The evolution of the robot kit on wheels – 2000 to present

By looking at wheeled robot kits from the past and those from the present, you can get a pretty clear picture of electronics and programming progress in the DIY culture of the makers.

In this article, I explore 26 robot kits on wheels from the 2000 to present day.

Robotic Turning Frog Kit KSR2 – In the early 2000’s, this kit offered for future engineers the chance to work with electronics and mechanical components in order to detect sounds and move the platform in all directions. (2000)

K’Nex Cyber K’Nex Ultra 2.0 Robot Kit – In 2001, this was the best modular toy with wheels that allows the user to program and build different robots. The kit contains a small computer brain that can be programmed to react to its environment and activate different behaviors. (2001)

Palm Pilot Robot Kit – Designed by Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute together with the Manipulation Lab and the Toy Robots Initiative, the Palm Pilot was an affordable kit with autonomous abilities. With a big display attached on top of the platform, the kit was the first programmable platform able to display graphics and interact with the user through a graphical interface. More than that, the omni-wheels can move the platform in any direction. (2001)

ARobot Mobile Robot – The kit was engineered for young engineers to enjoy unlimited experimentations. In addition, the kit was a good platform for educators to introduce robotics into classrooms. (2001)

Mark III Complete Kit – This set contains all you need to start building an autonomous robot with sensors, wheels, motors, controller board, and of course it has a lot of documentation for that time. (2001)

Parallax SumoBot Robot Kit – Designed for competitions, the SumoBot was one of the first kits used in mini-sumo competitions. The kit can run artificial intelligence programs and uses a variety of sensor inputs to detect and avoid other robots. (2002)

qfix – With a lot of sensors and a simple structure, the robot kit was an affordable educational tool used in schools and Mechatronics training in companies. With such features, hobbyists did not forget the robot that uses it in competitions. (2005)

Parallax Boe-Bot Robot Kit – The Bae-Bot robot introduces the PBASIC programming language developed by Parallax and based on the BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller. The kit has a structure that allows the user to add robotic parts and build custom applications. (2005)

SAM r I Sumo Robot Kit – Again, the education is the main purpose of a kit. Any hobbyists and hacker without programming skills can use the Sumo kit to build applications or in sumo wrestling competitions. (2005)

The VEX Robotics Design System – In the 2007 VEX Robotics release a multi-purpose platform that change all we know about competitions. The kit contains electric motors, wheels, sensors, and it’s based on a platform that can host a wide range of components. The system is still used in competitions or by students to learn how to build and program robots. (2007)

Microcamp Mega8 Robot Kit – Released in 2007, the Mega8 kit became popular, especially in Asia, due to its low price and high versatility. The kit was often used in line follower and obstacle avoidance applications. (2007)

3pi Robot Starter Kit – This kit became a popular mobile platform for beginners due to its features including two micro metal gearmotors, five QTR-RC reflectance sensors, a C-programmable ATmega168 microcontroller, and a lot more other components. (2008)

POP-BOT – The POP-BOT was the first wheeled platform fully compatible with Arduino microcontroller. (2009)

PICAXE-20X2 Microbot – The Microbot introduces a fully customizable platform based on a cheap kit. (2010)

J-Bot Robot Kit – With a PING))) ultrasonic sensor attached on top of it, the J-Bot platform is a good introduction to the Arduino UNO world with different programming options. The kit is still a good start in robotics for beginners and intermediate hobbyists. (2011)

MAKE Rovera 2WD – This platform introduced since 2012 a very customizable body that can be controlled remotely via almost any TV remote. Fully compatible with the Arduino board and taking the advantage of a platform that can host a wide variety of sensors, the Rover was used in applications to follow a line or detect obstacles. (2012)

MINDS-I – This is another Arduino platform perfect to learn electronics and programming. The platform can host a multitude of sensors and actuators including ultrasound sensors, infrared sensors and servos. (2012)

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 – In 2013, the Danish company LEGO released on the market the most accessible way to teach your kids or yourself how to use and program a modular platform. The kit is used to build a large variety of robots with wheels, legs, tracks or flying drones. The EV3 kit is the third generation of Mindstorms series and like the first and second generations, it’s accessible for people of all ages. (2013)

Arduino Robot – In 2013, Arduino released its wheeled platform with two boards and two processors. One board is programmed to control the wheels while the second operate the sensors. In the same Arduino style, the Arduino Robot is open source and has a lot of documentation. (2013)

ActivityBot – Built by Parallax, the ActivityBot is a kit programmable in C and include motors with encoders able to provide accurate motion controls. It’s also featured with infrared and ultrasonic sensor to detect and avoid obstacles. (2013)

MOSS – MOSS is an innovative robot kit that uses building blocks to build a wheeled robot. On this kit, the designers play with rare earth magnets and carbon steel ball to build one of the most innovative systems that keep the block in a structure. You can have in minutes a wheeled robot without coding or wires. (2013)

Wild Thumper – This is a hard machine able to work in complex outdoor environment helped by a unique suspension system engineered to keep each wheel on the ground for maximum traction. The HB-25 Motor Controllers are hard enough to resist at shocks and provide reliable control for an all-terrain robot platform. (2013)

Monster Kit v1.0 – Monster is a multi-platform kit built around the DuinoBot controller. The kit includes a large variety of components designed to build amazing robots. (2013)

PiBot – Designed to host the powerful Raspberry Pi single board computer, the PiBot kit is a wheeled platform featured enough to build a variety of applications for kids and adults. (2013)

Sparki – Built by Arcbotics, the mobile platform hosts a long list of components for DIY enthusiasts. In other words, the kit is for anyone interested in programming and robotics. (2014)

PopPet – Smart, easy to assemble, and cute. This is the PopPet robot, a wheeled platform with personality and an Arduino microcontroller inside. The robot features two wheels and an ultrasonic sensor embedded in a tiny laser-cut MDF smile face. The bot can be programmed to detect and navigate around obstacles, and if you want to change its face, you can swap out a new face wherever you want. (2014)