I’m a long time .NET developer who just discovered I have free access to Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio (MSDN license). And this just as I was looking into Anduino to try and get my boy interested in programming. I’ve been excited to try robotics for some time now too so the planets are all aligning. I guess that’s what MSDN is all about–getting tech people to use their tools.
Anyway, what’s a good starter kit to use with MSRDS? I see the LEGO kits are compatible, but is there anything as comprehensive that may be cheaper/better as an introduction to MSRDS and robotics in general?
LEGO Mindstorms is probably the best example of a full featured robotics exploration since it incorporates many sensors, actuators and also provides flexibility. It is of course compatible with MRDS which is a big bonus. Mix this in with the fact that it is used from high school to University level education, the value of this robot construction kit is extremely high and a perfect place to start before going into custom robotics.
I agree with Jonathan. Legominstorm is actually the best kit for underage kids to learn about robotic. I think it’s the perfect kit actually. It’s LEGO, it’s robotic, works with MS studio and it’s a product that you can see new products made for it. It’s a proof that LEGO continues to put his trust on this product. For the ratio knowledge / price, I don’t think you’ll find better than this.
I have another solution that could be interesting (it’s actually the ‘platform’ I’m working on and MS Robotic is working with it) :
I heard it works pretty fine with arduino. Buy Parts here on robotshop 'cause its cheaper and their expertise will help you a lot. For the use of the Create from iRobot, it will be a real pleasure to help you and provide codes from myself to help your son learn a lot !
