Robots can be used in almost any situation and are primarily intended to help humans in some way, shape or form. If you are unsure of what you want your robot to do or simply want to concentrate your efforts on specific tasks, here are some ideas:  

Amusement & Companionship

Building a robot in and of itself is fun and exciting. Robotics incorporates aspects of many disciplines including engineering (mechanical, electrical, computer), sciences (mathematics and physics) and arts (aesthetics) and users are free to use their imagination. Amusing others with your creations (especially if they are user-friendly and interactive) helps others to become interested in the field.  

Knowledge & Learning

In order to build increasingly complex robots, most professionals and hobbyists use knowledge they have acquired when building previous robots. Instead of building one robot, you can learn how to use individual components with the objective of building your own “knowledge library” to use to undertake a larger, more complex design in the future.  

Competitions & Contests

Competitions give the project design guidelines and a due date. They also put your robot against others in the same class and test your design and construction skills. Although many competitions are specifically for students (elementary to university), there also exist open competitions where adults and professionals alike can compete.  

Autonomous life form

Humans are natural creators and innovators. The next great innovation will be to develop a fully autonomous life form that rivals or surpasses ourselves in ability and perhaps creativity. This goal is still being accomplished in small steps by individuals, research organizations and professionals.  

Domestic or Professional tasks

Domestic robots help liberate people from unpleasant or dangerous tasks and give them more liberty and security. Professional and Service Robots are used in a variety of applications at work, in public, in hazardous environments, in locations such as deep-sea, battlefields and space, just to name a few. In addition to the service areas such as cleaning, surveillance, inspection and maintenance, we utilize these robots where manual task execution is dangerous, impossible or unacceptable. Professional and Service Robots are more capable, rugged and often more expensive than domestic robots and are ideally suited for professional and/or commercial use. RobotShop’s lineup of professional and service robots is always expanding.  

Security and Surveillance

  Most mobile robots are used to venture into areas where humans either should not or cannot go. Robots of various sizes (either remote controlled, semi-autonomous or fully autonomous) are an ideal choice for these tasks.

Here you will find a comprehensive list of forums, from manufacturers to unofficial enthusiast pages. The forums are categorized and presented in alphabetical order. If you encounter a dead link, or have found that content linked to from these pages is inappropriate, please report it to the Webmaster. If you have links you would like to share, including personal pages, please submit them to the RobotShop Support Center, Subject: Learning Center Link.

RobotShop’s Forum

The RobotShop Forum is the ideal place to meet others interested in robotics, discuss projects you are working on, share ideas, get and give help and more.

Official Manufacturer/Supplier Forums

Manufacturer and supplier forums are useful for when you are dealing with specific products. Many manufacturer forums are moderated by the company itself. You are also encouraged to visit the enthusiast links where you can find information related to certain manufacturers.  

• 3D Connexion
• 4D Systems
• Adafruit
• Arduino
• Basic Micro
• Botmag
• Chumby
• Cytron
• DFRobot
• Element Direct
• Elenco – Snap circuits
• iRobot
• JCM Inventures
• Leaflabs
• LEGO Mindstorms
• Lynxmotion
• Netmedia
• New Micros
• Phidgets
• Pololu
• RadioTronix Support Forum
• Robobrothers
• RobotShop
• RoboteQ
• Robotics Connection
• Robotis Bioloid
• Servo Magazine
• Solutions Cubed
• Sparkfun
• Vex Robotics

Robots and artificial devices have always interested humans as they are the first devices mankind has created that has the potential to match and surpass our own abilities. For this reason, many technologically advanced companies have created robot kits in order to satisfy people’s need and desire for devices that emulate human thought, form and function. Robotic kits allow people to learn how to create a particular type of robot while gaining the knowledge, skills and expertise to be used in building ever increasingly complex robots.

Robotic kits allow people of all ages to learn how to assemble and use one or more particular robots. In so doing, people will be able to understand the technology, principles and the equipment behind the design and creation of robots. If you are new to robotics or not quite ready to make the leap to fully custom robots, there is a kit out there that will be correct for your skill level and also allow you to build and possibly code a robot that would have otherwise have been impossible to do on your own.

