Best products from r/robotics
We found 67 comments on r/robotics discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 208 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Robot Builder's Bonanza, 4th Edition
- 4pcs TT Motor Robot Gear Motor, Size(Approx): 7 x 2.2 x 1.9cm/2.76" x 0.87" x 0.75"
- Maximum torque: 800gf cm min (3V) ; No-load speed: 1:48 (3V time)
- Operating voltage: 3V~12VDC (recommended operating voltage of about 6 to 8V)
- With EMC, strong magnetic, it has an anti-interference ability.
- Use for electric toy products such as RC car DIY, scientific research electronic products, robot electric human body, bubble gun toy gun body, four-wheel drive toy car, aircraft toy, vibration product, etc.
Features:
3. LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 31313 Robot Kit with Remote Control for Kids, Educational STEM Toy for Programming and Learning How to Code (601 pieces)
- Builders of all ages will love building and coding their fully-functional robot to walk, talk, and even play games or complete tasks! This educational STEM robot toy makes engineering fun for everyone who builds it.
- LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 is built with 601 pieces and includes the intelligent EV3 Brick, 3 servo motors, plus color, touch and IR sensors. Connect with your smart device and download the free EV3 programmer app to control the robot!
- LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 comes with instructions for 17 different robotic designs, each with its own unique features. Builders can program their STEM robots to talk, walk, grab, shoot targets and more! Kids will love this creative and educational toy!
- LEGO MINDSTORMS building toys are compatible with all LEGO construction sets for creative building.The perfect tech toy if you want to build your own robot and explore endless learning activities
- The main robot, SPIK3R, is over 16” high, 14” long and 15” wide.
Features:
4. Arduino Starter Kit [K000007] (English Projects Book)
It’s a quick and easy way to get started with the learning of STEAM subjects at home, and it can be used to think critically, learn collaboratively, and solve problems.This kit walks you through the basics of Arduino and electronics in a hands-on way. No prior experience is required, as the kit in...
5. DC Power Supply Variable(0-30 V 0-5 A), Eventek KPS305D Adjustable Switching Regulated Power Supply Digital, with Alligator Leads US Power Cord
DC Power Supply Adjustable: 0-30 volts and 0-5 amp outputs; the Back-lit LED display accuracy: 0.1 V and 0.01A , Could be used for electro etchingConstant voltage and current operation mode (C.C and C.V. automatic conversion); Light weight with heavy OutputIntelligent temperature control with built-...
6. Neato LIDAR Laser Distance Sensor LDS xv Series xv-11 xv-14 xv15 xv12 xv21
Neato XV Series Laser Distance SensorAlso works with Neato Signature Pro and Essential.
7. OWI Robotic Arm Edge | No Soldering Required | Extensive Range of Motion on All Pivot Points
- Command the Robotic Arm Edge with for multiple movements and functions
- Robotic arm gripper opens and closes
- Movement includes radial wrist motion of 120 Degree, an extensive elbow range of motion of 300 Degree, base rotation of 270 Degree, base motion of 180 Degree
- No Soldering Required
- OWI is the premier line of educational robotics kits
Features:
8. Probabilistic Robotics (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents series)
MIT Press (MA)
9. SainSmart HC-SR04 Ranging Detector Mod Distance Sensor (Blue)
- Using IO trigger for at least 10us high level signal
- The Module automatically sends eight 40 kHz and detect whether there is a pulse signal back
- IF the signal back, through high level ,time of high output IO duration is the time from sending ultrasonic to returning. Test distance = (high level time velocity of sound (340M/S) /2
- Power supply :5V DC, quiescent current : <2mA,effectualangle: <15 ranging distance : 2cm~400 cm resolution : 0.3 cm
Features:
10. uxcell RC Boat Propeller 4mm Shaft 3 Vanes 36mm 1.4 P/D Fan Shape Pastic Black CW CCW Rotating Propeller Props for RC Boat, 3 Pairs
Material: Plastic; Color: BlackVane Number: 3; Pitch/Diameter: 1.4Shaft Diameter: 4mm/ 0.16 inch; Rotating Diameter: 36mm/1.42 inchThis propeller is widely used on RC Boat, especially for propeller replacement.Package Includes: 3 Pairs X RC Boat Propellers
11. ELEGOO UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial and UNO R3 Compatible with Arduino IDE
- Free PDF tutorial(more than 22 lessons) and clear listing in a nice package
- The most economical kit based on Arduino platform to starting programming for those beginners who are interested.
- Lcd1602 module with pin header (not need to be soldered by yourself)
- This is the upgraded starter kits with power supply module, 9V battery with dc
- High quality kit with UNO R3. 100% compatible with Arduino UNO R3, MEGA 2560 R3, NANO.
