Know Your Kit
How Do I Know Which is the Right ROBOTIS Kit For Me ?
If you are a newcomer to ROBOTIS systems, you could be overwhelmed by the different robot series available, thus the motivation for this article says Chi Thai, retired research at the University of Georgia, USA.
From my experiences in using and teaching with ROBOTIS systems for students in secondary schools and at university undergraduate levels, I would propose that new users consider two main criteria in choosing an appropriate robot kit corresponding to their current abilities and needs:
1. User’s robot construction skills (which is correlated to the user’s age).
Currently, ROBOTIS offers three ways to put their robots together:
“12 mm Rivets” - 12 mm being the distance between adjacent rivet hole centers. The actual rivet’s diameter is 7 mm, and it uses a single-part design targeted at the youngest users (8+). The PLAY 600 and 700 kits use this fastening method.
“6 mm Rivets” – again 6 mm being the distance between adjacent rivet hole centers. The actual rivet’s diameter is 3.5 mm, and it uses a 2-component design with an outer sleeve and a stem-rivet. This fastening approach requires more manual dexterity and is designed for mid-teens (10+). The PLAY 300, DREAM, SMART, MINI and IoT kits use this fastening method.
The Third Fastening approach uses small standard screws and nuts and is designed for 12+ years old users. The STEM, BIOLOID PREMIUM, GP and ENGINEER kits use this fastening method. The professional-grade systems such as the OP, THORMANG and Turtle Bot 3 kits also use this fastening method.
2. Recommended Age & Curriculum.
- Ages 6-8 Entry Level & Home Entertainment; we have the PLAY 300, 600 and 700 kits.
- Lower & Higher Elementary; we have the DREAM, SMART, IoT, MINI and STEM kits.
- High School & Senior Level we have the BIOLOID PREMIUM, ENGINEER, GP.
- ROS Platform for Higher Education including University we have Turtle Bot 3, Open Manipulator – PRO.
- Introducing ENGINEER Kit, next generation smart AI-Based, Multi-Joint Robotic Kit capable of 3D Printing, Coding, Vision Processing, Robotic Manipulation, preparing them for technologically advanced career pathways.
In our next issue, we will review various software applications used in Robotis Kits according to the user’s technical skill level.
About the Author:
C. N. Thai
Researcher at University of Georgia, USA (College of Engineering) in Educational Robotics, Multi-Spectral Imaging Application for Plant Health Monitoring & Horticultural Products Quality Characterization, and in the area of Agricultural Systems Modelling and Simulation