Author Topic: Robots and such... (Read 22736 times)

Brass_Machine · « **on:** December 18, 2010, 10:45:54 AM »

My almost 3 year old son has a new addiction. Now it's trains and robots. I can take care of the train part, but I would like to make him some robotic type toys. Anything from an action type figure to something with buttons (that makes noise or moves or flashes lights). I have the tools, just not the knowledge. Any ideas? Any websites with ideas?

Thanks
Eric

Bernd · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2010, 11:30:15 AM »

Boy you don't know what you might be getting yourself into.

First I'll give you a link to a guy the builds NASA type robots in his home machine shop. It's

dropping. Link here-> Kenneth Maxon

Here's a few from my favorites. If you google you'll be overwhelmed with sites. The ones I've collected are a bit of high end. But it should get you started.

LYNXMOTION ROBOTS

ROBOTS

ROBOTSHOP

Good luck and have lot's of fun.

Bernd

raynerd · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2010, 11:38:33 AM »

Wow - blown away by that Kenneth Maxon site!!

Good luck Eric...looks like a minefield!

HS93 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2010, 01:39:18 PM »

at his age this would keep his interest and he would learn how to do several comands at onece through fun
http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/robots/robotics/wrex-the-dawg

peter

Rob.Wilson · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2010, 01:50:47 PM »

Dam shame your the other side of the pond Eric

I have loads of STUFF that you could of had to build a robot arm or such

Rob

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2010, 04:02:18 PM »

Quote from: HS93 on December 18, 2010, 01:39:18 PM

at his age this would keep his interest and he would learn how to do several comands at onece through fun
http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/robots/robotics/wrex-the-dawg

peter

I looked at that one Peter! I ended up buying him thisONE for Christmas. The place I bought from was out of wrex...

Eric

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2010, 04:13:23 PM »

Quote from: Rob.Wilson on December 18, 2010, 01:50:47 PM

Dam shame your the other side of the pond Eric

I have loads of STUFF that you could of had to build a robot arm or such

Rob

Damn. He has a little toy manual grabber arm he loves. Was thinking of building him one. Gots to learn

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2010, 04:15:56 PM »

At my in-laws. Just made him a bristlebot. No pictures as I don't have a camera. Waiting for him to wake from a nap!

Eric

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2010, 04:49:29 PM »

Quote from: Bernd on December 18, 2010, 11:30:15 AM

Boy you don't know what you might be getting yourself into.

First I'll give you a link to a guy the builds NASA type robots in his home machine shop. It's dropping. Link here-> Kenneth Maxon

Here's a few from my favorites. If you google you'll be overwhelmed with sites. The ones I've collected are a bit of high end. But it should get you started.

LYNXMOTION ROBOTS

ROBOTS

ROBOTSHOP

Good luck and have lot's of fun.

Bernd

Familiar with the 1st link. Wow.

Hehe Robotshop! I just got a box from them with a couple of Christmas toys for him!

Eric

HS93 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2010, 07:06:30 PM »

Quote from: Brass_Machine on December 18, 2010, 04:02:18 PM

Quote from: HS93 on December 18, 2010, 01:39:18 PM

at his age this would keep his interest and he would learn how to do several comands at onece through fun
http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/robots/robotics/wrex-the-dawg

peter

I looked at that one Peter! I ended up buying him thisONE for Christmas. The place I bought from was out of wrex...

Eric

My son sent me this one for Xmas, not allowed to look at it yet,so I sent him a little Eflite helicopter boys toys

http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/tech/telepresence/rovio/rovio

raynerd · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2010, 11:20:51 AM »

Eric, those bristlebots are excellent. I came across them a couple of years ago and have always fancied making one for fun.

Chris

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2010, 11:31:28 AM »

Chris,

They are pretty cool. My mother heard about his robot addiction and sent us a HEXBUG Nano set for him.

&feature=related

Eric

slowcoach · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2010, 01:54:40 PM »

Brilliant I WANT ONE!!

