Robot Kits and Techno Glitz

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Three kits that got me started in the glamorous and fulfilling world of robotics.

A word to Mac users:

These kits are not designed with you in mind. Parallax does offer a Mac software download on their website, but you will need to buy a USB-to-serial adapter to connect your Boe-Bot to your computer (Parallax recommends the US232B/LC from Future Technology Devices International). Lego, alas, doesn’t have any Mac-compatible retail software, although their educational division has a Mac Mindstorms product. If you switched recently and still have that dusty PC sitting in the back of your closet, though, you’re golden.

Parallax Boe-Bot: available at RadioShack and at Parallax: $199. Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0: available at Lego Mindstorms, $199. Hobby Engineering: working on price, I’ll let you know… PICO Cricket: available at Playful Inventions, price TBA. VEX Robotics Design System: available at Vex Robotics and at RadioShack, $299.

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