Building my own [first] robot

[Joe]

The idea of stocking up on servos and brackets appealed to me at first but eventually I've decided to drop the idea for the time being since, like you said in the first paragraph I quoted, I will get lost in all the hardware mess.

It's not so bad if you stick to Lynxmotion brackets and compatible servos; they include all the hardware you need to connect them together, and it all goes pretty easily. The same goes for the Bioloid parts too. It's only when you start trying to build new parts from scratch that you run into those ornery hardware issues.

There will be some tinkering involved, eventually - I will want to modify the robot and make it my own. Is it still recommended that I wait for the philo?

Nobody has much experience with the philo yet, of course, but I think you probably could. Since it comes as a kit, and you assemble it, you should be able to disassemble and customize it as desired. It's also programmable, so you can start your AI experiments right away. And for only $400, even if you just learn general principles from it, it's probably money well spent.

Compare this to the i-Sobot, which is a great little robot and even cheaper ($300), but comes fully assembled, is not programmable, and does not encourage any hacking. (However, its motion and balance are superb, from what I've heard, so it would serve as great inspiration for your own work.)

Best,
— Joe

[aviad]

Is it still recommended that I wait for the philo? Also, if I do, is it still recommended that I replace its controller with the gumstix board?

I would say no at the start. The only reason I'd go with a GumStix is if you need/want big programs on it. Or you need high power computing.

No for RoboPhilo or for the GumStix?

[srobot]

Is it still recommended that I wait for the philo? Also, if I do, is it still recommended that I replace its controller with the gumstix board?

I would say no at the start. The only reason I'd go with a GumStix is if you need/want big programs on it. Or you need high power computing.

No for RoboPhilo or for the GumStix?

Oops!

No for GumStix. Although if you feel you need or want the power, get one! Remember, if you find that the stock controller does not do what you want, you can always get a GumStix latter.

If you want to do a lot with programming, I would go for the Bioloid and a GumStix.

--Scotty

[aviad]

If you want to do a lot with programming, I would go for the Bioloid and a GumStix.

I would probably go for that combination. I do want a lot of flexibility in making many types of applications. I also liked the ability to add Micro SD for internal storage, which might be useful for sensor-data logging and other functions.

Also, the problem is with time of shipment - it takes almost a month for anything to reach where I live (middle-east) and so, it's just better I decide on what I want and order it, then play with things gradually..

So, thanks a lot!