I am a FIRST Robots Mentor. I have been asked to pick out a robot/robot kit for a an enterprising 11 year old who has been working with the lego league at his school. We need something that is fun, can be built mostly by him (no detailed assembly requiring soldering), that is educational, that can be programmed to do different things, and will hold his interest/attention for at least a year (something that will grow with him for a period of time). I have been looking at the following.
DFRobotShop Rover V2 - Arduino Compatible Tracked Robot (Autonomous Development Kit)
I did not see all the details that would help me make this assessment. I think he does have an ipad. I am certainly open to other ideas.
The DFRobotShop Rover Autonomous Kit is quite a bit higher level, and is better suited for 16+ as there is only some sample code provided; it is a grouping of compatible products which someone can experiment with, but unlike many other products, it is really for development. It is quite a bit higher level than LEGO Mindstorms. Note that maining interest for ~ one year ideally means you are looking for a construction kit. Some alternatives might include:
