Under $500 robots question
Under $500 robots question
by UncleBob
Tue Oct 12, 2010 4:54 am
Up til now robots are expensive in comparisum to other hobbies like rc helicopter and cars. It is hard for new hobbiest to jump on board. It is not to say that people cannot afford them, just that they need a cheap introductory model.
I also fly rc helicopters. Many people spent a lot of money having several big nitro helicopters, jets, etc. The entry point is having cheap Esky lama cost $50-$80. I believe once people have bought their first helicopter then they will be more willing to invest further.
However for robots we don't have such thing. I am not talking about RoboPhilo. Why ? I don't know exactly. Just thought the nearest best thing has to be a robobuilder. Programmable and can take a few walking steps.
I believe if we have the cheap entry robots then we will have more people willing to buy more expensive robots.
To sell a robot for $500, the cost must be below $250 for the raw materials to cover cost of software development, etc.
Normally a robot need 16 or more DOFs, controller, battery, frames, controller. So we are talking about $10 servos (factory price). It is tough to get servos for that price. So I guess smaller servos for lighter weight introductory robot is a possibility. It can be plastic gears since we are talking about introductory robot.
So yes, it can be done. But we need $10 plastic gears, programmable feedback servos. Where can we get this ?
I also fly rc helicopters. Many people spent a lot of money having several big nitro helicopters, jets, etc. The entry point is having cheap Esky lama cost $50-$80. I believe once people have bought their first helicopter then they will be more willing to invest further.
However for robots we don't have such thing. I am not talking about RoboPhilo. Why ? I don't know exactly. Just thought the nearest best thing has to be a robobuilder. Programmable and can take a few walking steps.
I believe if we have the cheap entry robots then we will have more people willing to buy more expensive robots.
To sell a robot for $500, the cost must be below $250 for the raw materials to cover cost of software development, etc.
Normally a robot need 16 or more DOFs, controller, battery, frames, controller. So we are talking about $10 servos (factory price). It is tough to get servos for that price. So I guess smaller servos for lighter weight introductory robot is a possibility. It can be plastic gears since we are talking about introductory robot.
So yes, it can be done. But we need $10 plastic gears, programmable feedback servos. Where can we get this ?
by siempre.aprendiendo
Tue Oct 12, 2010 4:57 pm
I fully agree, UncleBob
Five years ago I bought the RIS Lego Mindstorms. I decided to buy it after reading that several universities use it as a cheap robotics kit, but I was pretty unsure...
Since then I have enjoy a lot of hours playing with Bioloid comprehensive (2007), Premium upgrade, two NXT kits, several sensors and Lego Technics kits (to get more "structural elements"
Five years ago I bought the RIS Lego Mindstorms. I decided to buy it after reading that several universities use it as a cheap robotics kit, but I was pretty unsure...
Since then I have enjoy a lot of hours playing with Bioloid comprehensive (2007), Premium upgrade, two NXT kits, several sensors and Lego Technics kits (to get more "structural elements"
by Darkback2
Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:24 pm
I think maybe you answered your own question there. There are a few sub $500 humanoids, the isobot, the robophilo, Mech RC, and don't forget the bipeds like the brat and even the penguin...so yeah...there are entry level humanoid robots, but no they are not going to be as capable/reliable as more expensive robots, in the same way that a $30 RC helecopter isn't going to be nearly as functional as a $400 one, or the thousands spent on the big gas powered 3D deals. There are cheap robot kits out there, but a humanoid is more complex and therefor more expensive.
one key thing to remember is that with a kit like the bioloid there is a large initial investment, but you don't have to replace everything when your robot crashes. You can use the same set of servos, motors, and controllers over and over for years in several different robots. Not something you can't really do with a cheaper humanoid.
That said, there have been several who have tried to make a budget humanoid using MG-995 servos...About $10 if you are careful where you buy them...Generally not worth it though.
DB
one key thing to remember is that with a kit like the bioloid there is a large initial investment, but you don't have to replace everything when your robot crashes. You can use the same set of servos, motors, and controllers over and over for years in several different robots. Not something you can't really do with a cheaper humanoid.
That said, there have been several who have tried to make a budget humanoid using MG-995 servos...About $10 if you are careful where you buy them...Generally not worth it though.
DB
