Robot Arms:
Robot arms are a great starting point because of their ability to move objects. More complex arms can be programmed to create assemblies based on components, create a 3D image using a distance sensor, pick up a phone and more. They are also a great introduction into industrial robotics. Robot arms are generally not upgradeable, though items like sensors can usuallly be added with some tape or custom mounting brackets. The software included with most roboitic arms usually allows the user to easily manually control the arm, but programming the arms may require added patience - so be sure your teen is up to the task.
Wheeled robots (2 /3 Wheeled and 4 / 6 Wheeled:
Wheeled robots tend to come with 2, 4 or 6 drive wheels and may have one or two non-drive wheels. Wheeled robots are a great start when looking to program mobile robots and come in a variety of sizes and price ranges.
Tracked robots:
Tracked robots can often be preferable to wheeled robots for the different types of terrain that can be overcome. A tracked robot may be able to climb up several stacked books whereas the same sized wheeled robot cannot. There are not as many tracked robots available largely because there are not many tracks available for smaller sized vehicles or robots. Be sure to check the product description to see if all parts, including a microcontroller and possibly a motor controller, motors and battery or battery pack.
Walking robots including
Biped Robots,
Quadruped Robots and
Hexapod Robots
Walking robots are at the top of the “robot food chain” and although they may be physically complex with 16+ motors, many manufacturers have created easy to use software programs to make programming these robots straightforward and fun. These (usually 1 to 2 foot tall) companions can of course be programmed to walk, sit, stand and kick, but with a little programming, they can do summer saults, martial arts and sports! These are great projects for teens since they can show off their creations to anyone (even those not robotically inclined) and get a smile.
There are also contruction kits which allow for added creativity because they use modular parts. These kits include all the basic parts needed to build mobile platforms from microcontrollers to sensors and more. These tend to be better suited to a teen who has been exposed a bit before (either in school, with previous robotics projects or at a friend’s house). These proejcts are really intended to teach robotics and your teen should be ready to go through many small steps such as programming a robot to avoid hitting a wall, reacting to light or touch etc.
Once a category is chosen, be sure to narrow your search to include only complete kits rather than development platforms. Take a look at the description and “useful links” tab to get an idea of what is included and how easy it may be to program.