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I am an IT guy. I have a 2 year degree in web design and computer networking. So I know C++ ,HTML, CSS, and PHP. When I found out that robots use the C++ I almost fell out of my chair. So I am trying to start a robotics club in NC. I have not been able to find robotics clubs in NC. Do you have any suggestion's? What is the hardest part of robotics?
The biggest upfront challenge is getting enough equipment available for a club to work on. A TurtleBot is excellent. I'd also recommend getting an Arduino. You can experiment with OpenCV with just a standard webcam.
Alternatively, you could also look into simulators such as Gazebo or v-rep. This has the advantage that you can try out robots that are otherwise to expensive to get at for a robotics club and only available to academia/industry.
You could also look around for 3D printed robots. These are usually cheap. For example, look at this indiegogo project.
I would add that a 3d printer is not a bad investment, you can make a ton of cheap different types of robots w/ a 3d printer. We're going on our third year using mostly 3d printed robots for a robotics class at my kids' school and it has worked out really well. Costs 2-4 dollars each in plastic.
There are a bunch of robotics organizations that create competitions for schools and colleges. You might check out one of those and be a mentor or something. I was a mentor for a FIRST team, and that was really fun. I enjoyed FIRST more than BEST. Never tried VEX, but it looks well put together as well. These competitions are more STEM than actual robotics (since the autonomous period is only ~15sec), but it'll likely be a good intro to robotics for you as well. Check out this page to maybe find events in your area. FIRST is (or used to be) spring semester and BEST fall semester, so be sure to check back at different times to find teams in your area.
If you still can't find a team in your area, check out maybe the blue alliance or the chief delphi forums or your local hackerspace
Asked: 2015-03-30 11:43:31 -0500
Seen: 883 times
Last updated: Aug 12 '15
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why you almost fell out of your chair? is that so surprising?