Vex Robotics Starter Kit and add-ons

Sure, you could go the easy route and drop a hundred bucks on a preassembled Robosapien and teach the recipient that life just hands you things; or, you could show them the satisfying sense of achievement one gets upon successful completion of a project, and spend a few (hundred) more bucks on the Vex Robotics Starter Kit. Available exclusively at Radio Shack, this progeny of an erector set and a Lego Mindstorm (actually it's "inspired" by some winners of FIRST, a high school robotics competition) allows you to create limitless variations of radio-controlled robots that can gain increasing autonomy through a series of separate add-ons. A quick scan of the optional sensors and parts would indicate that you could build a bot capable of competing in almost every one of the ten events at the Eastern Canadian Robot Games, which might make it worth the $300 price tag right there. Unfortunately you have to cough up another hundred bucks to get the interface cable and software that let your bot do anything cool, accessories that the Shack probably should have included in the first place. Please remember that if purchasing for a child to remind him/her about the included lubricant grease's "adverse human heath [sic] effects;" it can be "harmful by inhalation and contact with skin," so needless to say, this kit requires adult supervision.

[tempusmaster @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

At first I was pretty skeptical about the Vex system, but as I've researched it in more detail, I've become convinced that it's an excellent way to become familar with robotics concepts, experiment, build something really practical, and grow into larger and more complex robot projects.

It may look like a motorized Erector set, but there is much, much more there waiting to be explored. The new Robot magazine, described in this article - http://www.robots-dreams.com/2005/10/new_magazine_ou.html - has a detailed article that runs several pages with full color photos and closeups featuring the Vex system and the Mythbusters from television.

The biggest single advantage that Vex offers is standardized components so that a beginning robot experimentor doesn't have to design and machine special parts or circuits. And, like Mindstorms, it's great for prototyping new concepts and ideas. You can find out very quickly if your latest bright idea will fly, or is most hair-brained thought on the planet.

And, if your concept will fly, Vex should prove to be more durable than Mindstorms. I love using Mindstorms to do a quick prototype (http://www.robots-dreams.com/mindstorms/index.html), but with my clumsy fingers and lack of dexterity, the Lego blocks tend to pop apart too easily at exactly the wrong moments. Vex doesn't seem to have that problem.
Given the FIRST backing, I expect that Vex will prove to be extremely popular, especially since Radio Shack is distributing it. Hopefully they'll stock it in all the stores, not just a select few.

[Sascoo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I just competed in a school competition for robotics and used the vex kit. As stated before, it is a great kit for beginners. My only problems were that after I bought the starter kit, in order to program my robot I had to go back to radio shack to purchase a $100 serial to usb cord + software and I felt constrained by the easy C software itself in which I had to drag and drop all of my code. Prior to vex I had used First's mini-bot kit which I felt was much easier to work with and did not require the purchase an additional cable. Other than that vex is a good product but if you have intermediate to an advanced knowledge of robotics you may feel constrained or be slown down by the software.

[tempusmaster @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

"I felt constrained by the easy C software itself in which I had to drag and drop all of my code"

Lego Mindstorms out of the box has the same problem. Great for beginners, but as you develop more skill it feels limiting.

Thankfully, people were able to reverse engineer the software and develop other programming platforms for Mindstorms. If Vex turns out to be popular then it won't be long before we see other programming alternatives popping up.

[William Cox @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I have photos of the new Robot Magazine on my site, http://www.gorobotics.net/Articles/Reviews/A-First-Look-at-Robot-Magazine/

I am very impressed with it. The MythBusters did a a feature in it on using the Vex Robotics system. Good read.

[Fredrick @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

They have the whole "MythBusters Test the VEX Robotics Design System" article online at the magazine's website: http://www.botmag.com/articles/mythbusters_test_the_vex_robotics_design_system_1.shtml

The photos are fantastic.

[delerious @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I played with this at the '05 FIRST Nationals. All I've gotta say is that these are awesome. It's a lot more fun when you play in a competition rather than just by yourself. It was fun last year, and I expect it to be fun this year. Our FIRST team (#34) didn't support a VEX team this year....I was kinda hoping to play though..... It's too much fun.

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Just a clarification on earlier posts: The programming module is NOT necessarily required for making your robot do "cool" things. Out of the box it has 6 channels of direct remote control. The programming add-on is only required if you wish to add automated features--i.e. have the robot do things without operator input. This is a great add-on that really teaches what robotics is about, but it is definitely NOT required to make cool robots that you can take to (most) competitions.

[Ricky Torrance @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

The more advanced programmer does not need to use the easyC software. You can use Microchips MPLAB IDE to develop your C code and our IFI Loader to download the code to the Vex Controller. This is the same tool that the FIRST Robotics Competitions uses. You do need the Programming Module which comes in either the easyC Programming Kit or our MPLAB IDE Prototype Programming Kit. We carry everything Vex related that Radio Shack carries and more. For more info visit http://www.vexlabs.com