Almost all robotic kits (aside from kits which teach specific principles) include some form of motion. The majority of these use two or more wheels to propel the robot, while others may use tracks, legs or even blades and wings! Many beginner kits aimed at <12 years old can be easy to construct with only a few snap-together parts, while more complex robots have hundreds of parts and encourage you to create your own semi-custom design. Not to worry, all robot kits include instructions on how to build and use the robot. Note that some kits require soldering; if you are not sure what “soldering” is, take a look at this video.

To know more about robot kits, and which is right for you, here is a list of some of the available kits that you can try out:

Beginner Robot Kits

As the name implies, these robot kits are made for those who are new to robotics and prefer to start simply, with step-by-step instructions. These kits are specially designed to educate and orient those people who would like to explore robotics, but not looking to spend a lot of money or take too long to build a functional bot. Most of these beginner kits are aimed at 12 years old and up, though some can be built by children as young as 8 and 9, while others are versatile enough to entertain adults.

For example, for $39.99, the OWI Arm Edge is one of the most popular kits in this category; it is by far the least expensive robotic arm on the market and although it can’t pick up a full can of cola, it can certainly pick up and move most small objects. Use the arm to move and stack blocks, draw a shape or design and much more! If you really want to get involved, there is an optional computer interface, allowing you to control the arm from the computer.

Intermediate Robot Kits

These robot kits are made for the robot hobbyist who has some knowledge in robotics and/or a related field and is prepared to take more time in building and troubleshooting a kit, but perhaps does not want to start from scratch or attempt higher level programming. These intermediate kits are more involved than beginner robot kits because they require one or more of the following:

- Advanced assembly: Many of these kits require some soldering and working with intricate parts. Some of these kits are designed especially to help improve soldering skills.

- Programming: Almost all of these kits require some programming, and many are oriented towards the hobbyist who is looking to learn how to program, but not necessarily very high level (first time using sensors, motors, creating an autonomous robot etc).

- Capability: unlike the robots in the beginner category, these robots are usually not restricted to just one task or motion. A large number of these kits can be upgraded with additional sensors and parts.

At <$100, the DFRobotShop Rover is intended to be a mobile platform for those who have heard about “Arduino” but are not necessarily sure where to start. The kit includes everything you need to get started in mobile robotics. The PCB includes a standard Arduino Uno as well as a dual motor controller and voltage regulator. Arduino is one of the best ways to get started in “serious” robotics because of its ability to perform complex calculations and communicate with and control other devices.

Advanced Robot Kits

Advanced robot kits employ more complicated designs and structures and require more knowledge of robotics. The most advanced robot kits are currently “humanoid” robots, meaning they almost resemble the human body. Although controlling each joint may be straightforward, the difficulty arises from having to control many at the same time and in such a way to achieve balance and motion.

Other forms of advanced motion include Mecanum and Omni wheels, legged and multi-legged robots (some with as many as 21 degrees of freedom), and platforms with advanced sensors. All of these robots require a higher level of programming and although some code may be provided, it is understood that the customer intends to create their own custom code.

The Kondo KHR series humanoid robots closely resemble a miniature robot human and uses 17 servos to move its legs, arms and head. There is some sample code available, but with a robot like this, almost anything is possible: program it to do some dance moves, climb stairs, do martial arts and much more!

Robot Construction Kits

Robot construction kits are more than just toys: they use interchangeable parts and can be programmed a variety of ways. The sensors and electronics used in many of these kits are complex and need to be programmed in order to be used to their full potential. Many of the kits can even be used to create humanoid robots. Robot construction kits offer the big advantage of saving you the time needed to construct intricate mechanical parts.

The VEX line of construction kits use metal brackets and durable plastic parts and allow you to let your mind go free to come up with whatever robotic design it wants; create a robot arm, a 6WD robot with suspension, a motorcycle and much much more!