Features:
12. LewanSoul LDX-227 Full Metal Gear Standard Digital Servo 17kg High Torque Dual Ball Bearing Robot(Control Angle 270)
13. Hiwonder 20KG Digital Servo Full Metal Gear with 20kg High Torque for Robot RC Car DIY LD-27MG,Control Angle 270
- 20kg large torque. 20 kg·cm (277.6 oz·in) @ 6.6V.
- Aluminium Case and full metal gear enhance the heat dissipation, ensure that servo motor can work well
- Using high-precision potentiometer with new design. Accuracy and linearity have been greatly improved! Accurate movement can satisfy the needs of making robots.
- 270 degree rotation. Controllable angle range from 0 to 270 degrees, Excellent linearity, precision control.360 degrees rotation when power off
- Fully sealed waterproof rubber seal ring, can effectively resist moisture.
Features:
14. ANNIMOS 25KG Digital Servo Full Metal Gear High Torque Waterproof for RC Car Crawler Robot Control Angle 270°
- ▶New Model: DS3225MG More torque higher speed
- ▶Power cord is longer up to 15.75inches(40cm),and also send with a 25T adjustable metal servo arm
- ▶Best for your DIY Project:compatible with 1/8 and 1/10 scale crawler,truck,buggy,robotic arm,and any application where standard servos are used
- ▶Equipped with high precision potentiometers and high-resolution digital chip, ensure stable performance, fast response, strong anti-interference ability,low noise, fast heat dissipation
- ▶Dimensions:1.57 x 0.78 x 1.59in (40 x 20 x 40.5 mm); Weight:2.64oz (75g)
Features:
15. uniquegoods H-Bridge DC Dual Motor Driver PWM Module DC 3~36V 15A Peak 30A IRF3205 High Power Control Board for Arduino Robot Smart Car
16. QX Electronics OCDAY 3A PDB Distribution Module XT60 with Double BEC 5V/12V for RC FPV Plane
18. Stahl Tools SSVT Variable Temperature Soldering Station
- On/off switch with "power-on" indicator light showing when the iron is hot
- Variable 302DegreeF to 842DegreeF heat setting to match specific soldering needs
- ETL certified for safety and performance
- Cushioned rubber grip for extended comfortable use
- Replaceable tips provide additional functionality
Features:
Already a lot of great answers by clever people here! I can add a bit on motors and electricals, but I also want to say that you're probably underestimating how big a 3' arm is. Imagine that on your desk- it takes up half a table! Sizing the motors for static torque alone doesn't work well, as the inertia at the end effector increases with length^2 which is proportional to dynamic torque, speed, and vibration. Larger limb sections are also heavier and more complicated to make, which makes them even more heavy. Sizing down a little bit will make the arm dramatically more stable and performant.
> Belts or Gears for the actuators?
For 3 lb @ 35" you're looking at a minimum torque of 12.2 N-m at the shoulder. That will require reduction. Belts are far cheaper than gears, especially if you have a 3d printer- plastic pullys work great, although they need to be well glued to metal shafts (NB that a shaft key will greatly reduce strength and durability). Red loctite is great for that. A single belt reduction can do 5x, although you can do 10x+ with idlers. Mcmaster is a good place for belts, but amazon has a small selection that can be cheaper.
Note that belts can be very rigid: highly tensioned, fiber reinforced belts at moderate torque (otherwise the teeth start pulling out) are actually stiffer than most gears, which have a grease film and a gap between teeth that has a slight initial give/backlash. The reason you switch from belts to gears is because you need to tension the belts more tightly for higher torque. Once the tension becomes hard on the bearings and gearbox frame, you switch to gears. Basically you want to avoid gears if at all possible; they're expensive, hard to find, and hard to mount without metal backplates and the ability to cut bearing mounts. SDP/SI is a good place to get gears.
> Once I know how much torque I need, how do I know which type of motor is best for me? Stepper, Servo, Brushless?
Depends how much you want to spend. Hobby servos won't work for a 35" arm, even the $350 dynamixels. You also don't want to be designing your own brushless drivers, and the range of robotics controllers for bldc is limited. You are basically stuck between NEMA 23 and odrive.
NEMA 23 is the cheap choice- you can get very big NEMA 23s on amazon, hook them up to a single-stage 5x reduction, and have gobs of torque and good control. You can even get NEMA 34 for affordable prices. The drivers are stupidly cheap- for <$70 all-in you can have an arduino-controlled joint with 15 N-m of torque and top out solidly over 500 rpm. Add a couple heat sinks and you can increase that a lot- 500+ watts no problem, or 7 watts per dollar.
