Getting Started With Robotic Platforms

Of course you’ve thought about building your own robot. You’ve dreamed about of having your own R2D2 or Sonny, and the thought of building it yourself makes it that much more exciting. Well there’s hope for you and your plans yet. Exciting research is being performed in the robotics industry every day, and there are plenty of DIY options available!
Sure you can build from scratch, and that’s OK. But for most of us, why re-invent the wheel? Robotic platforms come in many shapes and sizes, for just about any budget.

Lego Mindstorms | From $279.99
Lego has something pretty robust in their Mindstorms platform. These easy-to-assemble pieces can be built into the robotic shape you desire and are powered by a programmable controller that allows you to create a seemingly unlimited array of robots. The kit comes with the processor, servos, sensors, software, Legos (duh…), and instructions to help you along. It is developed for the young and old alike, designed to be powerful and easy to use. This platform has a large number of loyal followers and is definitely worth looking into.

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio | Free Express Edition
MRDS is a Windows-Based (duh…) development platform for developers to produce robotics applications to compliment an array of hardware. It comes complete with simulation tools and has a huge collection of templates, tutorials, and sample code for the beginner. Although it has good documentation, and is a powerful tool, this development platform is more geared toward the programmer instead of a robot hobbyist, but it was included for those who would prefer to get more in-depth into the software development on their robots.

Robonova | From $999.00
This is an awesome little robot. Standing tall at 12.5” in height, it can be programmed to do a multitude of stunts. Some even come with gyros so they right themselves if they sense they are off balance. They are available in kit form, so you can build it yourself – and expand it to meet your needs – or pre-assembled and ready to walk. These are available just about anywhere.

Arduino | From $29
There has been an interesting revolution in hardware development. If you have not heard of open source hardware, you should check this out. This open source board is meant to be hacked and developed, in the same manner that open source software is developed. This neat little platform is powerful enough to have a wide variety of possibilities in your robotic projects. Check it out, or get one here.


Other Sources

The Robot Store Has many great robots as well as kits to build your own. Their Robot Kits are a great place to start, but they have plenty of other tech-related products to fulfill the needs of your inner-nerd.

Jameco Electronics has a huge listing of robotic parts, kits, and platforms. Although their search function has something to be desired, they do have a great selection.

Acroname Robotics has something for you if you are looking to delve deeper into control systems, though they also have entry level kits for sale.

Lynxmotion has a ‘nice selection of intelligently designed, precision engineered robot kits and components’ (from the home page). They do have some of the more awe-inspiring kits including a full line of hexipods and a Johnny 5 robot.