First Time Here & Vex Robotics Kit

[jeffmorris]

I ordered the Vex Robotics Starter Kit and Vex Power Pack from Radio Shack's online store and got the package on Friday. I built the SquareBot following the instructions in the Vex Inventor's Guide. The only thing that I can do is to drive the robot using the RC transmitter. Until I get more parts from Radio Shack's online store, any suggestions? I have BASIC Stamp's BOE-BOT robot that I bought a few months ago. I think that people lost interest in Lego Mindstorms robot kits because Lego hasn't made anymore add-on kits for Mindstorms. I wasted my money on Lego Mindstorms. About the Vex Robotics Kit, I wish to make robots that help disabled people.

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

I ordered the Vex Robotics Starter Kit and Vex Power Pack from Radio Shack's online store and got the package on Friday. I built the SquareBot following the instructions in the Vex Inventor's Guide. The only thing that I can do is to drive the robot using the RC transmitter. Until I get more parts from Radio Shack's online store, any suggestions? I have BASIC Stamp's BOE-BOT robot that I bought a few months ago. I think that people lost interest in Lego Mindstorms robot kits because Lego hasn't made anymore add-on kits for Mindstorms. I wasted my money on Lego Mindstorms. About the Vex Robotics Kit, I wish to make robots that help disabled people.

Well first off welcome to Chief Delphi.
This is the perfect place to get all the information about vex and robotics that you could ever hope for.
Good luck on making robots to help disabled people.

[Kyle Love]

Nick and I came up with a great idea last night. A Vex bot that can pick up a water bottle. This could help people who are in wheel chairs or elderly people that just cant bend over. My suggestions if you try to do that is to use gears and not the chains. Sure, chains look cool, but from my experience with the chains so far, I think they would break under the pressure. (Since they are plastic.) Omni wheels would be great to locate on the front or rear of it so it can maneuver on a dime. The programming kit would also be beneficial so you can program in the limit switch and bumper switches so that you don't destroy things in a room or over lift something. If you have any questions, I can try to give you my best educated guess () at how to build something or make something stronger etc. Finally, WELCOME TO CHIEFDELPHI!!!!

[jeffmorris]

I also want to make a car that has a motor driving rear wheels and a servo steering front wheels. I found a web site at http://www.vexlabs.com/ where I saw a robot with two servos steering front wheels and two motors driving front wheels. Is it OK to bend and cut metal beams and bars? Is it OK to use other materials such as wood for the chassis?

[sciguy125]

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

Is it OK to bend and cut metal beams and bars? Is it OK to use other materials such as wood for the chassis?

Sure, just think carefully before you do anything permanent. If you later decide that you bar would have been more useful to you uncut, you're out of luck. This is especially a problem if you don't have much money to buy more parts. As for other materials, it's fine as long as you can figure out how to connect everything together (and your material is strong enough - ie balsa wouldn't be good for a chassis).

[jeffmorris]

I visited the web site at http://www.ifirobotics.com/ and found out that their mini-robot kit is similar to Vex Robotics Kit except for electronics, motors, and wheels. Would buying parts from http://www.ifirobotics.com/ and/or http://www.vexlabs.com/ be cheaper than buying from Radio Shack's web site?

[mechanicalbrain]

Strictly speaking after you get the vex kit you dont NEED anything more. Go to hobby shops and also go to hardware stores. You can get servos, sensors, cable, and anything else you might want or need. their might be a few things in particular (I can't think of any) that you might need to get from FIRST or radioshack (Which is overpriced as it is).

[jeffmorris]

Is it possible to create automotive-type steering system?

[JamesBrown]

Absolutly, I dont have time now to look but ill find information tomorrow, in the mean time look online for custom rc cars that is how they drive(fron wheels are servo steered) The only thing im not sure of is if the servo we have is strong enough you might need to buy a higer torque servo at a hobby store.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

I visited the web site at http://www.ifirobotics.com/ and found out that their mini-robot kit is similar to Vex Robotics Kit except for electronics, motors, and wheels. Would buying parts from http://www.ifirobotics.com/ and/or http://www.vexlabs.com/ be cheaper than buying from Radio Shack's web site?

The parts on the InnovationFIRST (IFI) website are for use in FIRST and the mini EDUbot (Robovation) robotics. The Vex Robotics kit evolved from the EDU kit, so all the metal components are essentially the same and can be used either way. However, the EDUbot motors will not work with Vex (They have four pins, instead of three). Do you have one Vex kit? If so, I would recommend the RadioShack Metal Kit. For $80, you double all the metal components you get in the kit, which are needed if you want to build complex arms and manipulators. Once you already have the extra metal kit, then I would look to VexLabs to buy additional parts a la carte if needed.

Originally Posted by mechanicalbrain

Strictly speaking after you get the vex kit you dont NEED anything more. Go to hobby shops and also go to hardware stores. You can get servos, sensors, cable, and anything else you might want or need. their might be a few things in particular (I can't think of any) that you might need to get from FIRST or radioshack (Which is overpriced as it is).

I wouldn't say that after you get the Vex kit you don't need anything more from RadioShack. All the expansion kits are very useful! I have had the Vex kit since the day after it came out, and so far I have bought:

• Vex Starter Kit
• Vex Battery Pack
• One Additional Vex Motor
• Vex Metal Kit
• Two Omni-Wheel Packs
• Tank Tread Pack
• Additional Vex Gear Set
• Additional Wheel Set
• Chain and Sprocket Set - very useful!

and I will say that each one of these is well worth their cost. My local RadioShack must love my business, as that's about $500 so far. And I have yet to get the programming module and all the new sensors, and maybe a pneumatics kit from VexLabs eventually... I will post pictures of my Vex robot sometime soon here, and I am currently working on a White Paper that deals with Vex, so that is keeping me busy at the moment.

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

Is it possible to create automotive-type steering system?

Yes. You can do this with only the starter kit. Power the back two wheels with the two motors, and the steering with the servo.

[jeffmorris]

If I want to buy a RC car chassis kit from Towerhobbies, which one works with the Vex Robotics Kit? I don't need an expensive car chassis kit or a monster truck chassis kit.

[sciguy125]

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

If I want to buy a RC car chassis kit from Towerhobbies, which one works with the Vex Robotics Kit? I don't need an expensive car chassis kit or a monster truck chassis kit.

I think you can use any of them. As far as I know, the RC car chassis use standard servos for steering. You'll probably have to modify the drive system though. Actually, if you buy a full kit (chassis, servos, speed controller, motor, etc), you should be able to connect it to the vex controller. I haven't inspected Vex very closely, but I'm pretty sure that it will work with standard servos.