Downsides are you don't get any regen (not so important on an arm), low/no backdriveability (although this can be nice since the robot usually holds position when it turns off), very loud operation, low efficiency, and pretty low acceleration. Brushless motors require higher reduction and closed loop control, but are quiet, efficient, and can be used to build very responsive + high regen robots. Driving them is the weak link: the 56 V odrive dual driver cost a whopping $150. However for $70-80 per motor you get 40-90 amps continuous for 2 to 5 kilowatts, WITH regen and accuracy to >512 steps. That can be over 20 watts per dollar for the motor, reduction, sensors and driver. The limiting factor is even finding motors that can handle that power.
If your budget is <$500, go for steppers. If it's >$800, I'd go for brushless. You'll get an immense amount of speed and power, both of which are very good for an arm with a 3' reach. Note that 3' is a very large arm- the weight of the arm itself will be very limiting if you don't used fairly sophisticated techniques. 8"-12" sections are a hassle to 3d print. Rotational inertia increases with reach^2 so you'll need quadratically more power for the same acceleration (and to fight wobble). A 26" arm will require only half the power.
> Do I start my design from the end effector or do I start at the base?
I'd start at the end effector- that will set your payload weight and the torque required at the next joint, and so on back to the shoulder. Doing it the other way requires a lot more iteration.
The one thing I always say on posts like this is to learn how to use bearings. Bearings are the #1 cause of wobble in poorly designed arms, and the easiest way to tell if the designer had any clue what they were doing. Use 608 bearings for everything you can. They're incredibly cheap and precise because they're used in skateboards- 20 to 50 cents each. They're deep groove bearings, which are excellent for machinery, and can take 300 lbs radial and 150 lbs axial static load and 2-3x that for dynamic load. They're easily a 50x better value than any other types of bearings. If you want other bearings (maybe very large thin section) go to onlinebearingstore, despite having a 2000s era website/name they're really great. Unrelated, theoringstore is also really great.
The most important thing to know about bearings is that they always, always need a preload. The bearing will not meet specs if it does not have some axial force. It will have a very noticeable play and will wear out quickly. This is why you always use bearings in pairs- not because they can't take it, but because you can't preload a single bearing. You need two bearings to be pressed together. I like disc springs for this, but shims and even just bolts also work well for providing the axial force. You can usually just set your preload by feel (so make it possible to bolt down one bearing closer to the other), but if you want to do the math it's good to aim for an axial force of 50% of the maximum radial force you expect. That can come from static load, or torque from twisting the bearing.
I saw someone else in the comments mention Lego Mindstorm; that would be a great idea for your son! Not only is the Lego Mindstorm kit still being produced and supported, but there's an entire professional organization centered around challenging kids to learn to build robots: FIRST Robotics
I'm a recent high school graduate and spent four years on a high school FIRST team. I can't say enough great things about FIRST; they're a really cool program that has competitions for all ages where kids get to build a robot to do certain tasks and then compete against other robots.
The very youngest level is FIRST Lego League Junior. While your son might be just a little bit young for it for now, you could certainly reach out to see if there are teams in your area, and if your son is still interested in robots in a year or two, this would be an awesome way to give him another resource to learn and play with robots.
Here's their website, you can read more about it and sign up to get further information here: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/flljr
You can also purchase the Lego mindstorm kits on their own, you might need to help him with it and keep him away from some of the smaller pieces, but he'll certainly enjoy watching it move around for now and you can use it to start teaching him how to program with their software. There's a lot you can do with the parts that come with it to get it to drive around, pick up things, etc.
I helped run a summer camp last year centered around Lego mindstorm, and we taught our kids how to make robots that could follow a line of tape using the color sensor, or find their way out of a maze using a touch sensor!
Here's the starter kit: https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-MINDSTORMS-31313-Educational-Programming/dp/B00CWER3XY/ref=asc_df_B00CWER3XY/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=241989243824&amp;hvpos=1o2&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6335113284905928228&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=m&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9017517&amp;hvtargid=pla-381559943747&amp;psc=1
And here's their website with the download for the software, as well as some how-to videos to help learn how to program the robot: https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/learn-to-program
You will need a device that can run the software and write programs, probably a computer or laptop of some sort.
