With any sort of list like this, things are pretty arbitrary, but we tried to pick robots that have made an impact in our culture or have impacted the hobby or science of robots in a major way. Below you’ll find 10 amazing robots from the military, toy industry, consumer industry, and science community that have had a lasting impact on robotics.

Take a look and tell us what you think. If you had to nominate 10 robots of the decade, who would they be? Keep reading for our picks for robots of the decade.

KeepOn (2007 – present)

KeepOn took the online world by storm in March of 2007 when Marek Michalowski, a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, uploaded a film of KeepOn dancing to Spoon’s, “I Turn My Camera On”. The catchy beat plus KeepOn’s utter adorableness prompted over 2 million people to watch the video. KeepOn then went on to star in a WIRED sponsored music video featuring Spoon’s, “Don’t You Evah”. This video garnered another million plus views. KeepOn is hard to describe, other than “incredibly cute”, and it’s still stunning how lifelike and emotive two squishy stacked balls with googly-eyes can be.

Developed by Hideki Kozima, a researcher in cognitive science at Miyagi University in Japan, KeepOn was designed to be an interactive toy to study, “social development and interpersonal coordination as well as in therapeutic practice for children with developmental disorders such as autism“. He features two cameras behind his eyes that allow a researcher or doctor to observe a patient interact with the robot, without being directly involved. KeepOn’s disarming charm and personality allow a broad range of interaction that might be impossible between a normal adult and a child with autism.

KeepOn makes the “Top Robots of the past 10 Years” list simply because of his amazing ability to charm his way into mainstream culture.

PackBot (2001 – present)

iRobot’s PackBot saw its first real action in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, as it searched through the rubble of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. The US Military also used them shortly thereafter in Afghanistan to search caves and buildings for insurgents, and to investigate anti-personnel mines. The military quickly realized the usefulness of such a tool and the number of PackBots in use has grown to over 2,000 (iRobot’s site says 2,500 currently in use).

Due to the huge number of road-side bomb attacks in Iraq, iRobot developed an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) package for the PackBot and quickly became a strong competitor in the EOD arena, competing against the much larger and older TALON robots by Foster-Miller. EOD soldiers tended to prefer the PackBot to the TALON due to its more intuitive and responsive controls.

The PackBot’s distinctive design, fast speed, and ruggedness have made it a favorite of robot builders and military personnel alike. Its unique flippers allow it to climb obstacles, right itself, and increase its height to peer over small walls. It can also be carried in a backpack and can be submerged in water. The PackBot has starred in a music video, been recreated with LEGO bricks, and featured in dramatic intellectual property lawsuit.

iRobot’s PackBot makes the list of important robots from the past decade because of its extensive use in the Iraq war, the number of lives it has saved, and the intense bond that soliders form with it while performing operations.

Pleo (2007 – present)

At the DEMO event in 2006 an amazing robot named Pleo was unveiled by Caleb Chung, the creator of the Furby (actually, maybe Furby should be on this list too!). Chung promised a successor to the unbelievably popular Furby, which sold 27 million units in one 12 month period. Pleo was supposed to supersede Furby’s ability to learn and interact with its users while adding the ability to move around by walking.

Pleo was originally announced to cost $200 and be released around Christmas 2006. Both numbers quickly slipped and Pleo was finally released in December of 2007 for a cost of over $300! Amidst all the hype around Pleo, sales were sluggish and Pleo mainly appealed to the techno-savvy crowd. Promises of a Pleo software development kit were delayed, and while Pleo owners were overwhelmingly positive about Pleo, Ugobe (Pleo’s parent company) was never able to convince the average consumer they needed one. In fact, Ugobe really didn’t know how to market Pleo at all. By late 2008 the global economy effectively shut down the company and the IP was auctioned off in April of 2009. Amazingly enough, though, the IP to Pleo was purchased by Jetta Company Limited who announced that they would continue to sell and develop Pleo.

Pleo’s amazing firebird-like story and his continued popularity with owners, children, the elderly, and robot builders put him on this list of top robots from the past 10 years. No one has successfuly produced a consumer product that is so sophisticated, intricate and accessible to the average person. Pleo’s future looks bright as long as Jetta can nail down a target market and successfully advertise Pleo. Educational and hobbiest development looks promising too.

