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  • The Robotics Kit Roundup for Students

    The Robotics Kit Roundup for Students

    If you know any students who are enthusiastic about robotics and looking to build their own robots, you might be wondering which kits are the best. Never fear, because we’ve rounded up our favorite robotics kits for students. Read on to find out our favorite robotics kit for aspiring tinkerers!

    Meccano-Erector MeccaSpider Robot Kit

    This $100 kit is for children 10 or older. Taking between one and three hours to build, this spider-themed kit has some fairly neat features. Firstly, it sports on-board buttons that allow the builder to set it in different preset modes, such as “guard” and “game” modes. It has a reservoir for water so that it can shoot “venom” (which is awesome) and it sports an infrared sensor to detect opponents

    The robot can be controlled from a linked smartphone app, allowing for some fun, hands-on play with the device after it’s complete. This kit is part of the “STEM” initiative, a push by the Department of Education to prepare students for careers in science and robotics. The MeccaSpider is an intermediate level robot.

    UBTECH Jimu Robot DIY Buzzbot & Muttbot Robotics Kit

    For a reasonable $135 this kit can be built into either Buzzbot (a goofy-looking humanoid bot) or Muttbot (a goofy-looking dog bot). This one is somewhat simple, using a combination of six servos and a small computer to power the robot, whether it be the kid or dog robot.

    Using linked smart phone apps, kids can string together a series of saved poses, allowing them to animate scenes. These programmed procedures are a neat way to teach kids about programming while they also learn about robotics.

    Makeblock DIY Ultimate Robot Kit

    If you’re looking for a more expensive robotics kit that can build into many different types of robot, this kit is for you. For $350, the Makeblock DIY Ultimate Robot Kit can be built into a robo-bartender, a servo arm, a self-balancing bot and many more. Powered by Scratch 2.0, a kid-friendly programming language, this kit does a great job teaching kids tons of lessons in both robotics and programming.

    This robotics kit is also compatible with Raspberry Pi mini computers, which allows young mechanists to have a great amount of customization and control over their creations. If your little builder is ready for a step towards the “real thing, ” this kit is a great choice!

    Elegoo UNO Project Smart Robot Car Kit

    The least expensive robotics kit on this list, the Elegoo Smart Robot Car is only $74. This device is simple, with a small number of parts and a fast build time. This makes it a great choice for an aspiring builder’s first kit! It sports a few different modules, such as infrared and Bluetooth, making it a very customizable build.

    It also sports connectivity with third party modules, allowing for a unique build. Note, the expansion modules have to be compatible with a 3-pin XH2.54 interface to be used with this kit.

  • Sony’s “Robo-Puppy” is Back!

    Sony’s “Robo-Puppy” is Back!

    Initial thoughts

    • Highly advanced puppy AI
    • Adorable movements, and physical cues
    • Extreme price tag

    LAS VEGAS- At the 2018 CES convention Sony unveiled Aibo, the world’s most adorable robot-puppy. The world has seen Aibo in the past, but Sony has re-imagined and reanimated the once stiff “robo-puppy”, and he’s melting hearts.

    Image result for aibo

     

    Let’s Meet Aibo

    You remember seeing Aibo years ago at the old KB Toys store doing binary back-flips for attention but to no avail. Well in 2017 Aibo was brought back to life by Sony and he’s actually pretty great! At first glance, you see the initial robust face lift Aibo has, along with the new OLED eye displays he comes equipped with. Aibo’s movements are shockingly fluid and his his facial impressions are full of emotion. What gives Aibo his life-like movement is the 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerator system, along with three facial sensors to give him those darling facial cues. Aibo has a total of 4,000 parts and 22 moving actuators, which is what makes his movements so impressive.  At the 2018 CES, Aibo was slow to respond to some of the voice commands, but usually processed within 10 seconds. Regardless, this pup can boogie around, and do so with a very high cute factor.

    That’s right, He Needs Training!

    Aibo’s new AI system is a whole other animal in itself (Pun intended). Aibo is able to sit, stay, shake, and even cutely responds to head Image result for aiboscratches. Aibo is also programmed with learning AI capability so the more time you spend with him, the more he learns about his master. Aibo also will respond to training! Sony’s new hook for Aibo is that you will have to train it through voice commands and positive reinforcement, just like you do a real dog. Aibo has the ability to mimic a real puppy due to the series of sensors and cameras he has which help him to understand both his environment and your interactions.

    This little pup is built with three touch sensors (one on the back, one on the top of the head and another under the chin), two cameras image recognition and area mapping, one Time of Flight sensor for proximity detection, a special sensor to detect your presence from behind, four microphones and a motion detector. Aibo even comes with a little pink plastic ball which he can fetch! Dawwww.

    Image result for aibo

    The Cost…Wowsers!

    At a whopping $2,000.00 this is one expensive thoroughbred! On top of the initial $2,000.00 users pay a monthly $26.00 for the Aibo services. Those services include continual software updates and cloud storage to help Aibo retain, learn, and grow. To most, that cost is way too high for what is essentially a toy, but other’s might see it a small price to pay for what is a very advanced and innovated pet. Right now Aibo recognizes English and Japanese, but other language will be added in the near future. Like most new tech, the cost for Aibo will likely drop over time but for now, get out your wallets!

    The Upside

    • Sony has made incredible advances in Aibo’s robotics and it’s very impressive
    • The learning AI will keep Aibo relevant in your home.
    • Because of Aibo’s AI structure, the capacity to fall in love with a robot is REAL…

    The Down

    • The high price tag obviously. Paying $2,000.00 plus $26.00 monthly is not very realistic for the average consumer.
    • Aibo still has a lot of glaring robotic issues to address before major release.
    • Not a lot of aesthetic options to make Aibo’s exterior to your liking. Just the plain “cold steel” look for now

    Image result for aibo

    The Solutions

    If Sony can make Aibo a much more affordable ‘Robo-puppy” and really tap into the pesonalization of Aibo’s exterior, it could really be a home-run for Sony. Aibo’s movements, responses, and emotions seem genuine…yes that kinda of terrifying, but also incredible at the same time. Once the kinks are worked out, I feel Aibo could really offer someone emotional and physical companionship on a very real level.