Tell your son he's super cool for already having such a strong interest in robots, I hope he keeps that passion as he grows up! Props to you for looking for ways to support his interests and help him learn more too, that's some A+ parenting right there.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about FIRST or Lego Mindstorm, I'm a huge geek for this stuff and I'd love to help out someone who's also looking to get into it for the first time :P
Hello,
I am just beginning to get into robotics but I am a bit confused as where to start. I am 25 years old and I have a degree in Marketing and Data Analytics. I have no background in computer science; however, I have begun to self teach Python and I am finding it very interesting. The language seems to be coming to me a bit natural as well. After weeks of researching, I have come to find out that to build robots, it might be easier for a beginner to learn Arduino first and then get into Raspberry Pi (please correct me if I am mistaken). I have a few questions:
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Starter-Kit-English-Official/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_pm?keywords=arduino+kit&amp;pd_rd_i=B009UKZV0A&amp;pd_rd_r=9e598ad7-4080-4b23-b252-6efd4676fefe&amp;pd_rd_w=ipetL&amp;pd_rd_wg=durVx&amp;pf_rd_p=64aaff2e-3b89-4fee-a107-2469ecbc5733&amp;pf_rd_r=BTX5Q96NT2QPSCJ4FQBW&amp;qid=1562463627&amp;s=gateway
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=robotics+book&amp;qid=1562463842&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-3
My goal is to learn robotics from inside and out. I do not wish to simply follow a given template or copy/paste a given code. I would like to learn how the code operates internally and how everything is processed. I also do not wish to spend hundreds of dollars since I would like to start on smaller scale and comprehend all the basics first and then start doing larger projects.
If anyone could please guide me where to essentially start with robotics, I would greatly appreciate it!!
I'll tell you "how to start": Pick up all the editions (there are 4 current ones) of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Builders-Bonanza-Gordon-McComb/dp/0071750363
That's the latest one right there - but I promise, you really want the first edition (back when it was still a TAB book). Gordon McComb will guide you one this quest, because he comes from the old school of 1970s and 1980s hobbyist robot builders.
In fact, if you can find copies of the old TAB robotics books by Frank DaCosta ("How to Build Your Own Working Robot Pet"), David L. Heiserman ("How to Design and Build Your Own Custom Robot" - among others), and Edward L. Safford Jr. ("The Complete Handbook of Robotics" - and others) - so much the better.
These are all fairly out-dated books when it comes to the electronics (with the exception of the Bananza books - though the first edition is kinda long in tooth), but the mechanics and ideas are what you may really need and want. Back then, whether you were a university or an individual, if you wanted a robot, you were building it from scratch with whatever you could get your hands on and bodge together most of the time. Sometimes as cheaply as possible, using whatever surplus parts you could find, beg, borrow or steal.
Need a low-cost 2-wheel platform for your robot that can haul hundreds of pounds? Repurpose a used 2-wheel differential drive power mobility chair!
Build the arm out of old electrical conduit and windshield wiper motors; use some potentiometers for angular feedback. Bolt, epoxy, or weld the whole thing together.
Gain an eye for going to the hardware store (or scrounging the trash on bulk-trash days or the junkyard) and looking at things and saying "Yeah - that'd make a right-fine robot chassis there!".
Ya gotta learn to think about things in a different way; I sometimes go to the grocery store and manage to see things that would work great for robotics. I always see things along the side of the road, or in the trash, or at a junkyard, or a pick-ur-part, or hardware store - tons of things that would work for robots! Thrift stores like Goodwill can be excellent robot parts places - if you know how to see!
But those books above will show you how to start, I promise! Give them a go - and don't think you need a ton of money to do robotics - because you don't.
You're getting a lot of lego Mindstorms EV3 recommendations.
I have a little experience I could offer.
I did the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program and during my on-site experience we had a competition using the EV3. Basically designing Mars Rover and collecting 'rock' samples.
I was impressed by how much you could potentially do with the kit and the coding is very simple, I thought about purchasing one for myself, but after speaking to a NASA JPL intern here on reddit, they strongly advised getting an Arduino kit instead.
Basically their advice was that most people who are into robotics, have some programming skills and such will outgrow the Mindstorm kit pretty quickly and will want to move on to more complex projects.
Really depends on your own experience in programming, but Arduino is easy to learn.
[Amazon sells a Arduino kit https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Starter-Kit-English-Official/dp/B009UKZV0A that comes with several projects you can easily do, and if you really want to get building [Texas Instruments has a long series you can follow. https://training.ti.com/ti-rslk-module-1-lecture-video-running-code-launchpad-using-ccs?cu=1135347 that uses Arduino like devices.
Mindstorms is fun, but really expensive.
Hope that helps!
