Component Quality: 5
(5=Highest quality) How nice are the components in terms of materials, design, fit, and other qualities? Well-made circuit boards, computer-cut plastic and metal parts, and other precision components add to the experience.
Boe-Bot Robot and Gripper
I bought my first Boe-Bot over 10 years ago. I’ve dropped it, stepped on it, even lost it behind the couch for three months. Nothing seems to faze this thing. The Boe consists of an aluminum frame, upon which two servomotors, a battery holder, and a BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller board are mounted. Over the […]
Egg-Bot
The Egg-Bot is an art robot designed by Bruce Shapiro that’s fun to watch as it draws intricate designs on eggs or any other round objects 3cm–10cm in diameter, including ornaments, golf balls, and light bulbs. You design the patterns in the free app Inkscape, and the bot draws them using fine-point Sharpies, engraving tools, […]
Electronics and Controllers: arts, crafts, electronics, robotics
Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0
This latest version of Lego’s popular Mindstorms robotics kit includes a new 3-in-1 color and light sensor with LEDs; a new ball shooter; and tank treads. On the software side, an image editor now lets you convert your own images to fit the LCD display, and a sound editor records and converts sound clips, to play […]
Sumovore Mini-Sumo Robotics Platform
This is one of the most satisfying kits I’ve ever built, and the Sumovore it creates will be eligible for official RoboGames Mini-Sumo competitions, in which robots vie to push each other out of the ring. This is not a project for beginners, but thanks to clear documentation and well-organized components, anyone with moderate soldering […]
Topobo
My living room looks like Darwin’s laboratory. A three-legged creature writhes on the floor. My daughter pulls off a leg and connects it to its face. My son teaches it to walk. It’s really moving now! This is how you play and learn with Topobo. Topobo is part construction toy, part kinetic memory robot. By […]
AL5B Robotic Arm Combo Kit
Ready for a challenge? Try one of the robotic arms from Lynxmotion. I got their AL5B arm kit, which sports a 5oz lift capacity, five joints, and a reach of 7½ inches. I assembled it in one evening, and I’ve been having a blast with it ever since. All arms in the product line are […]
MadeUSA Robot Base Full Kit
Around my house I’ve renamed my MadeUSA “Big Bruiser” for the black and blue marks it leaves on my ankles when it runs into me during programming tests. Chalk it up to an occupational hazard. And besides, I got these bruises while having fun. This bot, which is strong enough to cart around a full-grown […]