Robot Development Platforms

Robot Development Platforms are ideal for the experienced robot builder who is looking for a pre-made platform on which he or she can electronics, a battery pack, sensors and more. Most robotic platforms come with the motors required for each degree of freedom, though most kits leave it to the customer to decide which electronics to select. Many platforms have a downloadable computer interface, though often times the user chooses whichever programming language they are most comfortable with.

Electronic Experimentation Kits

Electronic experimentation kits are ideal for the young robotic enthusiast who is looking to gain knowledge and experience with the electronics and simple circuits. Although there may be some mechanical construction required, electronic experimentation kits are focused mainly on the electronics aspect of robotics.

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Research underway in higher education (colleges, universities and graduate laboratories) as well as government and private labs will form the basis of tomorrow’s toys, domestic robots and more! If you encounter a dead link, or have found that content linked to from these pages is inappropriate, please report it to the Webmaster. If you have links you would like to share, including personal pages, please submit them to the RobotShop Support Center, Subject: Learning Center Link

 

Universities

 

• Boston University Robotics Lab
• Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute
• ETS Research
• Indiana University CS Research
• Manchester University Research
• McGill University Center for Intelligent Machines
• MIT Robotics Projects
• Penn Engineering CS Research
• Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Lab
• UC Berkely Robotics Lab
• University of Alberta Research
• University of Delaware Research
• University of Laval Robotics Lab
• University of Michigan Research
• University of South Carolina Robotics Research Lab
• University of Western Australia

 

Goverment and Non-Government Organizations

 

• Nasa – JPL Robotics
• Nasa ROV Research
• Darpa Research Grants
• NREC: National Robotics Engineering Center
• Lab Automation Association
• Space and Naval Warfare Systems, San Diego
• iRobot: Starter Programs for the Advancement of Knowledge “SPARK”
• La Société Des Arts Technologiques [SAT]

 

Private pages

• Open Softwear – Arduino

Robotics is more than a passing trend. Just as Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (founders of Apple Computers) were part of the “Homebrew Computer Club” before personal computers were widespread, robotics enthusiasts are coming together to form robotics clubs around the world. The ideas, prototypes and inventions enthusiasts share at robotics clubs will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the future of robotics.

Robotics groups allow users who share robotics as a common interest to gather and share ideas and information. Although most groups and clubs start in a predetermined city, many have found that being available online either via a web page or a group site can attract skilled members willing to share their information and ideas. Setting up a group or club can be as formal or as informal as the members want. Members often range in age from pre-teens who are just beginning to experts who are employed in robotics-related positions. Although this page is intended to provide a quick list of robotics clubs, users are free to add new clubs and edit/add information where appropriate. If you know of additional clubs which should be added to this list, feel free to mention them in the comments section.  

CANADA

 

Art & Robotics Group

(Toronto) Inactive but mailing list is still active (150+ members) Contact: majordomo@interaccess.org http://www.interaccess.org/arg  

AQRA

Active Contact: http://www.aqra.ca/_Pierre-Luc-Bacon_ http://www.aqra.ca/  

ARISE:

Advanced Robotics Innovations Society in Engineering Active (University of Ottawa) Contact: arise@site.uottawa.ca http://arise.site.uottawa.ca/  

Ottawa Robotics Enthusiasts

Active Contact: ore@ottawarobotics.org http://www.ottawarobotics.org  

RoboMontreal

Active Contact: don@robotmontreal.com http://www.robomontreal.com  

Torobotics

(Toronto) Active (151+ members) Contact: membership required http://groups.yahoo.com/group/torobotics/  

Vancouver Robotics Club

Active as of 2008 Contact: president@robotgames.com http://vancouverroboticsclub.org  

Vancouver Island Robots

Inactive Contact: Steve@vancouverislandrobotics.org http://www.vancouverislandrobotics.org  

Western Canada Robotics Society (Alberta)

Active Contact: info@robotgames.com http://www.robotgames.net  

USA

 