Hello! I've always liked this website as a quick primer: http://www.societyofrobots.com/
I remember liking this book a lot when I first started: http://www.apress.com/us/book/9781430227540 but it's a little more advanced and there's a beginner book as well: https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486
Those books are pretty electrical focused, but if you want to learn more of the software (especially if you don't know much/any programming) I'd recommend the Lego Mindstorms.
Finally there's this book: https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Builders-Bonanza-Gordon-McComb/dp/0071750363 which is a pretty good overall reference and enjoyable to read through.
Disclaimer: I read these books over a decade ago. While they're still relevant some stuff in them is dated (especially the microchip programming portions)
Spent the past few weeks working on this ROV - https://imgur.com/a/lhg9lag 10/10 would recommend PVC. I used 1/2" pipes and used connectors to form the frame. If you're powering it from the surface and it's being used in a swimming pool, I would suggest using only the wires that go to the respective motors for a tether. The less electrical stuff you have underwater the better. You can always pot it, but believe me this is a pain in the ass.
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My suggestions for building:
Bilge pumps for motors- http://www.homebuiltrovs.com/howtobilgeconversion.html
These are great because they're powerful and are already waterproofed. You'll need to cut up the housing and attach props to the shafts for the most power, but they are pretty easy to work with. If you want I can also send you the CAD files to the bilge pump mounts I made. They fit onto the 1/2" pipe.
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Relays and arduino for control - http://www.homebuiltrovs.com/howtorelaywiringmain.html
I can send you a schematic and some code for this if you'd like. I used two arduinos communicating over I2C, one in the controller and one on board, but it's easily adapted to just one arduino.
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RC Boating props for propellors - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT5EVJP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Prop adapters to connect the bilge pump shaft to the props-
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077KYVPBR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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If you absolutely have to put electronics other than motors underwater I would echo what someone else said and get a pelican waterproof case. (you can also go to walmart and buy cheap ones)
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You have to start small. With your puppets you'll be dealing with kinematics which is quite a complex subject depending on how deep you go in to it. Before that, you need to build something simpler so you can get yourself familiar with microcontrollers, motor drivers, coding, etc.
I posted the below text over at /r/Arduino yesterday and I think it'll help you as well.
--------------
Build a line following or obstacle avoiding robot.
You can make it as simple or as complex as you want. Lets take a line following robot for example. On the simple side your code would just check for variation and either move left or right. On more advanced version of the bot, you can use PID so your movements are much more smoother.
Anyway, here's a parts list to get you started:
Total: ~$60 before S&H
There you go. You have everything to make a small obstacle avoidance robot AND/OR a line following robot.
(PS: You can build a line following robot without a micro controller using just comparators if you want to)
I built this little guy from stuff I had laying around (I tend to have a lot of things laying around because I buy in bulk lol). Here is a video of the older version of the above bot driving around.
Also check out the tutorials here: http://tronixstuff.wordpress.com/tutorials/ and if you have any questions regarding Arduino, post at /r/arduino or the actual arduino.cc Forums.
This is a great little bot. Just swap the PICAXE with Arduino. Look at other posts/guides on this site as they can be extremely useful.
On a side note, the FRC team I mentor at started building bots like above because FRC season is over so they needed something to do. Robotics is fun :D
If you have any questions just ask.
I was about your age when I started to get into robotics. By the time I was 17, I had been programming for fun for about 9yrs and was starting my second year of a high school internship in a hospital's IT department. What started that interest was my curiosity to learn some of the deeper parts of computer science, namely AI.
I'm going to take /u/jonlwowski012's answer to the next step. What you should consider first is what skills you have to start with and what you would like to do next. Robotics is an exceptionally broad field, and very multi-disciplinary. So, for a basic recommendation, I would rephrase your question to help focus on something you have as a goal project that you could do in about 6 months time.
All in all, I would recommend a beginner's book. When I first started, I used an earlier edition of Robot Builder's Bonanza to get a basic understanding. Start there, and let your curiosity drive you onwards!
Good luck!
I am an engineering graduate student and I highly recommend this: http://amzn.com/B0017OFRCY
There's no programming to it. It's strictly the hardware of the robotics; gears, electric motors, linkages. I got it specifically because it's straightforward and I had plans to augment it with an Arduino wheeled robot and chase my roommate's ferrets (which I never got around to). It's all hard plastic and metal parts and the grip is pretty decent.
This would work well for you too since it has good instructions. If you can put together a table from IKEA, you can put together this robotic arm. It's also a great price. I see Mindstorms thrown around a lot, and that may work well in this case since he's 5 but I've always found their stuff to be incredibly overpriced (this is coming from someone who loves Legos).
Fair warning, this will give him great insight into the mechanics of how robotic arms work. Side effects may include him shutting himself in his room to work on his "arc reactor".