Rob

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2010, 02:03:30 PM »

They are pretty cool Rob. I spent hours last night playing with my little guy with these things... He LOVES them.

Bernd · « **Reply #14 on:** December 24, 2010, 08:28:11 AM »

Fixed your link to HEXBUG. Forgot the "="

Bernd

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #15 on:** December 24, 2010, 09:36:02 AM »

Quote from: Bernd on December 24, 2010, 08:28:11 AM

Fixed your link to HEXBUG. Forgot the "="

Bernd

Thanks Bernd!

Divided he ad · « **Reply #16 on:** December 25, 2010, 06:23:57 PM »

Saw one of those Hex bugs in a shop yesterday... £8!!!

So After seeing the mad scientist link I figured "I got the bits for that"

What do ya think? Was at my sisters for Xmas lunch so I threw a few bits in a bag took 'em there and made it after lunch. In about 10 mins.... Cause the toothbrush one kept falling over!

Quite good fun for 10 min's

Ralph.

raynerd · « **Reply #17 on:** December 26, 2010, 08:38:02 AM »

I like that a lot Ralph! So much so, that I`m also at a family party tonight and my younger cousins will be there so I`ve just got the bits together to take with me and make one as well. Nice post.
Chris

Divided he ad · « **Reply #18 on:** December 26, 2010, 12:53:25 PM »

Got to be done!

Bluechip · « **Reply #19 on:** December 27, 2010, 05:02:16 AM »

Looks like some sort of Robotics kit ... ( $$$$$$ £££££££ €€€€€€€€ lots probably ) .... other than that ???

http://digital-diy.com/Product-Announcements/robot-for-xmas.html

Bit friskier than I am anyway ....

Dave BC

Divided he ad · « **Reply #20 on:** December 27, 2010, 05:12:12 PM »

A very talented robot too

Quote

$$$$$$ £££££££ €€€€€€€€ lots probably

.... Erm I would think so too.

Only a few years ago they were ecstatic to be balanced let alone walking... Now they do a full martial arts display

Does robotics exceed Moore's law? It seems that way!

I think that this is probably a few members style?

&feature=related

Some may have seen this before? He doesn't make the components but certainly puts then together well

Ralph.

one_rod · « **Reply #21 on:** December 27, 2010, 05:18:54 PM »

To take it a few steps up from the bristlebot idea, I can seriously recommend this book.

http://www.amazon.com/JunkBots-Bugbots-Bots-Wheels-Technology/dp/0072226013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293486832&sr=8-1

Everything is made from salvaged electronic junk, and they all actually do things. Line followers, racers, walkers, sumo-bots etc.

A bit complex for a 3 year old to get too involved in the construction, but with dad there to do the dirty work the results can be fascinating. My youngest son was about 12 and we had hours of fun working through some of the projects. They are very much "open source" designs and you need to tinker and fine-tune the finished beasties, which just adds to the challenge, and the sense of satisfaction.

As has been said, this stuff gets fearsomely addictive. It's been a while since I made any, but even now I can't throw dead electronic items away without wondering if they have any usable relays, motors or IC's inside.......

one_rod.

j45on · « **Reply #22 on:** December 29, 2010, 01:36:51 PM »

how about a reasonably simple line following robot

http://www.pyroelectro.com/projects/mini_tank/index.html

JimM · « **Reply #23 on:** December 29, 2010, 03:59:30 PM »

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, how about one of these

http://www.strandbeest.com/

MrFluffy · « **Reply #24 on:** December 31, 2010, 07:07:37 AM »

I picked up a whole series of some diy robotics magazine with all the parts to make the actual robots featured week by week still, me and son will be making a start on going through and building them this year, since at 6 he's getting his head round the concepts needed properly to understand it fully. Ive seen the same series on ebay for not a bad price when you consider how much they were in the day!
I can find the name of the mag out if you want.

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #25 on:** January 01, 2011, 12:10:24 AM »

Please do. Could always set aside for when he is older.

Thanks
Eric

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Author Topic: Robots and such... (Read 22736 times)

Rob.Wilson

MrFluffy