Tum
Hi,
I've been searching for the best robot buiding kits for a while now, and came across EZ Robot.
Just have a few questions that some of you might be able to answer.
Is EZ robot a lot more advanced than using Ego Mindstorms EV3 ? As I was thinking about getting EV3 to get the hang of putting robots together. (or would I be better going straight for a EZ Robot ?)
If I did purchase a EZ Kit, the one I was looking at was the Revolution JD kit. Would this kit be able to only build the humanoid JD robot, or would it be possible to build any type of robot with ths kit, or would I need to buy the developers kit as well to build different types of robots?
Also, looking at the developers kit, there doesn't seem many parts there etc for building a complete robot. Would extra parts be needed to build a compete robot with this kit?
I've noticed the battery charger is a different plug connector to what we have in the UK. Would this charger still come with the Kit for a UK purchase. Or does a battery charger made for the UK come with them?
I do have other questions but will wait to see if I get any replies for these that I have asked.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Hi Tum, I'll do my best to answer some of your questions.
Compared to the Lego Mindstorm: -EZ-Robot can be less advanced and more advanced: -JD is significantly easier to put together and comes pre-programmed with a bunch of movements/actions. (Less Advanced?) -Once you have gotten the hang of using ARC you can start developing your own movements and actions. (More Advanced) -We believe that EZ-Robot has more potential in growth, especially in terms of the software then the Mindstorm kit.
As for the developers kit: -This is meant for people who are looking to build their own Robot from scratch. Typically this can be an old toy, one of the supported platforms or building something from scratch! There are many examples on the forum of other peoples projects. It includes all the basic necessities of building whatever you can imagine. Depending how advanced you go, there is always the chance you may need to add a few parts down the road.
We should be releasing a 'Complete Kit' on the website in the near future.. this would include all the parts to build one of the three EZ-Robots at a time. (ie. All plastic parts, but 1 EZ-B, 1 camera, X # of servos etc) This would allow you to takes turns building each of the Robots and experiment with them all.
As for the plug, that is a good question. I will look into that and get back to you!
-Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your reply. EZ Robots certainly sound interesting. They seem to be more like a real robot, as to mindstorms that seems more like a toy. When you mentioned about using ARC to develop my own movements etc, does this mean the robots can only perform preset routines? Or is it actually possible to program them to be autononymous and think for themselves ?
And thanks a lot for looking into the power supply.Can't really order one without knowing that!
Thanks
Tum
HI Tum, That is exactly what we are going for! We want EZ-Robot to be considered actual Robots as opposed to some competitors toys. Out of the box the Robot has a bunch of movements pre-programmed, then what you want it to do next is up to you. Autonomous is a pretty vague term, as it could include something as simple as having the Robot chase a color around the room (ie. red ball) and include basic scripting for reactions. (Which would take maybe 2 minutes!) Most Autonomous Robots that we have seen also use a distance sensor so it can automatically avoid objects moving around the room. (https://synthiam.com/Shop/AccessoriesDetails.aspx?prevCat=3&productNumber=6) The level of autonminity (Is that a word?) is totally up to you and your imagination. The Community forum will be a great help as there are many people on here that have done something similar and can help with the scripting. Still waiting to hear back on the power supply from our manufacturer. It appears as though we would either send out a different AC/DC plug or a simple converter plug.
Good Luck!