Probably not necessary - but what I have found so far, is that none of the sensors really replace each other - they all have their strengths and weaknesses. When I added the single point lidar, I initially thought about using that for mapping, and also removing the ultrasonic sensors, but soon realized that the ultrasonics can't be beaten for collision avoidance, and the point lidar would be very slow for mapping. What the point lidar is great for (if mounted on a pan/tilt), is getting the distance to a specific point - conveniently at the center of the camera image. It can also be used for creating point clouds - although I haven't tried doing that yet. I am thinking that when I get true vision working, as the camera recognises an object, the lidar will give its distance, so that the robot can approach accordingly.
As for the cost, there is a cheap way to get scanning lidars ($34). Check out https://www.amazon.com/Neato-LIDAR-Laser-distance-sensor/dp/B00QSUJPSY/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=neato+lidar&qid=1566875415&s=gateway&sr=8-6
I think in this regard, Elon Musk's lidar philosophy is wrong. I get where he is coming from - ie humans don't need lidar, but if we did have lidar, as well as vision, I think we would be better drivers. My plan is to arm Kate with as many diverse sensors as I can physically fit on the chassis.
I looked up your Lego Mindstrom EV3 motors and they can support 20Ncm = 2kgcm, so they can carry around 2kg.
I use lewansouls, they're pretty strong and they're 15kgcm at 6V motors:
https://www.amazon.com/LewanSoul-LDX-227-Standard-Digital-Bearing/dp/B077TXLWZS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1525395925&sr=8-7&keywords=lewansoul
Also I've used this and it's pretty strong too:
https://www.amazon.com/LewanSoul-LD-27MG-Standard-Digital-Aluminium/dp/B07569WJ1M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525395925&sr=8-2&keywords=lewansoul&dpID=51XF68PmHqL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I've spend almost 4 years teaching kids 7-13 robotics, and I can say that at that age you are almost guaranteed to have a bad time with such an open ended challenge. Children that age are simply not capable of realizing how many small problems contribute to the overall complexity of a problem. In order to effectively teach kids problem solving or robotics, it is essential to artificially reduce the complexity of the little problems. For example on our outside robot we have the following very non-trivial problems that are not strictly related to the central problem of, find interesting stuff then investigate:
if you wanted to come up with a different challenge that would be easier to succeed and teach with, I would go with something like the following: Cut out a bunch of pieces of construction paper, maybe 1.5 inch diameter circles. mostly brown or grey or black but a few red ones. Stick all these pieces of paper on a table in a random mess, you can even cut up the paper to look like leaves or something, and the red ones to look like ladybugs, whatever works to make the mock up yard feel more real. The idea is to build an environment that is similar to outside, but has much less "hidden" complexity to overcome. Now build a robot that drives around and has a little arm with some tape on it that it can push down on the table to pick up paper with, this way our robot doesn't have to actually dig or grasp objects, which eliminates some of the difficulty of the challenge. This robot could use a simple color sensor, which comes with every Lego NXT kit now to sense the leaf color. This eliminates most of the complexity of our sensor. By using legos we have an easier platform to work with. its not longer difficult for the kid to focus for long periods of time because it can come together faster, and its more toy like. we also have a relatively low cost option, a 400$ lego kit is an amazing deal considering it can be re-configured.
here are some links to robotics kits that you might like. I highly recommend lego for a kid this age, but there are some other options if you'd prefer a toy you can learn something from as well.
http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-6029291-Mindstorms-EV3-31313/dp/B00CWER3XY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1422256562&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=NXT&amp;pebp=1422256562324&amp;peasin=B00CWER3XY
polulu 3pi robot, with the addition of a servo you could build a pretty sweet robot for the task i described above:
https://www.pololu.com/product/1306
https://www.pololu.com/product/1058
Vex robotics. geared for much more complex robots, this would be my least favorite option for someone who is only 7.
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexiq
I really liked Lego Mindstorms when I was a kid. It's cool because they are easy to assemble because it's just legos and the coding language was pretty simple. It's a graphical block-diagram language that's nice for kids. https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/learn-to-program
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_sop=15&amp;_nkw=arduino&amp;rt=nc&amp;LH_BIN=1
$25 will easily buy everything you need except the computer/laptop to program it with. How many 'kits' are yo talking about? Instead of buying the same for each set, I would get a range of sensors/actuators and maybe save some money and see what people use.
Start with an arduino, a light sensor and a couple of servos. This is a good book for some simple yet very complex ideas.
Maybe a better idea would give them a cheap arduino and a $20 budget and let them pick out what they want.
