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How Do You Get Into Robotics?
Chosen Reject asks: "With Voyager I passing the 100 AU mark, and the Mars Rovers continuing to work longer than expected, there's been a lot of talk about robotics. There are cars that can park without humans, the DARPA Grand Challenge, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition, and even the X-Prize. NASA has the pros, the others have all levels of amateurs, but where does a newbie go to learn about robotics? Obviously I can't start out with the next Mars Rover, but where do I go to learn how to make a simple robotic arm that can hold my can of Root Beer?"
http://mindstorms.lego.com/
on how far you really want to go into the topic. I go to a fairly reputable univ. in robotics and cs in general. In fact, I got an email from one of the faculty today asking for undergrad help on various research projects, including various ideas in robotics...most were no experience required. Just my 2c
F.I.R.S.T. did it for me. :-)
http://www.usfirst.org/
Yay, I have a sig.
1. Go to Radio Shack and pick up a Robotics kit.
:)
2. There is no step 2, you've started.
Maybe check Amazon for some highly rated books, play with some Lego Mindstorms, etc. It's really not all that hard. A robot is just a machine that follows pre-programmed commands. It circuitry is capable of controlling a set of electromechanical parts (like a stepper motor), so the rest is up to software. The primary difference between a robot and say, your car, is that a robot's software makes it autonomous. Simple software just plays back commands (e.g. an assembly line) while complex software uses photoelectric sensors, touch sensors, accelerameters, etc. to determine how to interact with its environment.
If you want to make this a serious hobby, then I highly recommend getting yourself a background in computer programming, electronics engineering, and mechanical engineering. You don't need anything special. Most of the info you'd need you can get from the library.
Good luck.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
My best advice is to start with some 80's toys from Galoob. Mr. T, Hulk Hogan, and Jem and the Holograms are excellent examples of how to put together robots. From the voice box triggered by arm movement to the blinking hair jewels triggered by proximity sensors, these things are real marvels.
The big thing you want to keep in mind is that robotics is no different from any other sort of engineering field. The same physical laws that work in Structural Engineering will work in Robotics. The same development guidelines that govern software projects also govern Robotics projects. And just like any other embedded system, Robots are driven by sensors and the algorithms which react to inputs.
Get your hands on some of those old toys and tear them apart to see how they work. If it's a hassle to get those toys, look into getting a GumStix development board and try embedding Linux or WindowsCE (or NetBSD, RIP). It will help you along the path to Evil Robot Overlord much more economically than trying to learn anything from Mindstorms.
" How Do You Get Into Robotics?"
Simple really
Learn physics, kinematics, embedded programming, electronics, and various actuation technologies. Get to know some machinists. Check out related university courses for online material.
Check out this site.. I know the guy who runs it, for him it really is a labour of love.
How we know is more important than what we know.
Next question?
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
For recreational robotics - building simple stuff as a hobby - something like Lego Mindstorms is a very good way to get introduced to the field. Then you can start looking at experimental controller boards like a Basic stamp, self-contained single-board Linux machine or other small development system and go on building your own hardware from components.
:)
Just realize that robotics encompasses several disparate fields - various software disciplines, electronics, electromechanics, wood- plastic- and metalworking and so on - each one of which is more than a full academic field in itself. Don't expect to develop real expertise in all areas; find the areas in robotics that especially fascinate you and focus on that.
For academic or industrial "real" robotics, expect to first take a Masters or equivalent in any of the disciplines you need (some areas could be mechanical engineering, control theory, computational neuroscience, even psychology), then widen your general knowledge and deepend your area of expertise through a good PhD program. After which, of course, you'll find few real research positions and a lot of very qualified applicants - but that's a different issue
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
I used to work in a tool & die shop. But I had a mishap with a sander, and due to nobody's fault but my own, I lost a testicle. I realized at that point that I was not cut out for shop life, took out a loan, and went back to school. I studied mechanical engineering, and eventually I found myself drawn to robotics. My focus has been on the use of robotics to perform the jobs typically done in a small tool & die shop, but without the risk to humans.
