Robotics

I am currently trying to build a robot with mecanum wheels. These are really cool, but connecting several independent motors to a radio reciever to remote control the servos is proving more difficult than expected. The mechanics, and in this case the motors specifically are what complicated matters. Each wheel needs its own motor,  so I need four motors to work together. On top of that, the motors are different from standard ones with differential drives. I’ll keep you posted on the progress with my  mecanum-wheeled bot later on. Hopefully it hasn’t exploded by the next time I mention it

If you are interested in robotics but not inclined to study at a university, there are lots of fun and rewarding options for hobbyists. Start by checking the Internet. There are lots of good hobby and gadget stores that offer inexpensive robotics kits. They are great places to start learning about about motion dynamics, positioning, and more.

Radio-control sets are not really robots, but fun and interesting nonetheless. Other than being fun, it gives you some practice with reliable design and good construction. You can also learn to use servos. If you use the radio control sets to drive servos,  however, make sure that someone else isn’t using the same frequency.