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Is there any cheap and very extensible robot kit, which can work with Microsoft Robotics?

I want to have a great choice of cool parts for a robot to buy. :)

If where is no such robot kit which can work with MS Robotics, is there any chance to buy a very extensible robot which just can be programmed, maybe even in assembler?

Valentin Golev
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    I want to program the robot, why is it not-programming-related? – Valentin Golev Nov 08 '09 at 19:09
  • For the same reason that asking where to buy a laptop that you want to write programs to run on isn't programming-related. – Michael Petrotta Nov 08 '09 at 19:11
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    chosing a laptop is a question for almost everyone. chosing a robot is a question for programmers (I'm looking forward to the time when everyone be choosing a robot but sadly it isn't now) – Valentin Golev Nov 08 '09 at 19:13
  • I also think that this is good question for programmers. No one except programmers will toying with robots. – Mike Chaliy Nov 08 '09 at 19:26
  • http://chiphacker.com/questions/286/microsoft-robotics-cheap-but-very-extensible-robot copied the question. but I don't really hope to get an answer there. I think this questions isn't the worst question for stackoverflow so let it be here? :) – Valentin Golev Nov 08 '09 at 19:33

3 Answers3

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Microsoft Robotics Studio is a PC robotics platform. So if you want to use that, you need a robot with a PC on board. Unfortunately, this type of robot is more expensive and there are far fewer of them on the market. A select few that I know of that work with RDS:

  • Robotics Connection Stinger robot with an ICOP eBox Windows CE PC
  • IRobot Roomba with an ICOP eBox Windows CE PC
  • CoroWare CoroBot (Full disclosure: I work for CoroWare.)

As Paul said, the Arduino is a popular microcontroller for robotics. Microcontroller robots can be used with RDS, but they operate in a "tethered" fashion, always connected to a PC either with a physical cable or wireless. Some popular robots like this that work with RDS:

  • Lego NXT
  • Parallax BOE Bot

Of course a custom made microcontroller robot can work with RDS, however, you will have to architect the microcontroller-to-PC interface specifically for your robot and communication medium. This is typically not a task for novices.

Ben
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Any good robot kit is, by definition, going to require you to be fairly handy with ALL the aspects related to robotics. That is, you're going to have to learn a bit of mechanical engineering to make sure your locomotion device works properly, a bit of electronics to attach sensors, and so on. If you're looking for a snap together pre-built kit where all the accessories fit into proprietary docking connectors, you're not looking for robotics.

If you're feeling gung-ho about learning to program ICs, you could do worse than the Arduino system. With that in tow, you could look here for more inspiration as far as parts go:

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?c=31

The Arduino is one of the more popular open-source robotics base boards, and it's easy to program and get started with. You can do a lot before you run into the hardware limits on that, but you will have to build your robot from bits and pieces, rather than a nicely packaged kit with printed instructions. That's half the fun though.

Paul McMillan
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  • "If you're looking for a snap together pre-built kit where all the accessories fit into proprietary docking connectors, you're not looking for robotics." Sad but ture, I wish this could change – Imran Omar Bukhsh Apr 02 '11 at 10:20
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I personally would recommend the roomba. It is supported by iRobot, which is a major manufacturer of robotic devices (military and civilian). Additionally they have created a device called the roomba "create" that is a roomba, but without the vacuum cleaner. The control of the roomba can be taken over via a serial connection, and once you get the basics down (its easy), controlling the device is pretty simple!

Since its serial, you can control it with almost any device - be it a computer, micro-controller, or whatnot!

I've done a lot of work playing around with the device myself, so if you have any questions, feel free to post back!

Robotman
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