Getting started with robotics, but how?

i have an arduino and raspberry pi here, messed around with it for a bit. (blinking led, using sensors) but i bought both of them for projects that i was never able to start with. (paludarium monitoring systems, unfortunately i'm not allowed pets other than aquariums.)

i have some experience with electronics but thats mostly taking them apart, i did have some technical classes at school in which i made a robot the was able to detect edges of the table and avoided falling of. (a simple kit that only required some soldering.)

so now i'm going to try my hand at robotics... but where do i start? my plan is to make robots that perform tasks and make life easier, of course makeing a housekeeping droid won't be happening yet. (or at all) but what about making a robot to get stuff from underneath furniture or a small camera bot to check places i can't easily reach?

does any of you have examples of robots i can build without too much skills, but are still somewhat useful?

i've got several sensors here (including the sonic distance meter that seems to be used a lot), a few motors (mostly scrapped of old printers) and some extra tower pro micro servos on the way. i think i also have most of the tools i'm going to need and a 3d printer. (and i hope my parents still have my old mechano and kids electronics boxes.)

It sounds like you have all

It sounds like you have all the pieces and many of the skills, you just need to put them together.  Try the search box here on LMR and put in beginner robot or starter robot and lots of suggested things will come up.

I did this with my son’s robotics club for about $20 per robot:

https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/49262

It has links to some good instructions to point you in the right direction on typical things you do with a robot.  Have fun!

Regards,

Bill 

i’m going to get started

i’m going to get started with that ebaybot, the only thing i’m lacking is an IR receiver which should be getting delivered tomorrow.