The way we do everything in the Slashdot army: from the book of instructions.
The Radio Shack/FIRST Vex Robotics Starter Kit is definitely worth a look if you're serious about getting into the field. The long awaited programming module is even available now. The kit can also be upgraded with a wide array of sensors, motors and gear sets available from various dealers around the internet.
Of course, Lego Mindstorms is always good for a quick fix if you want to play around before getting too committed.
Finally, for the wannabe robot expert in all of us, you might consider trying Mind Rover: The Europa Project to create virtual autonomous robots on your computer and make them compete.
8==8 Bones 8==8
The October 2006 issue of LJ has an article on Linux-based robotics. Grab a copy at your book megastore.
--
# Canmephians for a better Linux Kernel
$Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.net";
As I said, there are 3 main ways to get into robotics. Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering. All of these deal with different parts of what makes up a robot, and as a result, these are the places to start. Now if you are looking for "places" as in physical places, well, I point you toward the internet and the search function. Go look up colleges that participate in the different activities that you just cited in the question to /. and add soccer bots as well to that search. If you already have an undergrad degree in something else, well, you will need to go learn enough of the basics of one of the afformentioned disciplines and then go get a graduate degree in one of those fields, preferably from a university that does a lot of work with robotics. In working on your grad degree you will have the oppertunities to participate in the different competitions and research work that the better universities do in the robotics field. Once in one of those positions, you can make lots of contacts with different corporations and government agencies and line up a real job...
We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
engineering
This is the premier robotics magazine for at home and undergrad folk. Everything else is rather specialized.
"But I had a mishap with a sander, and due to nobody's fault but my own, I lost a testicle. I realized at that point that I was not cut out for shop life, took out a loan, and went back to school."
But your aim was improving.
In robot infested soviet russia, robotics get into you!
Step 1: Build robot
Step 2: Climb in
There are quite a few hobby robotics clubs - I learned a lot of what I know from the Atlanta Hobby Robot Club. They're scattered all over the USA, and I've heard rumors of clubs in other countries. We had an entry in our yearly competition from sweden, and several other multi-national entries that weren't able to make the trip. Search on google for a club in your area, and you'll be surprised how many people are interested in this field.
I've been writing up my robotics story on my website at http://asmith.id.au/robotics.html and publishing as much practical information about it as possible. I guess it works because this morning I received an invitation to apply for a robotics research position at a prominent university on the strength of the content of my website.
You're looking at three main bits to get the whole thing up and running:
(obviously there's some overlap here)
If you have limited experience with these things, a kit from somewhere like Lego or Fischertechnik is an excellent place to start. These will take care of the hard stuff, letting you get straight in. Its also a good way to test the waters - see if you really want to get into robotics (it can become addictive and expensive very quickly).
If you want to do it yourself, I recommend these books by David Cook:
See also http://www.robotroom.com/
I tend not to get into the body building much, preferring off-the-shelf stuff. Basic Lego Technic sets have served me well, and I'm currently using Tamiya gearboxes and bases. I'm far more interested in the computer side, building small microcontroller-based computers and writing the software from scratch.
I wondered the same thing. I started with hobby servos. You can get a model airplane transmitter and 4 servos for around $120. Play around with the servos, tape them together, and experiment. You can find instructions on the net for how to modify a servo for continuous rotation(to make a wheel). Play around.
After that it's easier to see what you want to do with robotics, and it's a LOT less intimidating to go forward to bigger and better things.
heres a short list of some stuff to get you started.
Electronics:
Transmitter & receiver
Servos... at least 4
Batteries
Useful stuff:
Soldering iron
Solder
Electrical tape
Duct tape
Epoxy
Pliers
Exacto knife
Small screwdrivers
Wire strippers
Multimeter
Misc materials:
Extra servo horns
Balsa wood
Wire clothes hangers
bits of plastic
CDs
Have fun!