BigDog (2005 – present)

Boston Dynamics calls BigDog, “the most advanced rough-terrain robot on earth.” If you asked someone on the street about BigDog, they’d probably say, “oh yeah! That really creepy looking walking robots. That’s awesome!” While Boston Dynamics claim may certainly be true, the incredible reaction from the general public is the main reason you’re seeing this robot on this list.

Released in 2005, BigDog was designed using funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, and was created to serve as a “pack mule” for a solider in the battle field. The robot is about the size of a large dog and can carry a load of up to 340 pounds (150 kg) at 4 miles/hr while climbing over rough terrain and steep inclines. The success of the robot, and most of the creepy charm, comes from its ability mimic the walking motion of real animals. Its design absorbs shock, and recycles energy from one step to the next. It also has an onboard LIDAR and stereo vision system for navigation.

Video of an updated version of BigDog was released in 2008 and has been watched by nearly 10 million people. BigDog’s ability to recover from a kick, and walking on icy surfaces is simply amazing.

BigDog makes this list of robots of the decade because its amazing engineering impresses not only robot lovers, but the general public as well. It even inspired a very funny prody video, with nearly 3 million views.

RoboSapien (2003 – present)

RoboSapien was a unique robotic toy released in 2003. Produced by an obscure Hong Kong based toy manufacturer named WowWee, the $100 walking, talking, robot was a smash hit. For those in the BEAM Robotics community, perhaps the release wasn’t such a surprise, as Mark Tilden, the father of the BEAM field, had quit his job at Los Alamos National Laboratory and moved to Hong Kong to work on robot toys. The RoboSapien quickly won a whole slew of awards and sold close to 2 million units. WowWee released a RoboSapien V2 toy in 2005, and many more toys in the “Robo” lineup.

One of the most unique features of the RoboSapien, and a large portion in its continued popularity, is the intentional “hackability” built into the toy. Tilden designed the toy so that it could be easy modified, and was easy to understand once taken apart. Built on Tilden’s BEAM principles, the RoboSapien was amazingly versatile with just a few motors and sensors.

RoboSapien makes the list of important robots over the past ten years because of its numerous awards, large sales volume and immediate recognition by the average member of the public. WowWee proved that advanced and innovative robots could also be cool and a viable consumer product.

ASIMO and Honda P-Series (2000 – present)

Asimo is the 11th in a line of walking robots developed by Honda, called the P-Series. Unveiled in 2000, Asimo could walk and run like a human, which was an amazing feat. ASIMO had a significant upgrade in 2005, that allowed him to run twice as fast (6 km/hr or 4.3mph), interact with humans, and perform basic tasks like holding a platter and serving food. The current ASIMO models number about 100 worldwide, stand 4.2 feet tall, and weight about 120 lbs.

ASIMO, with his space-suit looking appearance, is cheerful and endearing. He has paved the way for many subsequent walking, human-like robots, but still holds his own as an advanced and powerful robot. ASIMO is a great boon to Honda’s global branding, and helps the company’s appearance of innovation and technology. ASIMO has also appeared in commercials for Honda, like this one, has his own website, and makes many celebrity appearances. A YouTube video showing ASIMO’s 2005 upgrade has had over 2.5 millions views.

ASIMO makes this list because of his winsome appearance, world-wide recognition, and advanced technology.

Aibo (1999 – 2006)

2006 was the year that robot dogs died, when Sony shut down its popular and sophisticated robotics divsion. Started in 1999, Sony produced the very popular Aibo robot dog, which quickly became a favorite robot of dog lovers and high-rolling robot builders alike. Sony developed the robots through three generations and garnered a large following of devoted developers.

Aibo was also the star of the RoboCup’s “robot dog soccer” category, where teams of Aibo’s would compete in a soccer match. With the demise of the Aibo, RoboCup searched for a replacement and selected Aldebaran Robotic’s Nao platform. Estimated sales for Aibo were somewhere around 150,000 units.

Aibo makes the list of robots of the decade because of its continued popularity, numerous uses in research, and tearful story of corporate robo-execution.

