G ADGET GEEKS HAVE COME TO EXPECT thick D-ring binder and a bundle of loose-leaf
that anything Segway inventor Dean Kamen pages that you have to organize into it, including
is associated with is going to be innovative, instructions for building a starter bot and other
possibly a bit over-hyped, and undoubtedly expen- kit details. But each tabbed section has an excel-
sive. Such is the case with the Vex Robotics Design lent beginner’s tutorial on mechanical engineer-
System ( vexrobotics.com). Offered exclusively ing, electronics, or other concepts used in robot
at RadioShack, Vex grew out of Kamen’s FIRST building. The guide is thoughtfully modular, and
Robotics Competition ( www.usfirst.org). as you buy add-on subsystems, they come with
Where the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention hole-punched documentation that you add to the
System grew, in part, out of research and robotics proper tabbed section of the binder. Guide sections
competitions at MIT, Vex has origins in Carnegie are all color-coded with the kit parts themselves
Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. The result is, — silver=structural materials, green=motion,
like Lego, a friendly and open-ended user experience red=sensors, and so on — and this color-matching
with a wealth of online resources. helps newbie builders understand the mechanical
Even at $299, the Vex Robotics Design System and electronic subsystems and how they interre-
Starter Kit is reasonably priced for what you get late. Product boxes for the add-on subsystems (the add-ons, however, are another story). Its and components are similarly color-coded. handsome carrying case comes filled with over 500 parts, including three If Mindstorms is the robotic gear motors, one servo, a variety of tires and hubs, answer to Lego, then Vex is
14 different gears, a micro- controller module, an RF the Erector/Meccano analog. receiver module with a replaceable frequency crystal, and a surprisingly The Add-Ons Add Up decent 6-channel radio transmitter. It is in the add-on systems that the real cost of the
If Mindstorms is the robotic answer to Lego, then Vex system reveals itself. While the Starter Kit does Vex is the Erector/Meccano analog. The main build- give you a lot of great components for the money, ing components are stamped steel beams, rails, you don’t get a full, true robot experience until you angle pieces, and panels, with attendant nuts, bolts, add a number of parts. Beyond using the included washers, and other hardware. The structural pieces remote control radio to operate your creations are Swiss-cheesed with square holes to provide a (not very bot-ish), the Starter Kit’s microcontroller maximum number of attachment points. The Starter can be programmed only minimally out of the box, Kit also includes four sensors: two limit switches using banks of jumper blocks and little keys that and two bump sensors. turn on pre-wired routines. To do true program-
Your first Vex project: assemble the binder. The ming, you need to purchase the Programming Vex Inventor’s Guide that comes with the kit is a Accessory Kit ($99). Also, the Starter Kit ships
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