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Beginner needs help begining with robotics. — Parallax Forums

Beginner needs help begining with robotics.

JulianSJulianS Posts: 4
edited 2004-08-23 16:17 in BASIC Stamp
Hi, I'm a rather good coder in Basic, of course I also know some C++, Assembly etc.. and now I'm expanding my field of work to include robotics. So I've found this beginner kit,
and they say "With the addtion of a Basic Stamp BS2 Microcontroller (not included) customized applications can easily be built.", so
if buy the beginner kit and the Basic Stamp would that be all I needed in order to assemble a small robot and code it from my pc? Would I need a wire? Would I need power supply?

Suggestions appreciated.
- Julian

Comments

  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2004-08-22 09:19
    Julian -

    There is a Yahoo Group devoted to discussion of this robotic platform using this descriptor:
    "tabrobotkit". If you join that group I'm sure you can get all of your questions answered by folks who have already purchased that kit, and before you purchase it.

    You can reach that Yahoo Groups area here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tabrobotkit/ .
    You will need to register with Yahoo to participate, but there is no cost to do so.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates
  • JulianSJulianS Posts: 4
    edited 2004-08-22 09:44
    There are so many choices and I'm still just a newbie at this. So do you know any websites that introduces the beginner at robot components, explaining what "Carrier board", "Motor Controllers" etc...?? Thank you.

    Julian
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2004-08-22 10:08
    Julian -

    This should answer some of your questions and provides some links for further learning:
    http://www.robotics.com/robots.html

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates
  • JulianSJulianS Posts: 4
    edited 2004-08-22 12:42
    I read a little, but they don't have alot of kit websites, however I found something else:

    http://www.milinst.com/robotics/robotics.htm#stampbug

    It should come assembled already, even if it doesn't I don't need any special tools so I shouldn't have such a hard time making it. Then I have 8 i/o lines extra to add additonal components, and it is fully programable because they say it has "serial programming cable", seems great, except "Uses our School Stamp2 module which may be removed for other projects", whatever they mean by School Stamp2 module, I can buy the Basic Stamp BS2 Microcontroller, and replace it with it right? So I get more appilcation memory, and faster speed? Or doesn't the "servo co-processor" support it?

    - Julian
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2004-08-22 13:01
    Julian -

    The "School Stamp 2" is apparently their name for the OEM Basic Stamp 2 Kit which is offered by Parallax. You can find a description of that kit here:
    http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/products/basicstamps/basic_stamps_oem.asp

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates
  • Wade SmithWade Smith Posts: 25
    edited 2004-08-22 17:23
    Julian,

    I would not buy the TAB robot kit, (I did a while ago) because even though you can add a BASIC Stamp 2, the robot is controlled by a lot of commands hardwired into it from the PIC controller.·You can buy a base with servos· ready to add a BS2 from other places, like Budget Robotics, for about the same price.·Then, you· mount a Board of Education with BS2 from Parallax,·download·Parallax's Boe-Bot book free,·and·learn from that (the best place!) the fundamentals of controlling the Bot. Just my opinion.

    ·
  • JulianSJulianS Posts: 4
    edited 2004-08-23 13:54
    Hi, I've found something more cheap:
    http://www.budgetrobotics.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cart=109603&cat=49&
    or
    http://www.budgetrobotics.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cart=109603&cat=35&

    Now I don't know how expandable it is, but I'd love to put a sensor on it, and maybe GPS, but GPS in a local condition so I won't have to pay for it, like LPS(Local Position System), so I buy the sender and the receiver. Any ideas?

    Thanks.

    - Julian
  • WhelzornWhelzorn Posts: 256
    edited 2004-08-23 15:52
    yeah, I saw an ad in Servo magazine for budget robotics, and they actually look pretty decent and at a great price too! of course, I would love to hear from someone who's baught one of these kits, just so I dont have to trust my eyes.
  • Tom WalkerTom Walker Posts: 509
    edited 2004-08-23 16:17
    I haven't purchased anything from BudgetRobotics (yet), but I can vouch for the knowledge of the guy who "owns" the site. Gordon McComb has written several "well received" books on hobby robotics and is the author of the "Robot Builder's Sourcebook".··He is known for·frugality without sacrificing quality. ·If I had a need right now, I would not hesitate to purchase any of the platforms on his site.

    FWIW

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