Predator Drone (1996 – present)

The Predator drone has been in existence since 1996, but has risen to prominence thanks to the events of September 11, 2001 and consequent wars. Prior to 2001 the unmanned vehicle was strictly for reconnaissance, when it was retrofitted to be armed with hellfire missiles. The Predator Drone has since then been used in countless operations, like this one, and has logged nearly one million hours of flight time. The number of drones used by the Department of Defense has grown from 300 in 2002 to 7,000 in 2009.

The drone, which was developed by the secretive General Atomics company, has flown combat missions in several foreign countries, and is extensively used by the US military in the war in Afghanistan. The Predator’s low airspeed makes it nearly invisible to ground troops, and advanced camera’s and optics allow the ground-based operator to obtain high-resolution images of the ground below.

Most of the Predators are controlled via ground-based troops stationed in Southern California, and the drones are controlled via military satellite links. The video downlink feeds can be access by troops in the field, or by insurgents themselves, as the video feeds aren’t encrypted.

The Predators make this list because they have been instrumental in saving hundreds of soldier’s lives over the course of the past 10 years. It can only be left to the imagination how difficult the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would have been without powerful air-based surveillance by these robots.

LEGO Mindstorms (1998 – present)

If you were a robot builder or a LEGO fan in 1998, the biggest news of the year was the release of LEGO’s LEGO Mindstorms RIS product. It was revolutionary for a strictly toy company to unveil an advanced robotics platform that appealed to hobbyists, educators, and children alike. The first set, the RIS 1.0 sold well and LEGO released a RIS 2.0 kit shortly thereafter. The RIS set was wildly successful (LEGO’s best selling product) and spawned a huge variety of projects, books, and various compilers. The RIS also had its own competition, the FIRST Lego League competition.

For eight years the set remained substantially the same, while the rest of the world made huge progress in computing power and robotics technology. Then, in early 2006, LEGO announced the creation of a brand new and completely re-imaged Mindstorms kit called “LEGO Mindstorms NXT”. The new kit featured a powerful processor, bluetooth connectivity, a LABView-based programming environment, and several new sensors. The motors in the kit were also significantly upgraded to allow for speed control or position control – a major difficulty in designing robots for the RIS. The kit was released to the public in July of 2006 and was praised as a great addition to the Mindstorms lineup. Amazingly enough, LEGO had designed the new set in a mere eleven months, with the close help from a team of its biggest Mindstorms fans. Mindstorms NXT 2.0 was released in the summer of 2009 and continues to sell well.

LEGO Mindstorms NXT (and RIS) make this list because it has introduced millions of children to the world of robotics. While RIS was relased over 12 years ago, the NXT release in 2006 once again kicked off a flurry of books and innovative creations that excite and inspire. I firmly believe that the world will be a better place 20 or 30 years from now because so many were inspired by the Mindstorms kits and went on to do great things.

Roomba (2002 – present)

It’s awful hard to remember back to 2001 when the dream of floor cleaning robots was still just that – a dream of housewives and robo-fanboys everywhere. iRobot took the household cleaning market by storm when it released its first commercial floor cleaning robot, called the Roomba, in 2002. By 2004 the Roomba had sold 1 million units, when a second generation model was released, the Roomba Discovery series. iRobot has since gone on to release a 3rd generation model in 2007, and a floor scrubbing robot, Scooba. To date 2.5 million Roombas have been sold.

The Roomba makes the list because my grandmother has one. Any robot that can be operated and loved by a technophobe is a rare find and worth celebrating. SNL also did a very funny parody of Roomba, called the “Woomba”.

Onward To The Next 10 Years …

So, there you have it. The 10 most important robots of the past ten years. What do you think? Are there any robots I left off or any robots you think shouldn’t be on this list? It’s been a pretty busy 10 years for robotic innovation, so I don’t doubt there’s plenty more than I could have listed. Here’s to ten great years of robot goodness and high hopes for ten more!

Parallax Scribbler – $99

The Scribbler robot from Parallax has been around for a few years but makes an excellent starting point for jumping into robotics. The solid design and lots of ability for expansion make it a good choice for someone that has basic computer skills or someone that has limited electronics knowledge and wants an easy way to get started. The robot features a basic stamp brain, several sensors – like light, floor sensors, and stall sensors – and has two hefty motors, along with a speaker and LEDs. The robot comes with several demo modes, or can be programmed using the regular Basic Stamp programming software.

