Learn to build your own robots, plus snag a DIY kit on sale

Image: Mashable Photo Composite

By Team CommerceMashable Deals2018-10-05 09:00:00 UTC

Imagine what sorts of cool tech inventions you could produce if only you had the tools and resources. You could maybe build a laptop that dispenses pizza (with the option to exclude pineapples, of course), or a physical shopping cart that automatically calculates the total price of its contents. If you’re like most people, the last time you engaged in building something was playing with LEGOs as a kid, or when you had to assemble furniture you bought from IKEA.

Many are put off by electronics because they think you need specialized skills in order to figure them out. That’s honestly not the case though. Something like this Complete Arduino Starter Kit & Course Bundle, which is on sale for $89.99, can help you get started.

To the uninitiated, Arduino is an open-source electronics platform, which is just tech speak for a tiny computer you can build upon. In the bundle, you’ll get an Arduino Uno R3, along with an assortment of wires, sensors, resistors, and other components you can use for constructing projects. 

You’ll also gain access to extensive Arduino courses that will teach you how to work with various boards and run programs. Plus, you’ll get to flex your tinkering muscles by producing and designing everything from Arduino games and an app-controlled car to an online weather station and a wheeled robot. Once you’re done with the bundle and have gotten a feel for all things Arduino, you can move on to more complex projects that will challenge your problem-solving skills. 

Take your pick from the kits below:

If robots are going to take over the world someday, then it’s best to learn how to build and control them as early as now. This kit will have you building Sloth, a robot with two legs you can program to walk, kick, or bust some moves. It also comes with an HC-SR04 ultrasonic ranging module which allows it to detect and avoid obstacles. All the hardware and software you need to create Sloth is included, but you can feel free to put your creative spin on it if you wish.

Don’t have a pet at home? How do you feel about building a robotic lizard? With this kit, you get to fortify your robotics, electronics, and programming knowledge by piecing together an electronic reptile. It includes everything you need to construct it, including the Sunfounder Nano board, step-by-step instructions, and visual programming language software. After assembling the robot, you can go ahead and program it to walk and change gestures or directions with the included remote control.

Why buy an expensive drone when you could build a hexacopter on your own — which by the way, is so much more dope than a helicopter. This DIY set provides the materials needed to create a copter you can take to the skies. It involves simple, straightforward construction, and gives you the ability to control the hexacopter using your smartphone. You can customize it through coding, and do things like lower the flying noise and remove signals.

It’s no Batmobile, but it’s a start. This kit arms you with the tools to create a robot car with ease, including a MEGA 2560 microcontroller board that gives you the ability to control the vehicle while connected to a computer, and an Arduino Sensor Shield which allows you to attach your automobile to various modules like sensors and relays. By playing with these components, you’ll be able to enhance your knowledge of robotics, which can come in handy when you finally build your own Batmobile one day.