As you can probably imagine, building a robot is a rather complicated undertaking which requires patience, parts, and skill. There is, however, an easier way. Robotic kits include instructions and most of the parts you need to build your own robot. These kits come in many levels of complexity and price ranges. Many companies that sell robotic kits have Web sites so you can find out about them on the Net. We used a kit to build a BEAM solar-powered car. Here’s how we did it.
     We surfed to the Solarbotics Web site where we found the kit we wanted: the BEAM SolarSpeeder 1.1 Solaroller. The kit cost $25 (plus shipping and handling) and came with instructions and the majority of mechanical and electronic parts. To complete the kit, we needed to supply our own soldering iron, needle-nose pliers, cutters (or strong scissors), file (or sandpaper), glue, and safety glasses.
     The step-by-step instructions (and illustrations) were well done and easy to follow. Solarbotics rates this kit as a skill level 2 (out of 5). We found it required some patience, but it was no more difficult than putting together a model. It does, however, require some soldering skill, so you may need to get an adult’s help if you decide to try this particular kit.

For a printable version of this project, click here.