Roboni-i Game Robot – $189

Roboni is a neat robotic game that uses wirelessly controlled robots. The robots can be used individually or in combination for cooperative gameplay. Roboni’s clever design also makes it tempting for the hacker in me. The Roboni has 12 IR sesors that it uses to track the other Robonis in the playing field, the basestation, and various obstacles. The robot exhibites complex behavior and actually “plays” with you. It’s a relatively new toy, so take that as you will.

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 – $271

When LEGO released NXT in 2006 they were coming off nearly 10 years of huge success with the RIS. Many people wondered if they could repeat the trend. It looks like they did, with tons of NXT related books being released, and lots of use in education settings. LEGO has updated the NXT and released the 2.0 version, which once again raises the bar. The NXT 2.0 set features a new color sensor, which can detect 6 different colors, or be used as a RGB light emitter. LEGO also dropped the sound sensor in favor of adding a 2nd touch sensor. There is also a different selection of beams and gears and a greatly improved programming interface. The NXT Step Blog has a comparison chart of new pieces.

Pololu 3Pi Robot – $119

Similar in price and usability to the Scribbler robot, the 3Pi from Pololu has meet with favorable reviews. The 3pi has two high power (and high speed!) DC motors, a LCD screen, and has built in sensors for line-following. The robot uses an Atmel Atmega168 chip and can be programmed in C or using the Arduino firmware and programming language. 

Phoenix Hexapod Kit – starting at $969

This exceedingly impressive kit from Lynxmotion will knock your socks off! The powerful inverse kinematics engine allows for a huge array of natural walking gaits and very “creepy” looking motion. Each leg has three DOFs (degrees of freedom) and the completed kit is wirelessly controlled via a transmitter. The parts are laser cut aluminum with black anodization. So, if you’ve got some spare change lying around, this is one slick robot to purchase. Nothing says, “I love you” like a beautifully walking hexapod robot!

Terminator Salvation DVD – $9

The continuation of the Terminator saga. Reviews were mixed, but there was some definite epic robot action. Totally worth $10.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen DVD – $21

Yet another continuation. Again, epic robot battles and mixed reviews. Certainly a “fun” movie. Check your brain at the door (or couch) though.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – The Complete Second Season – $37

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC) was quite possibly the best Sci-Fi show of the past several years. Take Battlestar Galactica off the table and you have to go back to Firefly to find something comperable. Even wtih Fox (wantonly, stupidly, foolishly, idiotically, … ) canceling the show after the 2nd season, the two seasons of the show are still well worth watching and are both intellectually stimulating, fun, and heartwrenching. The first season is available new for $17.

SolarSpeeder Kit – $27

The SolarSpeeder is a great beginner kit to demonstrate the power of solar energy. The kit requires some basic hand tools and a soldering iron, so it’s best for kids over 12.

Pleo Dinosaur – $200

Pleo is back from the ashes of bankruptcy and ready to rumble. With a new update to fix many of the original Pleo’s problems, this Pleo is still his same loveable self – just with a new company backing him. This robodino has a complex personality, can move around, use his built in camea to recognize objects, and has directional hearing. Pleo has instant repor with children and the elderly, and would make an oustanding companion for the diabled – or robot hackers.

Have anything to add to this list? Add it to the comments! What was your favorite robot gift from 2008?

Here’s a neat design by Nils Volker for a spherical rolling robot. The robot propels itself forward by turning about its axis, and can change the direction of motion by dynamically changing the axis of rotation. This seems to be a more efficient design than having a suspended pendulum which causes the sphereical robot to curve to one side or the other – a common design among other “ball” robots. Nils robot uses LEGO Mindstorms for electronics/mechanics and is remotely controlled via a bluetooth connection.

Nice work Nils!

More pictures/video after the jump.

[Via Robots Dreams]

Spherical Robot 01 from Nils Völker on Vimeo.

