Build-It-Yourself Robots

Building robots is an intriguing and popular hobby. Robot hobbyists learn basic and advanced electronics, and experience hours of fun while studying science. Tinkerers have a lot of different robot kits to choose from. Not everyone can build their own robots from scratch.

Mindstorms

Lego Mindstorms is a robot-building kit appropriate for most age groups. These robot kits come complete with everything you need to make your own robot--including three small motors, a sound sensor, a light sensor, a touch sensor and even a distance sensor. Additionally, the kit comes with all of the wires you will ever need, over 500 building pieces, a USB cable, and a Bluetooth-enabled dongle so you can give it commands from your laptop. There is even a Lego Mindstorms community. These like-minded hobbyists share designs, compete against each other at exhibitions and trade their home-built robots. This is an excellent place to start if you are new to the world of robotics.

Qfix

Qfix robot kits are a step up from Lego Mindstorms. Qfix kits are used in high schools, colleges and trade schools to teach students the basics of robotics. Hobbyists also enjoy Qfix robot kits. The basic setup of the Qfix kit is similar to that of Lego Mindstorms. The Qfix comes with motors, sensors and actuators. that hobbyists use to create their own robots capable of a variety of functions. Qfix kits are more complicated than Lego Mindstorms and use metal parts instead of plastic pieces.

Vex Robotics Design System

The Vex Robotics Design System is another company that makes several different robot kits, including one you can use to build a remote-controlled robot with a web cam and a grasping arm. Vex holds competitions and challenges, such as the Vex World Championship, to see who can build the best robots from Vex robot kits.

Stiquito

A step up from the Vex kits is the Stiquito, which is a kit from which you can create various incarnations of a six-legged robot. These are fascinating, difficult and a logical next step for those who have outgrown the simpler robot kits. Stiquito robots use nitinol--a smart metal that expands and contracts like a human muscle, according to the application of heat. This reduces the energy demand of the robot and makes it more fuel-efficient. For what they can do, Stiquito robots are cheap. You can build one to do literally whatever you want--from vacuuming your carpet to washing your dishes.

MRDS

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio (MRDS) creates a virtual world where hobbyists can design and test their robots before building them. This saves time, materials and money. Hobbyists can also use MRDS to interface with their robots after they have built them. No matter your level of experience working with robots, MRDS is a great tool for any robotics hobbyist.