For hours of entertainment and intensely complex critical thinking, robotics are ideal. Three good choices for robot building kits are LEGO MindStorms Robotics Invention System, TAB Electronics Build Your Own Robot Kit, and MOVIT Robotic Arm Trainer. For help in evaluating these kits, I consulted an expert, Ken Boone (no relation of mine), instructor of the Duke University Talent Identification Program’s popular summer robotics course.
LEGO MindStorms, for ages 12 and up, is Ken’s first pick. It comes with 727 parts, including a computer interface, an infrared transmitter, a software CD-ROM, an easy-to-use “Constructopedia,” two motors, two touch sensors, a light sensor, and scads of building pieces. The RXC “smart brick,” programmed with blocks of code embedded in icons using an infrared link, can process more than 1,000 commands per second. Innovative users can select and stack functions to multitask, running up to ten tasks simultaneously, and more advanced programmers can download an interface to program in C.
The flexibility of MindStorms allows users to design, build, and rebuild their own robots and to program them to respond to environmental stimuli. CD-ROM “missions” teach robotics curriculum by guiding the user in constructing, programming, and testing sequences. Ken highly recommends MindStorms for gifted middle school students because they can use it independently to complete a range of projects, from simple to complicated.
TAB Electronics Build Your Own Robot Kit is another good choice, although some adult assistance may be required to connect the robot’s gears. The kit contains a preassembled printed circuit board, hardware, a remote control, a detailed instruction booklet, and a CD-ROM of robotics curriculum that Ken rates as excellent. Assembly requires miniature slotted and Phillips-head screwdrivers and needle-nose pliers. No soldering is necessary; the electrical connectors are mechanical.
The robot has dual electric motors and a microcontroller programmed by the manufacturer to follow a maze, seek or avoid light, move randomly, and reverse direction when movement is obstructed. Users can either select four programs with the remote control or install a single chip computer and program in BASIC. Ken recommends the kit for teaching programming and simple interfacing, although it does not offer the range of creative possibilities available with LEGO MindStorms.
MOVIT Robotic Arm Trainer also contains good instructional material, although it is much less versatile than the other two kits. The parts for the robotic arm are well labeled, and the accompanying diagram and assembly instructions are helpful. A slotted screwdriver and needle-nosed pliers are required. The manual contains an interesting history of robotics, a simple section on the electrical functions, and a set of “challenges” for using the robotic arm.
The MOVIT Robotic Arm Trainer is manual; the challenge lies in building it and learning how it works. The set does not provide for much flexibility or creativity, although a computer interface for expanding applica tions is sold separately.
To learn more about robotics, Ken recommends two publications, The Nuts and Volts of Amateur Robotics (www.nutsvolts.com) and BASIC Stamp Concepts and Explorations (see www.parallax.com or www.stampsinclass.com). Ken’s Web site, www.KensRobots.com, is also excellent.
—Sarah Boone, M.A.
Sarah Boone holds a master’s in teaching and certification in gifted education. She teaches at Meredith College
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