After ten yeras, the array of creations made with the LEGO’s Mindstorms kit is pretty impressive. One of the latest things to amaze me is this NXT 3D scanner created by Philo. The device uses several motors and linear actuators to probe the surface of an object and precisely record its shape. The scanner, which can take several hours to map the surface of an (even small) object, uses a sharp needle and and a the light sensor to probe the surface of the object to scan with quite an ingeneous mechanism. Philo details the project and outlines each component on his website. Philo writes,

I am a LDraw parts author, and as such I am always interested to find new ways to model LEGO parts. Many parts have a clear geometric structure and are relatively easy to create, but parts like the frog pictured above (note: it’s the small green blob) have no defined geometric shape and are very difficult to model. I toyed for a while with the idea of a 3D scanner… The solution came with 2008 LEGO Technic sets that include a new part, the linear actuator. These nifty device convert the rotation movement of a motor into a linear movement. Coupled with the high resolution of NXT encoder, I had all the elements to build a 3D scanner, precise enough for my purpose.

There’s a video of the scanner after the jump.

[Via The NXT Step]

The LEGO company is producing a special, Limited Edition, version of the Mindstorms NXT brick. The brick will be black, and LEGO will only produce 1998 of them, to commemorate the creation of Mindstorms in 1998. Owners will get special goodies, like bragging rights, and special programs with the purchase of their brick.

The first LEGO MINDSTORMS products came out in the year 1998 and have since then continued to bring fun and active building and programming experiences to millions of robotic builders across the world! Why a Black NXT? Because it is cool! And looking around in the MINDSTORMS community we noticed that a Black NXT was high on the wish list among users. Once you have bought and received your new Black NXT you will get access to additional materials like a special-made program for the Black NXT, a personal certificate of ownership, wallpapers, building instructions for special models.

You can purchase one of these exclusive items from www.legoshop.com or from Amazon.

Do you remember with Mindstorms originally came out? Did you buy one then, or did you wait? I remember being almost beside myself with excitement.

[Via The Brothers Brick]

LEGO Mindstorms NXT

I wonder if LEGO fully understood what they were getting into when they first released their “Robotics Invention System”, or “RIS” in 1998? Now, two revisions later we have the LEGO Mindstorms NXT system, which is about as perfect of a product as you can imagine. Involving a tight-knit team of LEGO and robotics enthusiasts, LEGO developed NXT from the ground up and surprised the public with their new system in 2006. The NXT system supports over 40 different programming languages, and supports a wide range of additional sensors created by 3rd parties. The kit comes with 3 motors (with feedback), 4 different sensors, and 571 pieces. You can check out some of the fabulous NXT creations over at The NXT Step Blog.

Mindstorms NXT retails for $250 USD.

Buy LEGO Mindstorms NXT from RobotShop.

Wall-E RC Toy and DVD

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Pixar is known for creating beautiful, heartwarming, and sophisticated animated films that appeal to both children and adults. Their latest masterpiece is the story of Wall-E, a trash robot stranded and alone on Earth.

One of the more interesting product tie-ins is the U Command Wall-E “interactive robot” which uses an IR remote for control and can be programming with hundreds of different actions and combinations. This may be ripe for hardware hacking and is extremely cute, to boot.

Of course, if you’re looking for something a little less costly, the 3 disk Special Edition of Wall-E on DVD would make an excellent gift for your robot loving friends.

Buy U Command Wall-E from Amazon.com.

Buy 3 Disk Special Edition Wall-E from Amazon.com.

Roomba from iRobot

Roomba, the ever faithful floor vacuuming friend from iRobot is as great as ever! First released in 2002, this robovac has gone through several design revisions and has sold over 2.5 million units world wide. iRobot has been very good about answering customer complains about the product and their latest versions are amazing. Our friend at Robot Stock News keep an updated Roomba Buyers Guide listing all sorts of great deals. You’ll want to spend some time at iRobot’s Roomba page to decide which version is right for you, but regardless of which one you purchase, you won’t be disappointed.

Amazon.com also has a iRobot store with lists all the products, including the Dirt Dog robot which is great for cleaning up dirty shop floors. The Roomba 560 is an excellent middle-of-the-road option for your robotic cleaning needs.

The iRobot Looj also makes a good sub-$100 present for friends with dirty gutters.

