Robotic Kits

About Beginner Kits

Beginner Robot Kits have thefollowing general characteristics:

• Suitable for an average age of 8+ (see each kit for specific information)
• Easy to assembly and no soldering required
• Pre-programmed or remote controlled
• Usually one or two degrees of freedom (motions)

This category includes remote controlled fighting robots, robots that react to their environment, solar powered robots and more. Below are three sample projects you can incorporate into your classroom to teach students the basics of robotics:

What can it do? The Elenco Line Tracking Robot will follow a black line drawn on white paper by using two photo interrupters. Create different routes with black electric tape or a black marker and see what your Line Tracking Robot can do! More information
What can it do? The Owi Attacking Inch Worm Mini Solar Robot Kit has orange spiky limbs to ward off any predator who sees it as food. The sun’s rays power this mini solar kit and demonstrates alternative energy principles (no batteries required). Because its home is above ground, Attacking Inch Worm has a hard plastic body to protect itself and represents a link between biology and mechanisms. More Information
What can it do? The Elenco Line Tracking Mouse will follow a black line drawn on white paper. Create the road layout with black electronic tape or draw it with a black marker. Line Tracking Mouse uses 3 photo interrupters as its "eyes" which distinguishes black and white by projecting infrared rays.

About Intermediate Kits

  Intermediate Robot Kits have the following general characteristics:

• Suitable for an average age of 10+ (see each kit for specific information)
• Smaller, more intricate parts need to be assembled (soldering may be required)
• Some kits may require programming
• Usually 2-6 degrees of freedom
• Includes Robotic Arms, wheeled robots with sensors, walking robots and more.

  This category includes robotic arms, programmable robots, robots that require soldering for assembly and more. Below are three sample projects you can incorporate into your classroom to teach students the basics of robotics:

What can it do? The OWI Robotic Arm Edge rides the wings of the award winning OWI Arm Trainer Robot Kit. OWI has made robotic arm technology more affordable without compromising quality. With Robotic Arm Edge, command the gripper to open and close, wrist motion of 120 degrees, an extensive elbow range of 300 degrees, base rotation of 270 degrees, base motion of 180 degrees, vertical reach of 15 inches, horizontal reach of 12.6 inches, and lifting capacity of 100g. More Information
What can it do? The IZIrobot ER-6 Robot Kit is a great teaching assistant for robotics courses. It helps developing skills of microelectronics, programming and sensors . It can be used as a line tracer which detects and follow a line, a light tracer for interaction with light, a pathfinder to navigate a maze and much more.
What can it do? The Ibotz Tribotz Robot Kit is 3 robots in one. This wonderful little robot can follow a line (like industrial automatic guided vehicle (AGV), avoid obstacles and react to sounds (such as hand clapping). Tribotz uses several sensors such as infrared light and condenser microphone. This fabulous robot allows you to experiment in a fun way the mechanics of a robot on wheels in addition to several sensors. More Information

About Advanced Kits

Advanced Robot Kits have the following general characteristics:

• Most kits are suitable for ages 14+
• Complex assembly may be required
• Soldering may be required
• Programming is usually required.

  This category includes humanoid robots, robots with vision sensors, complete development platforms and more. Most of these kits have small parts and prior knowledge of robotics is often advantageous or necessary. Below are three sample projects you can incorporate into your classroom to teach students the basics of robotics.

What can it do? The tall and extensible KHR-3HV Huamanoid Robot has the base of 17 servos (DOF) + 5 dummy servos that allow for easy expansion up to 22 DOF. The 22 servos in place (17+5) assembling pattern make it the unique in the Humanoid Robot market. The new microcontroller board RCB-4 enables the controls up to 35 serial servos of KHR-3HV Humanoid Robot.
What can it do? The POB Technology Designer Kit was created to make it easy to demonstrate the POB Technology products. This robot moves using modular tracks that are powered by 2 DC gear motors. The robot’s “head” is actuated with a servomotor and the program is available in C, JAVA and BASIC.
What can it do? The RobotShop Rover was designed around the Arduino Diecimila/Duemilanove and is a compact, low cost indoor mobile tracked platform. Users can customize their rover by adding electronic parts to the solderless breadboards. The pan and tilt included with the kit can be used to mount an additional sensor or sensors, a camera or even act as the base for a multi-degree of freedom robotic arm. More Information

About Solar & BEAM Kits

Solar & BEAM Robot Kits have the following general characteristics:

• Soldering and assembly required
• Demonstrates maximum motion with minimum number of parts
• Non-programmable
• BEAM acronym: "Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, Mechanics"

  A Solar or BEAM robot is the essence of a minimalist design; the frame is often a PCB, with parts soldered directly to it. Additional parts such as antennae are as lightweight as possible, yet maximize functionality. If this category interest you, you may be interested in reading through "Stiquito", which guides you though the process of making these types of robots. Below are three sample projects you can incorporate into your classroom to teach students the basics of robotics:

What can it do? The JCM Cybug Solarfly 2 is the direct descendant of the popular Solarfly, this greatly improved kit is an easier to build, more sensitive, more functional artificial lifeform with the ability to switch between solar mode ( chloroplast solar engine ) and battery mode ( 9V battery under circuit board ). More Information
What can it do? The CYBUG QueenAnt is designed with open architecture and is easily expanded to be fully solar powered (with our optional QueenAnt SolarWings add-on kit: RB-JCM-02) or programmable by adding an optional microcontroller programmable micro- processor. This kit for advanced roboticians is perfect to start working in the BEAM robotic field. More Information
What can it do? The Solarbotics SolarSpeeder 2.0 Kit is a very quick Solaroller that can cover 3 meters (10 feet) at a time, once a minute in direct sunlight. These little speed-demons utilize the same updated Solarengine technology found in our Solarbotics Photopopper 4.2 Photovore Kit. Simple to construct and a blast to watch in the sunlight! More Information

Curriculum

  Curriculum material varies from project to project. Beginner kits are ideal for explaining the fundamentals of robotics, from sensors, to motors and alternative energy sources. Intermediate robots are best used to introduce systems integration (using a motor with a controller and a sensor) and/or programming. If you are looking to introduce robotics into an elementary or high school class, take a look at the OWI-RETC Technology Curriculum TEACHKIT and the OWI-ELEM2 Elementary Technology Curriculum. Advanced kits, as their name implies, require more advanced skills, especially programming. However, most manufacturer in the advanced category have made the process of building and programming their robots more straightforward by including pre-written code, and extensive product manuals. Robot Books such as "Robot Companions" complement the learning process  

Competitions

  Robot kits were not designed with competitions in mind because once constructed, they have equal capabilities. However, many advanced kits, such as humanoids, can be used in more advanced competitions because the winners are selected based on programming skills. Take a look at all Robot Competitions.  

What to Buy

  All Robot kits and Development Platforms: contains all robot kits and development platforms (complementary or additional components not included) Beginner Robot Kits Intermediate Robot Kits Advanced Robot Kits Solar & BEAM Robot Kits