We all would prefer to have everything work properly all of the time, but I have yet to hear about anyone who enjoys a perfect record.
Robot Kits – Ups and Downs
I’ve managed to work my way through about twenty robot kits. Some were simple kits like those from OWI, the maker of my robotic arm, my rhino-beetle, and a few others. These were great kits, although their pictograph
The OWI EDGE Robotic Arm
instructions could be a little lacking if you never assembled anything before and don’t have experience with how things generally work together. But OWI kits are high quality and I recommend them highly to those who would like to try their hand at robot construction. They have kits that both do and do not require soldering skills.
I have also built a few Tamiya kits. Each of these left me unimpressed with obvious design flaws, incomplete instructions, and low quality components. I won’t buy their products any longer because their record of disappointing me is 100%. Not good. The last kit of theirs I purchased was a tank-tread robot base. When assembled, a difference in axle lengths caused the drive wheels to stick out from the sides by 3/16ths of an inch more than the rest of the wheels, causing the tracks to be toed in by 3/8ths of an inch altogether. Further, the tracks themselves were constructed of cheap plastic that does everything but inspire confidence in their ability to last any reasonable time. I kept the motors and threw the rest in the garbage.
I have taken a few stabs at more intensive kits with varying degrees of success. It began with a Pololu 3pi. I had no issue with the minimal final assembly left to the customers, where I ran intro trouble was trying to give it a program. As it arrives, upon assembly all it does is blink it’s LEDs. I’m not sure why they would put out a robot that does little more than the
Pololu 3pi robot set
introductory Arduino exercise, one would expect the robot to arrive with enough programming to do line following, given the type of robot it is. But no, they require the customer to program it.
That leads to issues right off. In the first place, the robot is built with a tremendous vulnerability. If it happens to lose power or has weak batteries when connected to the computer used to program it, it will electronically self destruct. This destruction renders it useful only as spare parts for another project. I killed mine within an hour of its first being powered up. I was working through trying to find additional information needed to give it a program . I had to look all over the various websites trying to piece it together. So while I was connected, I lifted the robot up and accidentally touched the power push button. The placement of the switch is such that it is difficult to lift the robot by the most obvious method without touching it. Long story short, that was the end of the robot.
I next took on a Solarbotics Sumovore robot kit. This was an excellent and comprehensive kit. It required the best of my skills to assemble. The
The Solarbotics Sumovore (assembled)
directions were well done, the kit laid out perfectly, and though it took three days of on and off work, it went together exactly as advertised. The only problem is that it didn’t work. It failed to light up in spite of a few engineer friends looking it over. They said I did a great job on the assembly, especially the soldering. (bow). But all the king’s horses and all the kings men couldn’t get the Sumo to work. But Solarbotics, the manufacturer did. They allow you to send in your malfunctioning robot and they will fix it, tell you what was wrong, and send it back to you on their dime. It turned out that my problem was simple. A warping of the battery box held one of the batteries from making contact. Once it was wiggled and futzed into shape, the robot sprung to life. I got it back, along with a checklist that showed what they looked at and generally graded by assembly. They said I did expert work. (blush) I posted the note on my wall to remind me that Solarbotics likes my soldering.
Support for kits is tough on the supporters. Because it’s a kit, we out in customerland are responsible for building it to spec and doing a good job. It is VERY easy to blow parts up with the heat from a soldering iron. If you don’t use a moderate heat iron, there’s a good chance you’ll toast something. Aside from ease of replacement, it’s also a primary reason for the use of chip carriers. Those are the multi-pin sockets that chips fit into. Many are sensitive to heat and even experts can fry them. A socket keeps the heat away from the IC. Still, we can install polarized components backwards run wires incorrectly, and well, pretty much any way a person can muff the assembly of a circuit board or component, we assemblers can do it.
As a result, many vendors cast the hapless builder loose. In the case of the Sumovore, Solarbotics was responsive and are in the process of helping me figure out what stupid thing I must have done. I do assume it’s my fault. But it’s a real positive thing that when it would be easy to cast me loose as I’ve experienced before, they’re hanging in and trying.
One “support” for kits is that there are always parts you can scavenge from the failed ones to use on another project. It’s a very expensive way to buy parts, but it’s better than simply throwing it all away. My 3pi is parts, my Sumo may or may not be. We’ll see what happens. I haven’t created a page for the Sumo yet. I’m waiting to see if I can make it go.
I think I’ll try to create my own controller based devices. This is the better approach, I think. It permits you to make exactly what you want, and in small steps which can easily be tested and verified as you move ahead.
Home made vehicle hack
The end product will be a lot more rewarding, the product of my own efforts and ideas. Plus that, the support for this approach is much greater, oddly enough, than the commercially developed and refined kits have. (Yes, I said that with tongue in cheek.) Snort.
There will never be a replacement for the robots made by WowWee, Tiger and the like. Their place in the world is firm and will likely last until Armageddon. But for those who like to get involved with the creation process, building your own robots, vehicles, widgets and gizmos, the Arduino and rolling your own is a great way to go. Then again, I may probably end up buying more kits because they’re fun. Between the three ways, manufactured, kits, or creations, I’ll have a lot to keep me busy.