Tribot from WowWee Toys

The Tribot, “Personal Companion”, is a newly released toy from WowWee, the creators of the hugely popular Robosapien robot. Tribot’s unique design allows it to move in all directions without having to turn. He has several built-in games and jokes and is controlled via a remote. He makes a good sub-$100 robotic gift for kids and adults.

Buy Tribot from Amazon.com.

Bioloid by Robotis

The Bioloid Robotics System from Korean company, Robotis, is a modular robotics kit that allows builders to create a wide variety of sophisticated robotic creations. The kits come with a variety of powerful motors, or Dynamixels, and composite frame pieces. The kits can be used to build walking robots,  multi-legged walking machines, and wheeled vehicles. Behavior software is used to create programs and precisely control the position of each motor. One the program is completed, it can be downloaded to the robot.

The various Bioloid kits come in a wide variety of prices, ranging from $299 to $2,999.

Buy Bioloid from RobotShop.

Sumo Robot Kit from Parallax

Competition is a sure-fire way to make any potentially boring subject super exciting for kids (and adults). That’s why the Sumo Robot kit from Parallax makes an excellent starting point for getting into hobby robotics. Buy purchasing a competition kit, which comes with two robot kits, and a sumo arena, you can stage your own sumo battles between two robots. These kits form an excellent mechanical starting point for developing your own killer sumo robot code.

But the Sumo Robot Competition Kit from RobotShop.

Pleo the Dinosaur Robot from Ugobe

We’ve blogged about Pleo, one of the most sophisticated toy robots ever, quite a bit. There’s no doubt that Pleo is an amazing toy which learns and grows as you play with him, and thanks to the holiday shopping season, you can find some great deals on prices. Pleo has charmed his way into many a child’s heart. He also has a way with the ladies. There’s no shortage of pictures of Pleo on photo sharing sites like Flickr, and Pleo owners seem to delight in dressing him up. You can even find Pleo clothes on eBay!

Buy Pleo from Amazon.com.

Spykee The Spy Robot from Erector

Spykee is not your parents erector set. Gone are the metal peices and difficult nuts and bolts, instead you have a WiFi equipped telepresence robot. Spykee functions as a video surveillance device, digital music player, and can be used as a VoIP phone and web cam. Spykee also has a community website you might want to check out before purchasing.

Buy Spykee from Amazon.com.

Robobuilder Robotics Kit

Similar to Bioloid, Robobuilder is a modular robotics kit that allows you to create walking biped robots and multilegged creations. Robobuilder has a very simple joint assembly which lets you spend more time playing and less time messing with trying to get the parts connected. Another interesting feature is that each motor, or actuator, has I/O lines on it to allow you to hook up 2 digital devices and 1 analog device for added sensing and actuation. Robobuilder kits come in a variety of prices ranging from $680 USD to $1,560 USD.

Buy Robobuilder Robotics Kit from RobotShop.

Vex Robotics Kit

Originally sold exclusively by Radio Shack, the VEX Robotics system was reacquired by the parent company to much success. Used by over 140,000 students worldwide, many of them in the FIRST Tech Challenge. The kits come with a variety of building pieces, an RC controller, a “brain”, and various motors and sensors. There are a large variety of low-priced expansion kits that allow you to constantly built up your stash of Vex parts. A great way to get started with VEX would be to purchase the VEXplorer Modular Robotics System for $199..

Buy a VEX Robotics Kit from RobotShop.

Thankfully, that’s where a few cool products, books, and websites come into play. Back when I first got started in robotics (back in 1998 or so), there were very few books on the subject and even fewer websites or nifty products.

But, times have changed folks! Robots are now almost as cool as iPods and Emo.

I’ve put together a small list of items that you can use to 1) start your journey into robotics and 2) enhance your knowledge. Feel free to leave comments on other useful items. This is meant to be a starting point. It’s also a good place to find good gift ideas … hint hint hint.

Kits

1. LEGO Mindstorms

The venerable granddaddy of all easy-yet-powerful robotics kits, LEGO Mindstorms now comes in two flavors, the old version RIS 2.0 and the new version Mindstorms NXT. LEGO Mindstorms NXT sports an impressive array of new features, like ultrasonic range finders, powerful graphical programming environment based on LabView, and bluetooth, the old version Robotics Invention System 2.0 is still a good buy. You can pick up a set for under $200 off of eBay or perhaps find it on clearnace at your local toy store. Either way, LEGO makes outstanding building systems, and no roboticists shop is complete without it.