-John Fenley
1) A book that I thought was awesome when I was in high school was "The Robot Builder's Bonanza." You can check it out. The material has held up quite solidly. You'll learn all about building robots to pick up cans of soda.
2 63d010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html If you're the reading sort, you might also enjoy the article that it accompanies. http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technology/d6a1884322 63d010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html (It's by Ray Kurzweil)
2) Hobby robot clubs. They're sprining up quite similarly to the computer clubs of old.
3) As already suggested, lots of people like mindstorms, but I've no personal experience with these.
4) Kits. You can purchase kits for a number of robots, including robot sumo competition kits.
5) Pyrobot. You might want to check it out. It's a software simulation kit (I think that it can drive some robots too) that was being pushed at AAAI-2005 for teaching robotics at the undergraduate and perhaps high school levels. It comes on a Linux LiveCD. It's mostly about writing software in python.
One thing to kick around. If a project that you want to do out of one of the older books asks for a computer... check out a less-expensive alternative. Most of these projects were written for hardware that is positively old and inexpesive by modern standards (it's been 10 years since I read The Robot Builder's Bonanza, first). If you have the cash and patience to learn about PICs, you might consider it time well spent later in life.
So, now you're looking at college perhaps? Major in computer science, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. Each focus on different facets that can be of use in robotics. If you're into cognitive science, psychology isn't a bad bet... I have no personal experience with that one though. I went computer science, which is also a fairly good route to cog sci if you go artificial intelligence.
The breakdown looks like this though:
Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence
Mechanical Engineering - Design & Control
Electrical Engineering - Control
If you want to go straight out into industry building robots, mechanical engineering isn't a bad bet. If you want to do research with humanoid robots and the like, computer science is your best bet. Mechanical engineering also has lots of good research in robotics, and you'll have more opportunities to fiddle with them as an undergrad. If you're in college, check out your school's Mechatronics course, they're becoming far more common.
Research will certainly require a PhD. I'm currently in a PhD program working in a robotics lab with a humanoid robot. It's very very very cool.
At any rate. If you're still in high shcool, starting out in high school isn't a bad bet, just make sure you keep up with your classes and grades. If you want to go the PhD route, the best thing to do is to go to a good undergrad school, get solid grades, and, most importantly, find a professor to do some work with... preferably research. Your letters of recommendation will make or break you for admission to a PhD program. Stay on the good side of your professors, at least three of them. Also, remember, it doesn't hurt to have a famous professor in your corner, but a professor who knows you better, but is less influential, is more helpful than a professor who is quite influential but barely knows you.
If you screw up any of the above steps, that's ok too. I definitely didn't do everything perfectly on my route here, but I still got into an exceptional school with a world-class lab and work with a professor who has made quite a name for himself.
Also, check out these cool pictures, featured in this month's issue of popular science http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technology/b67188432
1. Listen to old skool Hip Hop / Electro
2. Bodypopping
3. ?????
4. ROBOTICS
BEAM bots are cheap, relatively easy to make, and provide a great introduction to both electronics and basic robotics. They aren't the most sophisticated bots in the world, but they are a great place to start. And, because they use analog electronics instead of microprocessors, they require no programming skills (if that matters to you).
http://www.solarbotics.net/
In the professional sense, many engineering schools have faculty specializing in robotics. They tend to dwell in CS, EE, or MechE departments. The CS deparment I got my degree in had courses in robotics and plenty of opportunities for students to work with bots.
The post below assumes that you are interested in robotics as a career path, not as a weekend hobbyist thing.
I'm in a robotics undergrad degree at the University of Waterloo (the Mechatronics program, to be specific), and I've involved in quite a bit of robotics on campus as well as on the internship level. My suggestion is: don't stop at undergrad, or even masters. You can get INTO robotics with an undergrad or masters degree, sure, but if you want to touch any of the very interesting work, or have high-level control over a project, a phD is almost without a doubt a necessity.
