OT: Robotics Kit Recommendation to build with 11yo who wants to learn machining?

My extremely precocious 11-year old nephew is obsessed with robots, so I have promised to build/machine a simple robot with him, and I hope to teach him some basic machining and more math & physics (and possibly improve his Python or other coding skills) during the process. He is young, but serious about his interest -- he understands how to solve for X in simple equations, can compute basic vector operations, knows the binary system & Cartesian coordinates, and can write simple Python scripts.

We have a small vertical mill (Rusnok) that should be perfect for him to learn safe operation on. We also have soldering equipment. I will be doing most of the work while he watches.

Can anyone recommend a robotics kit that requires some basic machining to complete? We are also OK with soldering and/or coding. Possibly something with Arduino? He has expressed a strong preference for a simple 'walking' (as opposed to wheeling) robot.

Good luck with this. My 11 year old grandson expressed an interest in building robots and as a guy that builds stuff I was thrilled. So first we built a 4 axis CNC with a full enclosure in the garage. Beyond a pinewood derby car and a solar car for school he hasn't shown the interest I had hoped. Almost in high school now, maybe First robotics will grab his interest. He could be the kid that the others say "Hey I'll bet Tyler could machine that for us!" One can hope.

garyhlucas said:

maybe First robotics will grab his interest.

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I am an alumni to a FIRST robotics team, take him to a competition and it will DEFINITELY intrigue him, even if he doesn't have a strong interest in machining.

(VEX EDR robotics is pretty cool too for younger kids too! no machining, but pretty much a big meccano set, my dad runs 2 teams of it and the kids have lots of fun)

Not clear to me whether the focus here is on machining or robotics. The Venn diagram circles for the two only partially overlap. It sounds probable that the "machining" part of this project is only a matter of occasionally knocking out a part that will help the robot act robotically. But if the object is to learn machining, as the OP title suggests, just using robotics parts as workpieces, I doubt that playing with kits and having a small mill and a soldering iron is going to go very far, especially if Uncle does most of the work while Nephew watches. This sounds negative, I know, but in fact I find it encouraging to hear an account of an 11-year-old with an interest in and talent for technical matters, and one with an uncle who is willing to devote some shop time and resources to the boy.

-Marty-

Yea, robotics barely has anything to do with machining concepts. The lessons important and crucial to robotics is like 90% unrelated to machining or making parts.

Especially on the younger-level, they tend to isolate lessons by supplying a robot with complete-solutions for all but programming, or all but assembly, or all but design. You aren't going to very well find a robot kit that includes some machining - then it wouldn't be a kit. It'd be starting from scratch.

To have robotics + machining, you'd have to include design and buy him a rasberry pi kit with sufficient I/Os and some OOTB software for controlling. Then design and make a robot that does a thing. That will be a challenge with CAD or drawing.

My advice is to teach machining separately with a separate goal. Or maybe do a robot then teach him how to make aluminum gripper jaws to replace the shitty plastic ones or something. Use the 'guts' of the robot to control replacement parts and build it bigger/better.

JNieman said:

Yea, robotics barely has anything to do with machining concepts. The lessons important and crucial to robotics is like 90% unrelated to machining or making parts.

Especially on the younger-level, they tend to isolate lessons by supplying a robot with complete-solutions for all but programming, or all but assembly, or all but design. You aren't going to very well find a robot kit that includes some machining - then it wouldn't be a kit. It'd be starting from scratch.

To have robotics + machining, you'd have to include design and buy him a rasberry pi kit with sufficient I/Os and some OOTB software for controlling. Then design and make a robot that does a thing. That will be a challenge with CAD or drawing.

My advice is to teach machining separately with a separate goal. Or maybe do a robot then teach him how to make aluminum gripper jaws to replace the shitty plastic ones or something. Use the 'guts' of the robot to control replacement parts and build it bigger/better.

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I agree with this, in my personal experience, Arduino is the way to go, for younger kids, pre programming is a must, they don't grasp it quickly enough and it gets boring fast, but if they see what it can do afterwards before they start, it adds incentive.

A friends kids wanted to build little robots, so I grabbed a couple Arduinos and continuous rotation servos, along with a sheet of .060 aluminum (Not sure what grade, just had some lying around) and we built two little robots for them to into smash each other, I had pre programmed the Arduinos to use a phone and bluetooth to control them, and they had a blast! They each got a set for Christmas with instructions on different circuits, but again the machining part is a bit out of place, however with FRC (FIRST robotics competition) there are more machined parts than not! If taking that route, teach them CAD first!!! I learned CAD, Arduino, and machining before I did FRC and it helped a lot in the design process, by knowing how sensors work and what type will be needed to program the bot, it helped by being able to make space for them, and by knowing machining, knowing how you are ABLE to put them there!

There's nothing worse than having to put a limit switch or encoder and there not being enough room.....

capital7 said:

A friends kids wanted to build little robots, so I grabbed a couple Arduinos and continuous rotation servos, along with a sheet of .060 aluminum (Not sure what grade, just had some lying around) and we built two little robots for them to into smash each other, I had pre programmed the Arduinos to use a phone and bluetooth to control them, and they had a blast!

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Nice! This is pretty much what I had in mind. Having never touched Arduino before, and knowing nothing about servos, it would be great if someone has put together a good board+power source+servos+cables+bluetooth(or whatever control) kit so I don't have to spend hours learning about compatibility.

I'm actually surprised to see the various responses about machining having little to do with robotics... I actually hang out in a university machine shop that is shared by a very large research robotics lab, and I've gotten to know some of the robotics researchers pretty well while we machine parts. (They aren't the right people to ask about introductory/consumer-level kits, though)

I got my son an arduino robotics starter kit when he was 11. It was the go to thing for rainy days when we were stuck at the house.

The instruction book covers a good majority of the fundamental robotics sensors and coding via basic projects.


Regards,
Alonzo

Just ordered an Mbot ranger for my grandson. Looks like it will be interesting to do right out of the box and we can machine parts to add on to it.

catalytic said:

Nice! This is pretty much what I had in mind. Having never touched Arduino before, and knowing nothing about servos, it would be great if someone has put together a good board+power source+servos+cables+bluetooth(or whatever control) kit so I don't have to spend hours learning about compatibility.

I'm actually surprised to see the various responses about machining having little to do with robotics... I actually hang out in a university machine shop that is shared by a very large research robotics lab, and I've gotten to know some of the robotics researchers pretty well while we machine parts. (They aren't the right people to ask about introductory/consumer-level kits, though)

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Take a look online at the Arduino website (Arduino.cc) they have all of the tutorials for simple stuf like servos and power supplies