Well, something you both might have fun building together is the Owi robotic arm:
http://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1367780839&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=robot+arm
It's relatively cheap compared to other things and is good quality. I have one on my desk I built a while ago and it is great fun. Robotics leagues will appear more often in middle and high school (vex, first, things like that) but this should keep her interested.
The Servo can only move 1 degree at a time, while the stepper motor can micro step a fraction of a degree
(like up to 1/256th of a degree).
Distance * tan (degree * π/180 )Moving the servo 1 degree will move the point of aim 2.09 inch at 10feet.
While a high res pwm into a stepper could microstep 1/256 degrees giving you 0.0072 inch movement at 10ft
something like this will work to move 15lbs at a point blank. (21ft/inch torque) 1.9A at 5V maxhttps://www.amazon.com/ANNIMOS-Digital-Waterproof-Crawler-Control/dp/B07GK1G5FV/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=metal+gear+servo&qid=1555433131&s=gateway&sr=8-17
Pins 6,7,8 9 on the Duo have high res 10bit PWM output, which will let you run a single Stepper motor at 1/256 degree steps, However, the current provided by the Arduino Due will not be enough to run the servos.
You will probably need an external control / power board like this : https://www.adafruit.com/product/815?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw62z04vV4QIVnbrACh35pQzWEAQYASABEgIBf_D_BwE with a 5A 6V Max,
this pwm board can be used as a motor controller that could handle two of the previously mentioned Servo's. You will need to solder on the extra cap for high power. I personally use this PWM board for every project I can because of how easy it is.
Edit: 0.17455064928ft = 2.09 inch
The motor driver modules have screw-terminals, so you really just have to solder the wires to the motors :-)
Soldering-> There's something for every budget;
There are also $1-$2 soldering irons, but the cheap ones don't work overly well and the tip does not last long.
When soldering, there are a few important things (always tin the tip, clean the tip, heat the wire and apply solder, don't smear solder from the tip on it). Many electronic books have soldering sections. On Youtube you'll find different tutorials, I can't recommend a English one from the top of my head.
It definitely depends on the topic. For linear control theory, Hespanha has a good book. Slotine is popular for nonlinear control theory. Thrun has a ridiculously popular book for stochastic control. I've been meaning to finish Crassidis' book on estimation theory in general. As for underactuated systems specifically, like motion planning and such, I have not read any particular book, but the course notes for the MIT class I linked are basically a good book.
The battery and charger you recommended is perfect. Thanks. Now I was thinking of powering the RPi with another battery so that it can monitor be on contunously but hot swap batteries. It's not important at this stage as long as I don't need to cut the battery connectors. The yellow zippy 2200 has a XT60 discharge plug but the yellow up 2700 has a HXT 4mm discharge plug. So I found a solution otherwise with a lipo distribution board that has DC/DC synchronous buck regulator and with XT60 socket. Also, the I think this MOSFET the driver board will do fine. I plan to place my order in a couple of days.
https://www.amazon.com/QX-Electronics-Distribution-Module-Double/dp/B0711CTFDZ/ref=sr_1_6
https://www.amazon.com/uniquegoods-H-Bridge-IRF3205-Control-Arduino/dp/B07BVJPMST/ref=sr_1_4
You should get a project book.
Something like the Robot Builder Bonanza might be nice, it's all about making your own bots rather than assembling a kit but still worth it, especially since you can shop around for individual components and save money.
I was really hoping that was the case, but I swapped the cheapo power supply with one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RNT1CD/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And The same thing happens. I've got the Current dialed all the way, with the voltage at 5.5 (same as the power supply that works). It shows a 1.4 Amp draw, which the supply should be more than able to handle. Same deal though, servo runs to zero. Still works fine using the dedicated 5v supply putting out 5.5v.
Ohio State University's honors engineering intro series uses the Handyboard programmed in Interactive C.
Sample code is largely going to be dependent on the circuits you've actually connected; what your motor configuration is, etc.
You'll probably have more success looking for broader resources on robotics. Interactive C itself is very similar to ANSI C, except that it has some weird libraries most people wouldn't be useful. If you're having trouble with the language itself, pick up a book on C, or programming in general. K&R C can be kind of rough, and there are down-right factual inaccuracies in many editions, but it might give you a jumping off point.
Beyond that, you may want some books on robotics. I don't have any recommendations, but have you tried asking your professors? Ask the grad students TAing your class too! Students often ignore these resources, but you shouldn't trust some random guys on the internet over trained professionals with every interest in your success.