If you just want to get your hands dirty and have fun, go for a controls-related degree. Remember that there are many different sides to robotics: control systems, electronics, mechanics, etc. To be effective in the field you need to have a basic knowledge of all areas, and specialize in whatever interests you the most. A degree would go a long way. The traditional mechanical or electrical engineerings are good in this regard, and there are many robotics-centric and controls-centric programs starting to appear that would give you more specialized knowledge.
Of course. What else?
2. Go to car factory.
3. Get drunk.
You have to be born of the day of the 2nd impact or else you can just forget it. Even then, it gets a little tricky. Your mother has to be dead AND the magi have to pick you based on the Marlmaduke report. Then you are either blessed with incredibly high sync rates OR you have to train in the entry plug simulator(which also means skin tight body suits and sitting in a pool of a funky liquid). You can bypass this if they need a pilot in an emergency however. After all that, they will finally put you in a robot when an angel attacks.
Hope this helps.
Monstar L
http://www.pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF077AD-Disassemble .jpg#146
I have freaks! I did something right...
I started with the . It's not perfect, but the 2nd edition helped a lot, and the projects are decidedly garage oriented.
Lego Technics sets got me started with mechanics at a young age, and the book (my yellow covered, dog eared, marked up 1st edition) pushed me the rest of the way. I grabbed the books on the Rug Warrior from the MIT crew as a second step, though I didn't pursue them.
The Parallax BOEBot is wonderful too. it's a lot more expensive, but it's an all in one kit that can get you a light reactive robot in an afternoon.
This is not a sig. this is a duck. quack.
There are academic programs, but the US robotics industry is tiny. I have a slide I use in talks; it compares total spending on robots, mobile robots, and ringtones. Ringtones are far bigger.
Robot R&D in Japan is serious, but in the US, it's the same old academic groups grinding away. The number of US commercial companies shipping products in the mobile robot space is very small, as is number of units shipped. Above the Roomba/toy level, there just aren't any volume applications. This seriously limits job and business prospects. There's a market in teleoperators for bomb disposal applications, and the machinery developed for that is quite nice, but it's not autonomous.
Even industrial robotics and factory automation is declining in the US. With manufacturing moving offshore to low-wage countries, the end of union labor, and a huge supply of illegal immigrants, plants are less automated than they were twenty years ago. The original Macintosh had less assembly labor in it than today's PCs. I can't recommend a US career in manufacturing engineering today.
Robot hardware is better than ever. The Lego Mindstorms stuff is primitive, but around $1000, things get quite good. Check out RoboNova. Further upscale, see Mobile Robots, Inc.
The theory is getting better. Vision is starting to work. Planning actually works in the real world now. Adaptive control and learning finally work. There's enough CPU power to do hard stuff in real time on cheap hardware. Much is technically possible. But the market isn't there.
I ran one of the DARPA Grand Challenge teams. That didn't really lead anywhere. The two best young people we had are doing very well, but not in robotics. One is running a hedge fund and one is working for an offshore derivatives fund. Of the older people, one is running a big web server farm, and one has retired. If you understand all the practical stuff and all the theoretical stuff to operate at that level, you can do very well at other things. But the payoff isn't in robotics.
This field needs a killer app.
You might need one of those fancy security bits from your local electronics shop...
I know it seems a bit immature, but I've seen some crazy things done with Lego Mindstorms, from building a disk array to a robot that cleans rooms and such. It should provide a good entry level system for you to learn how to at least *think* like a roboticist.
Ah, maybe here somebody knows where to get a complete set for miniature hydraulics? I have searched for something like that for ages, and phone called about 20 different vendors of hydraulic components, but found only one German language website that had some, but not all of the required components. Even that page now disappeared.
Where I went to there were quite a few official/school robot projects/teams and various ones started by students (some of which had school funding). If you go to college you may try looking around and see if any exist, they may be happy to let you on even if you don't know much. Do keep in mind that if they let you do anything important (ie: not the code/soldering monkey) don't hold high hopes for the project getting far.