2. VEX Robotics Development System

I don’t personally own a VEX system, so I can’t say based on person experience, but I’ve heard lots of good things about them (if someone at Innovation First is reading this, hook me up). The kits are similar in design to an erector set of bygone years, and are very sturdy and well constructed. Vexlabs.com sells a wide array of add-ons and expansions that make the possibilities vast and varied.

3. Viper Robotics Development System

I recently did a complete review of the Viper robotics development system from Microbric. The kit is unique in that it has various modules that connect up to the central motherboard via little plastic connectors that also form the electrical connections. The kit is attractively priced and is well worth it, for the components you get.

The system is programmed in Visual Basic syntax and is based on the Atom processor from Basic Micro.

Books

Why learn the hard way, when you stand on the shoulders of others? These books will expand your knowledge and give you confidence about moving to the next level. Check your local bookstore, or use the links below to order off of Amazon (and help GoRobotics.net out!).

1. Robot Builder’s Bonanza, Third Edition (Robot Builder’s Bonanza)

An oldie-goldie. Gordon McComb does a bang-up job of introducing robotics to the real world. Check out our review of the 2nd Edition of Robot Builder’s Bonanza here.

2. Build Your Own Robot!

Karl Lunt wrote for Nuts and Volts (more on this later) for years. Afterwards, he assembled all his articles into this fabulous book, filled with nifty ideas on how to build a robot. This is great for your bookshelf. You can read our review of Build Your Own Robot! here.

3. Intermediate Robot Building

This is David Cook’s second book, in which he covers the topics of robotics in a bit more detail than his previous Robot Building for Beginners book.

Magazines

Books are great to have, but it’s always nice to have a steady stream of new information coming your way. This is a great motivator, and there’s no better way that by subscribing to some of these magazines.

1. Robot

ROBOT Magazine is a new magazine that focues on the educational and hobbiest market. The high-quality magazine always has interesting and informative articles for both the advanced user and beginners.  You can read our review of the first issue of ROBOT Magazine here.

2. Servo Magazine

Servo Magazine covers all things related to robotics. Not nearly as pretty or well layed out as ROBOT Magazine, but still informative. If anyone from SERVO is reading this, how about a little love and giving us a subscription!

3. Make: Technology on Your Time

This is one hefty magazine! Published quarterly, you can expect to find over 150 pages in this high quality “mook” (magazine + book). They cover all things related to hacking and making things, including robotics and electronics. Well worth the price.

4. Nuts and Volts

A great hobbiest magazine related to all things electronic.

5. Circuit Cellar

This is a bit above most beginners heads, but a great addition for the more advanced user.

Websites

Obviously, since you’re reading this, you’ve discovered the power of the web. Amplify that power by visiting these websites to learn about robotics.

1. GoRobotics.net

Of course we’d list ourselves first! Features robotics news, projects, and reviews.

2. The NXT Step

This a resource site for all things related to LEGO Mindstorms NXT (the first item on our list).

3. Robots Dreams

This site covers all the great robot news from Japan. Gives a fresh perspective on the other side of the world, and it’s in English!

4. Bot Junkie

More robot news to ease your cravings.

5. MAKE Magazine

Hackery and making from all around the internet. TONS of information.

6. Hack-A-Day

New hack every day. A must visit. Submit your hacks.

7. Engadget

All things gadgets. They also frequently link to us, so give them some love!

Toys

1. Pleo

Pleo is a life-like pet dinosaur. You can find out more about Pleo at PleoBot.com. Designed by the creater of the Furby, Pleo will learn and grow like a real animal. Pleo is a big favorite with adults and children alike.

2. Robosapien V2

WowWee toys makes a whole line of robots that are lots of fun and great for hacking. The RoboSapien is probably the most popular.

Hopefully, these links should get you started on your journey. If you have anything to add, please leave it in the comments below. Happy robot making!

This post is part of the ProBlogger group writing project!

