Vexplorer now available for pre-order!

[Chuck Glick]

Just cruising the VexLabs website and found that the Vexplorer is available for pre-order!

I know I'm getting one.

http://www.vexlabs.com/vex-robotics-vexplorer.shtml

[AdamHeard]

OMG!!! considering I paid $200 for a vex kit, this is a steal at $200.... I can't wait.

All those parts, a camera, and as an added bonus if you mount the claw vertically you get RAGE's '07 bot.

EDIT: wait a second.... this kills it for me;


The VEXplorer is the first product of the new Vex-RC product line (Vex-Blue). The Vex-Blue Transmitter, Vex-Blue Receiver, and the Vex-Blue Motor Module VB1 are NOT compatible with the current Vex product line (Vex-Red). Also Sensors and Servos can NOT be used with a Vex-Blue Receiver. The Vex-Blue Receiver is not programmable.

[Alex Cormier]

OMG!!! considering I paid $200 for a vex kit, this is a steal at $200.... I can't wait.

All those parts, a camera, and as an added bonus if you mount the claw vertically you get RAGE's '07 bot.

EDIT: wait a second.... this kills it for me;

i think that is all crap. but i would love to purchase the wheels and other materials once they become available by them selves.

[DonRotolo]

EDIT: wait a second.... this kills it for me;
Ah, but you certainly CAN use the Vex "Red" receiver/controller and R/C transmitter - they are just motors after all. The camera is self-contained (except power), so no worries there.

The best of both worlds.

Don

[Billfred]

The trade-offs seem fair to me. Programming is over the heads of a lot of people (myself included, for the most part), but everybody can think of fun things to do with spycams.

My thoughts:

a) It's a simpler kit--if you're familiar with prospect theory*, or even if you stared at a Vex kit for a while wondering "What the heck am I gonna build?", you know this to be a Good Thing.
Prospect theory is often summed up in one line: Losses loom larger than gains. If you split something off into several parts and charge for each, the consumer feels the hurt each time. Consider an all-you-can-eat buffet now: you might not eat $10 worth of food, but you only had to pay that one price.
b) Instead of a good Saturday afternoon for the Squarebot, you can now have a moving robot (bear in mind the general public's perception of what a robot is) within a short time--with an arm. This is a Good Thing.

c) The price point is particularly nice. The original kits were a steal at $300, but a $200 price point is going to catch a lot more eyes. It's now in sub-Wii territory, which should make parents wince less, and I imagine it'll pick up some more interest from hardware hackers (MAKE: (http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/08/more_vexplorer_details.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890) already noticed). When I looked at things that could replace Vex in FTC, I couldn't find anything to match Original Vex for the money (my data (http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=p1cILXUy2xl2GwfN8bfr3Sw&hl=en)); I imagine someone looking for mod-friendly hardware in that relative size is making the same comparisons in their head.

I won't be buying, but I'll be watching.

[AdamHeard]

Hopefully, what they mean by incompatible is that the cords have a slightly different plug, but are still pwm....

if that is the case, I'd consider buying it to use with my vex kit.

I do like the idea of 6wd chassis w/ a simple arm already.... May make team 40 style vex prototyping much easier.

[Chuck Glick]

Hopefully, what they mean by incompatible is that the cords have a slightly different plug, but are still pwm....

Not pwm connections... its 2 pins on the vexplorer motors, however you can use the current vex motors in their place with a regular microcontroller.

[Qbranch]

You had me until....

This unit is not programmable.

But i do like the wheels and such, i wonder if the pwm signals are the same.

-q

[Protronie]

I like it... who cares about beating your head on the desk trying to program the thing. This looks like a fun kit for someone that just wants to put something together and make it fetch a can of soda! :D

[John Gutmann]

All the VEXplorer Structure, Hardware and Motion parts are completely compatible with all other Vex Structure, Hardware and Motion parts and pieces and vice-versa. Use these Vex products to build endless robots.

Quoted from VEX.

[tymann09]

question, will i be able to use some of the new motors with the old motors? because if i buy this i dont want half of my other vex set to go to waste. i understand the new motors have 2 pins and the older ones have 3, but somebody mentioned something maybe being able to work. thanks

[Qbranch]

Wow... i just saw the VEXplorer in the fall Hammacher Schlemmer catalog i got today... didn't take long for them to find it! :yikes:

-q

[ParkerF]

These things are definitely looking nice in my eyes, but now to raise 200 bucks. They're great for people who really don't know much about robots and such. I was actually involved in what you could call the 'child labor testing period' of the Vexplorer [j.k, I loved working with JVN to build Vexes]. They're pretty cool. I mean, what's better than being able to run into the bathroom with a little spy bot and steal your sister's cell phone or something. You know the mission was successfully accomplished when you hear a deafening scream. :D

I think the guys at Vex did great in accomplishing their goal of making a more 'public' friendly robot that wouldn't have people killing their robots in order to get them to work.

(NOTE: There was no child labor involved in the production of the Vexplorer, it is simply a Robowrangler inside joke. <3)

[John Gutmann]

Now that I think of it....The motors having to wires could mean 1 of 2 things. The motors just run at max RPMs at that load. (No motor control) Or the controller is made to have the motor controller inside the controller. The latter is very believable to me, the motors draw what? 1 amp at max? Those are small transistors.

Also if the latter is the case a adapter wouldn't be all that hard to make. just buy a pwm extension and a 2pin extension from vex and cut them and splice them together. Or just buy the connectors and housings and make them yourself.

-John