Also if its a student run team with nothing solid pushing them (ie: failing a class if it doesn't work, an angry professor) then there may be a problem with things getting done (schoolwork, more important activities, etc.). On the plus side if you do dedicate your time to such a team you may very well get to do anything you want without paying for anything. Just don't take it too seriously in such cases; last time I did I got a non-working robot (it was for a competition)), 4 days without sleep and 4 days of telling people what to do while getting gradually more angry and annoyed (I became the de-facto leader of the team I think as I think I was the only one who knew how everything worked).
You can get all the textbooks, e-books and magazines you want, or which you think you want, to further you into this field but I suppose nothing replaces grabbing hold of wires, cells, toolkit and other what-not and getting down to it. Most successful people in robotics probably got in this way, at least that's been my experience in programming. We're having a java class this semester and there seem to be two distinct classes of students- there are those who lugg around heavy java manuals, downloading PPTs and PDFs by the MB so as to 'learn' programming and there are those who simply...code. It's a no-brainer as to which group out-performs the other.
sorry, just thought I would fix the last part of your post:
This field needs a killer robot.
Promote Charity on Myspace, Show Your Colours!
This field needs a killer app.
Make love robots, not war robots.
KFG
I started at lynxmotion.com... i bought their simplest hexapod kit and went from there. They show you how to build it, but it's real, legitimate robotics, and you see how it's put together. The next robot i built was designed from scratch. It was easy once i saw how servos could be interfaced to a microcontroller (which i learned from the first hexapod i bought). So yeah, i love lynxmotion.
-Taylor
Worldwide Military budgets: $2100 billion. Worldwide Space Exploration budgets: $38 billion. Really, world? Really?
Buy Lego Mindstorms
Make Robot
Teach it English
Program it to hit keys on a keyboard
No-one would ever guess you're not a real person.
Unexpected Next without For
Core Dump
EEEE:3244
I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
I have to slightly disagree with your statements... While i do conceed that the overall manufacturing levels in the US are declining, the amount of manufacturing done by automation is rapidly expanding. I currently work as a robotic technician for a small ohio shop...in the past 3 years we have doubled our robotics count. nearly all of the shops i have contact with in the area are undergoing a similiar renisaince.
:P
Industrial automation is becoming so inexpensive that its a no brainer... as small shops like ours strugle to keep up with super cheap chinese labor they are finding that the only viable solution is to remove the labor.
With vision systems becoming fully integratible with nearly all the robotics packages out of the box and with more and more of the robotics manufacturing supporting PC based controls, the apex of human replacement in manufacturing is drawing ever near. At 32, i fully expect to see industrial robotics with full bin-picking abilities and teach-by-demonstraion capacities in my lifetime...
when this happens the only jobs in manufacturing will be as robotics technicians... i would say now is the time to get in on the ground floor
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
This is MY galaxy...go find your OWN!
Others have said the same thing, but I'll rehash and add a bit more detail.
:) Start with something easier, like an RC car, then add some sensors and make it able to drive itself around. Maybe work your way UP to a robotic arm...
1) If you're in high school (US), try to see if your school has a First or Best team. If they don't, find one close by and talk to them. You might be able to start one
1b) If you're not in high school, find a local school that has a First or Best team, and offer to mentor. You can learn a lot
2) Join a local hobby robot club. I'm co-vice president of the atlanta hobby robot club (www.botlanta.org).
3) Build something! Get a kit...Vex, Boebot, Mindstorm, etc.
4) Combat robotics is an almost entirely different field from the rest of hobby robotics, but it can still be fun. (I'm talking here of the radio controlled combat robots, not autonomous sumos)
Okay, so go build yourself a sumo bot! And remember, a robotic arm is NOT simple....
ttyl,
--buddy
"Man, if you gotta ask, you ain't never gonna know."
You get into it by getting into it. You start by starting. Go do something!
I started in 8th grade by just saving my allowance and buying parts from radio shack and the local hardware store. Just try something. Build whatever you want to build. If you need to learn something to build what you want to build, learn it. If you're building something to impress your friends, fine, build something shiney and awesome. Otherwise, just do what you want and follow your bliss.
