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In lugnet.robotics.rcx, Elizabeth Mabrey wrote:
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I wonder if anyone has had a chance to use the new VEX robotic kit by radio
shack. I am trying to collect the info to evaluate this product vs LEGO
RIS + robolab in terms of educational values.
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I haven’t used it, but I thank you for pointing it out. (For others, the link
is http://www.vexrobotics.com/.)
I hate to say it, but this looks like it rather blows the socks off of standard
LEGO robotics. The starter kit is $300, which is a 50% pricier, but comes with
some really cool features out of the box that are very difficult or impossible
to add to Mindstorms at all. For example, a radio transmitter and receiver,
that lets you interact with your robot by remote control (in addition to its
autonomous control via the programmable microcontroller).
Additional parts are nicely available and well-priced, too -- for example, $20
for a servo kit, $50 for a radio crystal set that enables four different
frequencies, $13 for an extra set of gears (duplicating all the gears in the
starter kit, plus two more), and $50 for a battery charger that can charge robot
and transmitter batteries at the same time.
The major drawback, of course, is that the dang thing isn’t based on LEGO, so
it’s going to be a PITA to build and comparatively limited in the physical
structures you can make. Looks surprisingly fun anyway, though.
I found a review of the VEX system that may be useful:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=817378
I haven’t been able to find much detail about the microcontroller, except that
it contains “dozens of ports for sensor plugs and jumpers.” It’s not clear
exactly what that means, though. Nor can I find any information about how it is
programmed -- apparently it comes with a preset program you can tweak in small
ways via jumpers, but they also claim it’s “programmable.”
I hope this gives some inspiration to both the engineers and the marketing guys
at LEGO... I feel like LEGO robotics is falling behind, and has some catching up
to do.
Best,
- Joe
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | RE: vex robotics kit
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| Hi Joe, Their website seemingly offers a lot of other gadgets. However, I have serious doubt about the programming platform though. Or, perhaps I have not found much about the programming language which can interface with it. ---...--- -------- (...) (19 years ago, 21-Jun-05, to lugnet.robotics.rcx, lugnet.robotics.edu)
| | | Re: vex robotics kit
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| (...) I don't think so. (...) Sure, but it seems of not much value regarding programming. The informations on the vex site are sparse and not easy to decipher, but I think you will have to: - pay aditional $99 for somethink called easyC, that is (...) (19 years ago, 23-Jun-05, to lugnet.robotics.rcx, lugnet.robotics.edu)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | vex robotics kit
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| Hi I wonder if anyone has had a chance to use the new VEX robotic kit by radio shack. I am trying to collect the info to evaluate this product vs LEGO RIS + robolab in terms of educational values. ---...--- -------- Best Regards, Elizabeth Mabrey (...) (19 years ago, 20-Jun-05, to lugnet.robotics.rcx, lugnet.robotics.edu)
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