One of the great things with learning about Robots and Robotics is that you can start with something small and build from there. There are not a lot of truly mysterious pieces in the kits that most schools use. As a result you can build a really powerful base of knowledge and experience from small bits and pieces.

Some schools focus their efforts around the LEGO and VEX kits used in the Comox Valley. Other schools, and classes, build their robots from scrap - Skills Canada Sumo Bots and Robots can be build from old photocopies, vacuums, and scrap pieces of wiring and wood. Check out the "Competitions" page for more information.

The information on this page provides a bit of background about some of the different Classroom Kits that are available. It also provides a non-recommended list of possible Commercial Suppliers. (We are not in a position to recommend any of these suppliers.) These links are here for a possible source - but we'd recommend that you check local toy, enthusiast and electronic stores when you are looking for resources. (As one piece of advice when looking to price material - while Amazon.com usually has a comparative price - you can expect to pay more locally. But, not too much more, or external suppliers, such as Amazon, will win out.) One recommendation we can make is to check out Robot Magazine. It provides background information on kits and also has a wealth of advertisements to suppliers we have not identified.

CLASSROOM KITS  

This list is for informational use only. We offer no recommendations. We provide this information so that you can get a sense of where and how the field of school orientated robots is evolving. Check all suppliers, especially those you do not know, before making any purchases.

• LEGO Mindstorms
  • LEGO Mindstorms - from Wikipedia
• VEX starter kits
  • VEX - from Wikipedia

• Arduino - from Italy
  • Ardiano - from Wikipedia
• AreXX - from Germany

• Botball - KISS Institute for Practical Robotics
  • Botball - from Wikipedia

• dfRobot - from China

• Fischertechnik: click on computing for robot kits - from Germany

• INEX Robotics - from Thailand
• iRobot Create - from the USA
  • iRobot Create - from Wikipedia

• Parallax kits: Boe-Bot to SumoBot - from the USA
  • Parallax - from Wikipedia
• Pololu kits - from the USA

• Qfix robot kits - from Germany
• Qfix - from Wikipedia
• Robotis - from Korea
  • Robotis - from Wikipedia

COMMERCIAL SUPPLIERS  

• The RobotShop.ca - Canada

• Arexx Engineering - Netherlands
• Carl's Electronics - USA
• The EE Compendium
• Generation ROBOT - France
• Innovati - Taiwan
• Jameco's Robot Store - USA
• Parallax - USA
• The Robot Marketplace - USA
• Trossen Robotics - USA

COMMERCIAL HOME ROBOTS  

• iRobot and Rodney Brooks page at MIT
• Home Robots from the RobotShop
• Mint from Evolution Robotics
• Neato Robotics

Feel free to send us information on school kits we may have missed and suppliers from around the world. (And...pardon us if we take a while to post links to new suppliers while we check them out.)

Stewart Savard (eLibrarian) and Randy Grey (Career Coordinator)