1. Learn about electronics: While this isn’t one
of the most fun parts about robotics, it is essential. For a while I
lived under the impression that I could do robotics without knowing
anything about electronics. But, I found out that I was wrong pretty
soon. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to have an EE degree, but you
do need to know some of the basics. Getting Started In Electronics by Forrest Mimms is an excellent resource for this. You can find a review of this book
here.
There’s also a helpful online electronics tutorial here.

2. Buy some books: In order to have a good start into
robotics, you will need to start growing your library right off the bat.
Getting the right books will provide an invaluable help. Robot Building for Beginners is a good starting point. An absolute must-have book is Robot Builder’s Bonanza. You’ll also want to get some magazine subscriptions. Robot Magazine is great for beginners, along with Servo Magazine. You’ll also find other interesting books, on our books page.

3. Start off small:
This is probably one most important points of this whole article. Stay
small! Resist the urge to let your mind run wild with possiblities of
cooking robot that will dust and vacuum at the same time. You need to
start off small. Try putting some motors onto a base (like some AOL CDs or a bread-board from Radio Shack or Jameco) and running them with a Basic Stamp or an OOPic.

If you’re more the kit type, you will find an impressive selection at The Robot Store, Lynxmotion, Parallax, Rogue Robotics and Budget Robotics. If you don’t have any electronics or mechanics experience
I’d recommend getting a kit.

4. Get LEGO Mindstorms if you don’t have any programming experience:
If you’ve never programmed before, you’re in a bit of trouble, because
you’ll have to learn in order to do robotics, well, mostly. However,
LEGO Mindstorms offers
and excellent resource for the totally illiterate. I have never heard
anything bad about this product, and HIGHLY recommend it. Plus, if you
advance beyond it’s capabilites, there are tons of great websites and
books about hacking it for other uses. You can buy the Mindstorms 2.0 kit here, or wait till Aug. 2006 to get the new version, Mindstorms NXT. VEX Robotics Kit is also a good starting point. I don’t have any person experience with it, but I’ve heard good things.

5. Enter a contest – I.E. Build a ‘bot to do something:
After you’re initial robot or so, you’ll need to start to plan
for a robot that will actually do something. Part of the problem for a
lot of people is that they
never plan their robot ahead of time. When you have definite goals in
mind, i.e. “I want my robot to patrol the house at night”, you are much
more motovated and interested in finishing. A great way to do this is
to enter your robot into a contest. Mini Sumo, and the international Fire-Fighting Contest are excellent choices. Many clubs have annual contests and events.

6. Work regularly on your ‘bots:
Make yourself work on your robots regularly, especially if you’re
entering a contest! Coming back to a project after weeks of ingnoring
it is tough. Take that time to think about the project
and plan. It will help, even if it’s just for a few minutes before bed. Also, keep a regular journal of what you’ve done. Documenting your work is important.

7. Read about mistakes of others: Take a look at our top mistakes with building a robot list and know what to avoid.

8. Don’t be a tightwad:
This is probably the second most important point in this article. Take
it from one – Being a tightwad, or cheap person, isn’t good. You may
save a few dollars, but you will loose so much more with the extra time
and frustration involved in being cheap. Don’t get me wrong, you should
always look for bargans, but if that involves desoldering components
off of circuit boards, as opposed to spending $5 at Digi-Key,
just give up. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. Robotics isn’t a
cheap hobby, and sometime you’ll have to face the facts. You’re time
and sanity are worth more.

9. Ask LOTS of questions: Subscribe to every
e-mail list and newsgroup that you can find, and just ask questions.
You’ll learn more that way than from any book or website. Questions are
never stupid. Don’t be shy. No one ever gets good enough where they
don’t have to ask questions sometime. The forums at Robot Magazine are a good place to start.

10. Share you’re experinces with others: Don’t
make the rest of the world learn everything the hard way. That’s the
beauty of the internet and e-mail. If you’re figured something out,
write and article or e-mail. Let others know. Sheesh, that’s the reason
you’re reading this right now, I’m letting you know how to do things
the right way. GoRobotics.net is an excellent place to do this. If
you’re interested in writing an article or review. Send me an e-mail. Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience, that’s what editors are for!

Tags: [ Robots | LEGO Mindstorms | electronics | Basic Stamp | OOPic | Vex | GoRobotics.net]

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