Start Running Better Polls
I have been fascinated with Robots since my childhood and is why I got an EE degree. We had to build a Pong robot in College it was pretty cool. The great hindrance to mast producing of robots I think is being able to have a cheap $150 positioning system. GPS is good but have a lawn mower being off by +- 12 feet is not good. But I guess that is jumping why ahead of where you want to be. The main thing is to just mess around good to a local college and see if they have any extra parts or dumpster dive. If you go into soldering make sure you have a good gun, bad ones make it alot harder. Have fun.
"If you like Battlestar Galactica, you're probably a huge nerd." -Stephen Colbert
I posted a question related to getting started in robotics on here a month or so back. But it was in the career field.
My advice to you is go spend $250 at Target/Amazon/etc on Lego Mindstorms NXT. Then use your imagination and come up with 20 or so simple robots you can think of to do cool little things. Then, depending on how much free time you have, take one off the list and actually build it with your set. One a month, one a week, whatever. Just start building. You'll learn so much while experimenting with it yourself, that you couldn't ever grasp reading a robotics book. Sure they provide details on the hard stuff. But you just want to get into it. You don't care about degrees of freedom yet, or kinematics (ugh). Certain concepts you grasp better when you are building a robot and you see them in action for yourself. For instance, I got a much better understanding of torque when I built a Lego robot. My robotics class had us use Lego for our projects, which helped solidify the stuff we learned from the book and professor. You're a complete beginner. The set is perfect for what you need. Don't listen to the guys telling you to go to RadioShack or something, buying some set that may seem like more work than it's worth.
You need to get into the fun of it, and the newer Lego set is much better for that. Some may argue it's limited in scale. But find me another set where you have 3 motor servos, an ultrasound sensor, light sensor, touch sensor, microphone, speaker, lcd display, flash storage for programs, easy to use software, usb connection, guaranteed compatibility between sensors and the system, about 500-600 pieces, and a huge support base in case you need help. Lego has that all hands down. And you don't need to waste time, money, or frustration with soldering, or shorting out a sensor because you're not an electrical engineer.
As for projects, here's five common ones that not only will be pretty easy to get started, but will show you some of the basics of robotics.
1. Line follower - uses sensors to drive along while following the path of a painted black line
2. Cliff Explorer - drives around a table, but when it encounters an edge, it won't drive off
3. Light Catcher/Avoider - your choice, avoids or follows a flashlight you drag around the table
4. Speedtrap robot - waits for a car to drive by that's traveling too fast, then pulls out and chases it
5. Dancing robot - waits till it hears music, then dances until the music stops, and repeats when it starts again
Hope all that helps. BTW, those 5 can all be done with the Lego kit in a day or two if you're interested...
I musn't run away...I musn't run away...
I musn't run away...I musn't run away!!!
*sigh* shinji is such a little b*tch.
http://www.cs.utah.edu/research/areas/robotics/rob oticstrack.shtml
You do it. If you want to be really good at it you do it a lot.
And don't just read about it (unless the interest IS reading), books and the net are good for pointers but experience counts a lot more in getting good at things.
Start wth kits, cobble together junk, make some mistakes (try to make them non-lethal on non-dangerous) You will get a "feel" for what works for you and what doesn't.
You can never be too old or too young - but you can be too lazy or just not interested enough.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
Based on my experience, here is an easy and cheap-ish way to get going from the hobbiest perspective.
1. buy a book like "The Robot Builder's Bonanza" (already mentioned elsewhere)
2. go get an OOPic (http://www.oopic.com/) this is less than $100 and lets you start learning about microcontrollers. It even has some microswitches and led's onboard, so you can start learning without getting into electronics yet.