I'm in a similar boat as you and recently picked up Robot Builder's Bonanza, 4th edition (https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Builders-Bonanza-Gordon-McComb-dp-0071750363/dp/0071750363/). It's a couple hundred pages containing a significant amount of information on understanding how to construct a robot start to finish. For the electrical engineering side, the website https://www.allaboutcircuits.com is the way to go when starting out. That site is chock-full of educational material, and it's totally free.
Just to add to GreyMX's answer a little bit:
There are embedded IMUs on the market now (e.g. Analog Devices ADIS line) that cost a few hundred dollars, and are small, accurate, and precise enough to do these sorts of tasks. The go-to method for finding the postionand orientation of fixed wing UAVs has been a combination of IMU and GPS, where the translation/rotation information you're looking for is generated by a Kalman filter that is calibrated with a model of the UAV dynamics.
A really good book for getting into these techniques is Probabilistic Robotics:
http://www.amazon.com/Probabilistic-Robotics-Intelligent-Autonomous-Agents/dp/0262201623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1409573217&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=probabilistic+robotics
Hmm. I'm not aware of any free lectures (that doesn't mean there aren't any). There is this book, which is quite good (and you can read it online free): http://planning.cs.uiuc.edu/
Here's another textbook which I've read that covers many motion planning approaches: Principles of Robot Motion
Personally my favorite robotics book is Probabilistic Robotics, which doesn't really cover motion planning, but includes a lot about sensing and localization that you'll need to build a practical autonomous robot.
I'm looking for the stepper motor which can make one revolution in the shortest amount of time possible. In other words, something which can make a catapulting motion. Should I be looking for high torque motors?
I found this one but I'm not sure if it has the right specs for what I'm looking for... Could anybody advise? Thanks!
Many years ago i started with this book, it has been updated to keep up with technology and is great for beginners:
http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Builders-Bonanza-4th-Edition/dp/0071750363/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=1YS0Z9X2H3V1P95JTC9Q
I am the same way as you, i need to be hands on to learn, this book realy helped me.
This. Amazing book.
$40.
https://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY
You'll have to add a microcontroller and some way to get position info for each axis, which you can do with some clever 3d printing, some Hall effect sensors and magnets.
I want to second the lego robotics
https://www.amazon.com/Genetic-Los-Angeles-6029291-Mindstorms/dp/B00CWER3XY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467523827&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=lego+mindstorms
And legos in general. But definitely some form of programable motion, which lego robots provides
I found it much easier to learn C first and then C++
https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Language-2nd-Brian-Kernighan/dp/0131103628
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BTW I don't use C++ anymore, just python and BASH.
Try out one of the arduino starter kits. Search amazon for arduino kit.
The Arduino Starter Kit (Official Kit from Arduino with 170-page Arduino Projects Book) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_X0pywb51ZSDYK
Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology by V. Braitenberg
Here are three that you MUST know:
http://www.amazon.com/Probabilistic-Robotics-Intelligent-Autonomous-Agents/dp/0262201623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1269491705&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Robot-Motion-Implementations-Intelligent/dp/0262033275/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1269491705&amp;sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Autonomous-Mobile-Intelligent-Robotics/dp/026219502X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c
In fact, when I searched for the first book it brought up a recommendation for all three.
The Arduino Starter Kit (Official Kit from Arduino with 170-page Arduino Projects Book) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_w3cO1dZs2RtgB
Came with a book of projects. Just wanted some human input.
You may be thinking of 'Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology':
https://www.amazon.com/Vehicles-Experiments-Psychology-Valentino-Braitenberg/dp/0262521121
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It describes "Braitenberg vehicles":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braitenberg_vehicle
These are what I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Torque-Stepper-Motor-425oz-Router/dp/B00PNEPW4C/ref=pd_cp_60_4?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B00PNEPW4C&amp;pd_rd_r=35Y9S4KD82HKA5H9YX3A&amp;pd_rd_w=0KHvJ&amp;pd_rd_wg=Iq2NL&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=35Y9S4KD82HKA5H9YX3A
This is what you may be talking about:
https://www.amazon.com/Stepper-Motor-Bipolar-269oz-Router/dp/B00PNEPI0A/ref=pd_sim_469_4?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B00PNEPI0A&amp;pd_rd_r=61V9SWJJ3XHTTDF9QDE8&amp;pd_rd_w=1Fgkr&amp;pd_rd_wg=kmipE&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=61V9SWJJ3XHTTDF9QDE8
Longer Length = More torque = Wider shaft needed
I've been researching this as well since I'm an absolute beginner and don't know any electronics or coding. I think I've settled on this Arduino starter kit.
Arduino Starter Kit - English Official Kit With 170 Page Book - K000007 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QovCybMP2J2A7