, through the six channels, because there is a 4wd mode which will drive two motors at once. You could make a 4wd tank with a rotating turret that pivots up and down and rotates, and still have two digital channels (the sticks are two channels each and analog, the other two channels are used via buttons on the back of the remote) left over for a gripper hand, or for firing ping pong balls or whatever else you decide to add.
I had purchased a programming kit, as well as a sonar and some devices which tell you how far a shaft has rotated but since I have so little free time right now, and you're rather limited in the sensing capability area, I decided to return those. The robot is a lot of fun to play with just using the remote.
As for what I've been doing with it, I built a tank very quickly without using the instructions much, and my first stair climbing robot came together pretty fast as well, though it bottomed out on stairs because I had to use wheels in the back because I was only able to get one tank tread kit at first. Now that i have a second kit and the sprocket and chain kit, my next stair climber may well work better than the one the mythbusters built. :-)
I had wanted to make my next robot able to fire ping pong balls like a baseball pitching machine, but due to the metal parts available and the width of the balls not conforming to the distance between the holes in the kit, and being unable to find a long squishy spring to use and having to use small stretchy springs instead, I wasn't able to make it work out. Of course I could just buy an airsoft gun and rig that up to shoot pellets but I don't think my dad would apprciate it if I shot him with those. :-)
So my next robot will be another stair climber but this time with two tread kits. And if I ever figure out a way to fire those ping pong balls this will make a good base for the turret.
I wanted to finish up my robot and take pictures of it before I posted this, but the sale ends soon, and I have a bunch of work to do so it'll probably be a couple days before I can get the new bot done.
Oh and if you get the kit, I reccomend picking up a $5 plastic toolbox from Wal*Mart in the hardware section. There's lots and lots of little nuts and bolts that just get everywhere if you just use the little baggies they give you. And it'll fit all the metal peices and tires too.
And don't toque down the screws too much or you'll snap the hex wrench like me and have to buy another one for $2 at Home Depot. :-)
Since my birthday was on the 20th, I decided to treat myself, and pick up a starter kit. It was then that I found out there was a 50% off sale at Radio Shack on the stuff, and I ended up purchasing two additional motors so I'd have five plus a servo to work with, a metal kit, a rechargable battery kit, a sprocket and chain kit, and two tank tread kits. I actually purchased some other stuff as well that I returned, but I'll get to that later.
Oh, btw, if you would like this kit, the sale runs through the 1st of April. 50% off is a great deal, because the kit is really expensive normally. It's normally like $300 and $20 per motor, and like $80 or something for the metal kit. It's crazy. But with the sale it's very reasonably priced. For some reason the radio shack website doesn't have the sale listed now, but it's probably cause everything sold out.
Here are two websites for the kit:
http://www.vexrobotics.com/
http://www.vexlabs.com/index.htm
And here is the mythbuster's review of it:
(Their link to the second page at the bottom is messed up)
http://www.botmag.com/articles/vex_1.shtml
http://www.botmag.com/articles/vex_2.shtml
This is another mythbuster review in the same mag, somewhat better with more pictures:
http://www.botmag.com/articles/mythbusters_test_the_vex_robotics_design_system_1.shtml
Anyway, my review of the kit is that it is pretty fun to play with. It comes with a six channel remote that is like an airplane remote. Very sophisticated. You can control up to eight motors with the remote, through the six channels, because there is a 4wd mode which will drive two motors at once. You could make a 4wd tank with a rotating turret that pivots up and down and rotates, and still have two digital channels (the sticks are two channels each and analog, the other two channels are used via buttons on the back of the remote) left over for a gripper hand, or for firing ping pong balls or whatever else you decide to add.
I had purchased a programming kit, as well as a sonar and some devices which tell you how far a shaft has rotated but since I have so little free time right now, and you're rather limited in the sensing capability area, I decided to return those. The robot is a lot of fun to play with just using the remote.
As for what I've been doing with it, I built a tank very quickly without using the instructions much, and my first stair climbing robot came together pretty fast as well, though it bottomed out on stairs because I had to use wheels in the back because I was only able to get one tank tread kit at first. Now that i have a second kit and the sprocket and chain kit, my next stair climber may well work better than the one the mythbusters built. :-)
I had wanted to make my next robot able to fire ping pong balls like a baseball pitching machine, but due to the metal parts available and the width of the balls not conforming to the distance between the holes in the kit, and being unable to find a long squishy spring to use and having to use small stretchy springs instead, I wasn't able to make it work out. Of course I could just buy an airsoft gun and rig that up to shoot pellets but I don't think my dad would apprciate it if I shot him with those. :-)
So my next robot will be another stair climber but this time with two tread kits. And if I ever figure out a way to fire those ping pong balls this will make a good base for the turret.
I wanted to finish up my robot and take pictures of it before I posted this, but the sale ends soon, and I have a bunch of work to do so it'll probably be a couple days before I can get the new bot done.
Oh and if you get the kit, I reccomend picking up a $5 plastic toolbox from Wal*Mart in the hardware section. There's lots and lots of little nuts and bolts that just get everywhere if you just use the little baggies they give you. And it'll fit all the metal peices and tires too.
And don't toque down the screws too much or you'll snap the hex wrench like me and have to buy another one for $2 at Home Depot. :-)
