Kit Completeness: 3
(5=Most complete) How complete is the kit? Plans only? That rates a 1. Parts bundles and kits rate 2–5, depending on whether it’s just key components, almost every- thing, or absolutely everything you need, including any unusual tools.
Killer Krawler
Make Kit Reviews
RC4WD
Killer Krawler
$700 chassis kit, $1,300 ready to run
Reviewed: October 27th, 2011
Make Kit Reviews
RC4WD
Killer Krawler
$700 chassis kit, $1,300 ready to run
Reviewed: October 27th, 2011
In my opinion the coolest innovation in R/C vehicles is the crawler. As the name implies, crawlers are incredible crawling machines that are super fun to build and to run. Like a good video game, they’re easy to pick up but hard to master. Crawlers are built to climb over serious terrain, and some are […]
FireBall V90 CNC Router Kit
Make Kit Reviews
Probotix
FireBall V90 CNC Router Kit
$990 with additional 3-Axis ProboStep Motor/Driver Kit
Reviewed: October 26th, 2011
Make Kit Reviews
Probotix
FireBall V90 CNC Router Kit
$990 with additional 3-Axis ProboStep Motor/Driver Kit
Reviewed: October 26th, 2011
Although the V90 is an entry-level machine, it’s decidedly not a toy. The way it functions is complicated — a platform carries the tool holder; a larger gantry moves the tool back and forth; the frame positions the gantry; and it’s all driven by a motor turning the screw interposed between two shafts. Indeed, this […]
NFC/RFID Controller Breakout Board
Make Kit Reviews
Adafruit Industries
NFC/RFID Controller Breakout Board
$50
Reviewed: October 25th, 2011
Make Kit Reviews
Adafruit Industries
NFC/RFID Controller Breakout Board
$50
Reviewed: October 25th, 2011
In the next few years there’s going to be an influx of a not-so-new technology called Near Field Communication (NFC), which is very similar to RFID, and enables small devices to read passive tags and communicate with each other in close proximity. Card readers use it, as do phones that do payment processing. Adafruit’s PN532 […]
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 […]
Mr. General Mobile Platform
Mr. General is a solderless breadboard on wheels — one of my favorite ways to play with robotics. Mr. General puts it all on a sturdy frame, throws in a nifty servo-operated object detector, and even 140 colored wires. You supply the microcontroller; I recommend a small all-in-one board, like the BASIC Stamp, Boarduino, or Arduino […]
QuadBot
Eight mini servo motors and an assortment of acrylic pieces combine to create the QuadBot, a low-cost, four-legged robotic pet you can assemble in under an hour. The kit doesn’t come with brains or batteries; add those yourself. Each leg uses two servos, making this a 2DOF (two degrees of freedom) walkerbot. Exercising a bit […]