3. now go buy a radio controlled tank from your local toystore. take the top off and remove the 'radio' parts and replace them with your oopic. use a couple bumper switches from radio shack to give it awareness of its surroundings. (I like the tank more than a radio controlled car, because navigation can be simpler. forward, reverse, pivot left, pivor right)
You can see the robot that I did using this approach at http://dahlweb.net/index.php?page=zaurbot
On this page, you can see that I added a Sharp Zaurus to supplement the OOPIC
www.DIYTVAntennas.com
My college offers a 1-month January Term course in robotics. I'm taking it this January, should be alot of fun. :)
Try the VeX kit. It's reasonably priced, very configurable, programmable and fun. Then go look at the FIRST VeX Challenge (http://www.usfirst.org/vex/). It's a great way to get introduced into robotics.
Ron
Coach Angelbots (www.angelbots.org)
A lot of people have caught the obvious, so I will really just summarize.
LEGO NXT & Mindstorms are both great kits to play around in. Especially if you have traditional LEGO bricks and Technic pieces already.
If you are more into Erector style kits, then go with the Vex kits from Radio Shack. They are clearing them out for some reason, so they are cheap. Make sure you get a programming kit though.
If you want more "professional" robots, maybe take a look at Lynxmotion, they have really really cool sets that will come with everything you need to make an arm, or a walker, or what have you.
Of course, you can go pre-made, but simpler, with a Mark III. This basic kit is wonderful to learn programming of a micro controller.
If you want a more capable micro, the OOPic is a good choice.
I have played or own all of the products above, and they are all wonderful ways to get your hands dirty. Of course, also see the book recomendations in this thread, there are excellent selections there too that I highly recomend.
This
I'd second (or third) the Mindstorms recommendations - it's great to be able to put together a complete robot in an hour or so. When you decide to start building your own robots from scratch, I'd really recommend the David Cook books "Robot Building for Beginners" and "Intermediate Robot Building." The first book walks you step-by-step through every aspect of building a line-follower robot using simple parts and circuits. The Intermediate book is more of an "engineer's notebook" with lots of details and advice on sensors, motors, and garage machining. Great stuff and a of fun just to browse for ideas: http://robotroom.com/
Some people might argue that we already have robots in the form of assembly lines, remote-controlled vehicles and other machinery. For some definition of robotics, this is true, and sure, you can buy a hobbyist kit, and build your own remote-controlled "robot", but that is a very far cry from what science fiction writers have dreamed of for decades.
Robotics as a science started ~50 years ago at MIT, and then Stanford. Now, there are hundreds of labs around the world, both in academia and industry, spending billions of dollars on related research. Progress has been really slow, due to the extremely difficult problems associated with building a robot. Some of these problems:
- Stability: It's very hard to make a biped robot. You either have to give it huge, duck-like feet (which increases its area of contact with the ground, but reduces maneuverability), or you have to rely on multiple (>= 3) feet or wheels (which limits the kind of terrain it can operate on).
- Intelligence: AI is really tough. That is why most robots in operation today are dumb machines that have very specific tasks, and that completely fail if any of the multiple assumptions it has is violated.
- Vision: Computer vision started as a summer project at MIT in the sixties, and so far, it has not been cracked. It is extremely hard to design something as versatile and efficient as the human eye, so most robots employ infrared sensors and, more recently, GPS technology. Even then, the task of detecting an object within an image is an extremely difficult one, which is why most robots today are employed inside very controlled environments where specific colors can be associated with specific objects.
- Natural language processing: Due to the difficulty of NLP, we have to communicate with robots through "non-natural" channels, like a programming language or a remote-controller, which severely limits the way we interact with them.
Of course, depending on your application you might not need to tackle all of the above problems (and I suggest you don't try to tackle all of them at once), but I just wanted to show you some of the problems that robot designers have to deal with.In conclusion, if your goal is to learn more about robotics by building simple, remote-controlled robots, then a hobbyist kit will do. Otherwise, nothing short of a PhD in either CS, Electrical Engineering and/or Mechanical Engineering, along with a lot of hard work, will do.
