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Getting Started in robotics

Jim McGinn, Kris Minchau

For the absolute beginner, the best way is to start with Lego Mindstorms.  There are many advantages to Lego, including the fact that there are many sensors, motors, gears, wheels, and other interesting parts.  They are relatively easy to program also.  Several competitors at last month’s games were built of Lego. 

The other way to go for more advanced beginners is with electronics kits.   There are many kits available from many suppliers.  Look at the web site for information about the kits:  http://www.robotgames.com/resources/resource-robot%20parts%20sources.htm  and here: http://www.robotgames.com/resources/resource-bot_building.html .

Also look for other links on the resources page on the WCRG/WCRS site.

There were so many effective kits in the competitions that it has been suggested to increase the penalty for purchased kits in some categories.

A word of caution:  be careful when buying kits on line, as the shipping and handling charges may be very high (some may be in the $25 range).

If you’re just starting off, especially for younger kids, use Lego.  Graduate to the electronics kits, and eventually build from scratch. 

Building from scratch can be difficult and there may be a problem finding parts as the builder will likely not find all of the parts at a single source.  When designing and building from scratch it is recommended that you prototype the circuit.  This means building the circuit in an easy-to-use experimenter’s kits that contain breadboards, basic probes and power supply.  These essential experimenter kits are available from JCM Ventures (known as the Vulcan Board, they are used extensively in the technical programs at SAIT).

See the robotgames web site for more up-to-date information.

Supplies

There are several electronics suppliers in Calgary (see web site for comments and information).  Suggested is to look at some replacement parts (like for photocopies and printers) that may contain good quality devices that are usable.  Often good parts are sold more cheaply when included in a popular replacement part.

There were general discussions amongst the group about where to find specific items in Calgary, such as tubing in specific diameters, plastics, bolt supply, gears, etc…  Salvaging parts is a usual resource for robot builders.  One of the favorite stores in Calgary is Princess Auto (http://www.princessauto.com).  Note that they don’t have everything on-line, and their stock changes regularly so if you’re in the vicinity you should drop in to see what’s available.  Dave showed the group a cheap high torque (0.8 Ohm!) motor kits that he bought as surplus at Princess Auto in Calgary.

There were many suggestions from attendees as to where different types of parts can be had.  A link given by a participant is http://www.futurlec.com/ .  A magazine that often discussed robotics-related circuits and projects is http://www.nutsvolts.com/ . These and other suggested companies will be included on the next update of the web page.

Once the builder is happy with the prototype, the next step is to create a circuit board.  Getting single circuit boards made can be very expensive, so it’s best is to include your order with someone else’s.

In terms of learning and education, there are many excellent resources for books on how to get started.  Also, remember the workshops put on by the WCRS, WCRG and our sponsors!

Gears

Jim McGinn & Kristoph Minchau’s talk about gears is located here:  http://www.robotgames.net/Resources/Gears/gears.htm .  Please see this site for the details to the talk given at the meeting.

Remember that Lego Mindstorm has a range of gears available.  There is also lots of information on the internet.

Wrap-up

Mathew, 6 ½ tears old, invented without any help whatsoever a Lego hopper-walker bot that he demonstrated.  It has legs and is operated via remote control.  With a few minor changes, he showed more variations of this robot.   This demonstrated the ease of creating a robot from Lego Mindstorm.

A robot called Onnihex was demonstrated by Craig Limber.  This robot has a unique wheel design that allows the robot to travel in any direction without turning.  At the moment it’s tethered but there are different sensors that will allow it to function without tether.