Atlanta Hobby Robot Club

Active Contact: http://www.botlanta.org/home/contact http://www.botlanta.org/  

Boise Robotics Group

Active Contact: http://www.boiseroboticsgroup.org/default.aspx?TabId=1 http://www.boiseroboticsgroup.org  

Buffalo Hobby Robot Club

Active Contact: webinfo@bufrobotics.org http://www.bufbotics.org  

California Polytechnic Robotics Club

Active Contact: calpolyrobotics-officers@googlegroups.com http://robotics.ee.calpoly.edu/dokuwiki/doku.php  

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Club

Active Contact: officers@roboticsclub.org http://www.roboticsclub.org  

Central Illinois Robotics Club

Active Contact: Bruce Stott brucestott@yahoo.com http://www.circ.mtco.com/  

Central Jersey Robotics Group

Unknown Contact: webmaster@cjrobotics.org http://www.cjrobotics.org  

Connecticut Robotics Society

Active Contact: jake@mendelssohn.name http://www.ctrobots.org  

Twin Cities Robotics Group

Active (~75 members) Contact: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/tcrobots/ http://www.tcrobots.org/  

Chibots

Unknown Contact: vicepresident@chibots.org http://www.chibots.org/drupal/  

CRASH:

Computers, Robotics and Artists Society Active Contact: info@crash.org http://www.crash.org  

Dallas Personal Robotics Group

Active Contact: info@dprg.org http://www.dprg.org  

Denver Area Robotics Club

Unknown Contact: kerwin@ranchbots.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DenverRoboticsClub/ http://www.ranchbots.com/club/club.htm  

East Texas Robot Builders

Inactive (Arrick Robotics) Contact: Roger Arrick info@robotics.com http://www.etrb.org  

Front Range Robotics (FRR)

Active Contact: See website http://frontrangerobotics.org/  

Homebrew Robotics Club

Active Contact: wayne@gramlich.net http://www.hbrobotics.org  

LVBOTS:

Las Vegas Robotics Club Active Contact: info@lvbots.org http://www.lvbots.org  

North Seattle Robotics Group

Active Contact: lictonsprings@yahoo.com http://www.nsrg.4t.com/  

PAREX:

hoenix Area Robotics eXperimenters Unknown Contact: parexteam@cox.net http://www.parex.org/weblog  

Portland Area Robotics Society

Active Contact: vicepres@portlandrobotics.org http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/PARTS/ http://www.sorobotics.org  

Robomo: St. Louis Area Robotics Group

Active Contact: juberset@yahoo.com http://robomo.com  

Robotics Society of Southern California

Active Contact: juberset@yahoo.com http://www.rssc.org  

San Francisco Robotics Society fo America

Active Contact: robots@thoughpolice.com http://www.robotics-society.org/html  

Seattle Robotics Society

Active Contact: meetings@seattlerobotics.org http://www.seattlerobotics.org/  

SHARC (Smoky Hill Area Robotics Club)

Active Contact: See website http://www.sharcbots.org/  

SHARP:

Society for Houston Area Robotic Projects Active Contact: webmaster@sharpbots.com http://www.sharpbots.com  

South Jersey Robotics Group

Unknown Contact: info@sjrobotics.org http://www.sjrobotics.org  

The Robot Group

Active Contact: robotgroup2006@gmail.com http://www.robotgroup.org  

Triangle Amateur Robotics

Active Contact: N/A http://www.triangleamateurrobotics.org  

WORLDWIDE

 

SI2E:

Systemes Informatiques Embarques (France) Active Contact: si2e@efrei.fr http://assos.efrei.fr/robot  

Robonz:

New Zealand’s Personal Robotics Club Unknown Contact: N/A http://www.Robonz.com  

Robotics Tasmania

(Australia) Active Contact: rob.torok@education.tas.gov.au http://www.roboticstasmania.com.au  

Robotics Group of Bogazici University

AILAB (Middle East) Active Contact: akin@boun.edu.tr http://robot.cmpe.boun.edu.tr/pmwiki/index.php  

Robbot

Active Contact: N/A http://www.robbot.org/