Hope I haven't discouraged you though
1. Stand in front of robotics
2. Open access panel with screwdriver
3. Insert favorite appendage into access panel
4. You are now into robotics
On a more serious note, the Omron C200H programmable logic controller, which was several thousand $ when first released around 1990, is now available on ebay way cheap. These things are full scale industrial automation controllers (Can control pretty much anything with it, servomotors, lights, pneumatics, hydraulics, anything.) Can get these tiny 3/4 proximity detectors (think tiny metal detectors) that can sense metal moving within an inch or two. Photosensors. All kinds of stuff.
If you get one, make sure and get one that comes with a manual. The C200H manual is the best for explaining Ladder Logic (The language you program these things in, think something like Graphic Assembly language.) I got my first job in robotics by reading this manual. Took me about three days to learn enough to come up with a design to turn my car (Real car, not toy) into a remote controlled car. Never built it, but my plans got me the job.
Here's a search at Google for robotic components fitting your requirements.
I love robots.
:D
Hear's another vote for FIRST-related stuff. I was on a high school team and now I mentor and help to run the Boston regional competition. It's a really great program.
LEGO MindStorms and VEX kits are great. I took a BOEBot (parallax.com, I think) to my senior prom -- it ran on a BASIC Stamp (old school!). These all come with great documentation.
If you're in to programming, try a Roomba. The ones iRobot makes. They opened up their SCI protocol and they're inviting hackers to do fun and interesting things with them. You can nab one for $100-$150, have all the hardware and place, and just play around with the code. As an added bonus, it'll even vacuum your floor!
I don't know how old you are, but try to find internships with robotics companies, too. I'm in the Boston area, so I'm most familiar with companies here, but lots of other cities have growing industries where even a couple of months seeing things in action will give you a good perspective on the field.
And above all, hack away
While i do conceed that the overall manufacturing levels in the US are declining, the amount of manufacturing done by automation is rapidly expanding.
Right. What manufacturing is left in the US is heavily automated. Visit a US plant that makes some high volume consumer product, and you'll see barely any people. If it's labor-intensive, it's been offshored by now.
US robot sales are falling right now. For the first half of 2006, "total sales for North American robot suppliers totaled 7,141 robots valued at $501.4 million. The totals represent a decline of 37% in units and 26% in revenue." (over 2005). This reflects the decline in the automotive sector. The long term trend is up, but not steeply.
$1 billion a year isn't a big industry. By comparison, ringtone sales are around $600 million per year and climbing rapidly.
You can get started right now with real and simulated robots. Try PyroRobotics.org which allows you to write robot "brains" in Python code. You can control a simulated robot immediately, or build your own out of a Roomba, and use the same control system.
Also, check out blogs.RobotEducation.org for more information on other robots.
It's like saying "how do I get into computing". You can do it at home on your own, but in that case unless you are a miracle case your potential will be capped and/or it will take a long time. Hobby robotics is not the same as "real" robotics.
The traditional way to genuinely get into robotics is to go to graduate schools in a school with a strong robotics groups (or person) in Computer Science, Electrical Enginnering, or Mech Eng, or Robotics. Seriosu robotics requires a good background in mathematics too. Some schools with visible robotics programs in North America include: CMU, Georgia Tech, MIT, McGill, and U Texas.
Thru the hatch in the chest.
Thanks to that link- you answered my question. Terapin Logo is one of the compilers available for use with the original RX1 and would presumably work with any COM compliant API.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
If you want to get into robotics, whether it be beginner, intermediate, or advanced, I'd definately check out Trossen Robotics: http://www.trossenrobotics.com/ We started off as PhidgetsUSA. Phidgets are great and have a wonderful API, but since they can be used in so many different areas, it makes them difficult to market. While we were marketing Phidgets technology, we kept running across some really cool people/companies in the robotics field, so we decided to focus solely on the robotics market, and partner up with all of these companies:) We still sell Phidgets as well, but we're marketing them more towards robotics. We're still in the startup phase, with updates to the website being done everyday. However, we already have a pretty impressive product line, with a ton more products being added in the coming months! - Alex
Their project lets you toy with robotics easily to start, doesn't require too much cash, and you can get as deep as you want. I'm thinking of jumping in. http://www.terk.ri.cmu.edu/