HI, My name is Mirko i'm 19 years old and i'm a student. For the last year in this school i want to build a simple robot that i can program using some programming language like c, c++, etc..i'm not very rich and i can't spent more then 50$ so i'm asking you if you can suggest me some guide or project to make a robot low cost and not much expansive. i'm searching a project like in the 'Start Here' section. Maybe with IR sensor and the wheels
Arduino
Arduino is the cheapest option. Do an Ebay search on the UNO (less than $10). Cheap motors with encoders aren’t difficult to find either. Motor driver is also very cheap. Ultrasonic sensors are very cheap, an IR sensor is only a few Dollars and wheels, batterybox etc. is small money.
I wouldn’t recommend the cheap robotic platforms, the motors don’t have encoders and it’s all plastic. Buying a sheet of plastic and the other parts you need is in my opinion a much better option. Depending on how handy you are you can build a robot for about $30-$40 dollars.
Motor driver
if you’re using standard motors, you’ll need some form of motor controller.
A year or two ago there was a contest,
I believe it was for Africa, to assemble a $10 robot. There were even some $20 entries I believe. You would probably have to step up to the $20 entries to be programable.
On the other hand, you could go to a second hand store/thrift shop and try to find a remote control car for a couple bucks. Buy an arduino nano clone, ultrasonic sensor, voltage regulator (board) and L293D on eBay. Wait the usual two to three weeks for the slow boat. And have maybe $30 wrapped up in something that moves and avoids obstacles.
** I may have forgotten a few items here or there for the RC conversion, but, that is just a matter of some research. There are a couple posts here about driving RC cars via a microcontroller.
RC Tanks
If you can find a remote controlled tank of good size, they are perfect for modifying into a bot.
Do you have electronics tools such as a soldering iron and needle nosed pliers?
Arduino nano, motor driver
Arduino nano, motor driver L9110, 2* dual axis 3-6v hobby motor+wheels, 2*optical encoder, jumpers wire, breadboard, 4nimh AA rechargeable, battery holder4AA, hc-sr04, hc05 for bluetooth, IR receiver for infrared command. You can get all from Aliexpress, e-bay or banggood.
If you feel less adventurous you can get a Dagu mini driver(15-25) and a 2wheel car robotic kit(9-18) and you just have to get batteries to go.
I could make a critter like Scatolot for less than 25USD each, by buying small lots of five and looking for discounts. Check import duties when buying from China.
Hey why not the poppet!!!
You should know the poppet is arduino compatible. Arduino is a software like c or c++ for programming electronics and robots. I am building the poppet and would highly recommend it. Good luck!!!
http://www.poppettherobot.com