My 8 year old kid is interested in getting started with VEX robotics. I am looking for tips and suggestions on buying her first robotics kits. I checked VEX website but got overwhelmed, because there were so many different options, and I did not know which one to get. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. Her school robotics club doesnot start for another two years but she wants to get her hands dirty in Robotics now.
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Well, here is a breakdown of each kit/roduct line’s goals:
V5/EXP is for middle/high schoolers, definitely above your daughter’s level. It involves using screws and nuts to atttach pieces of aluminum and steel together, your daughter would be spending a lot more time building than coding (plus, at least for me, it can cut you up and give you calluses). It is also extremely expensive for what you get. It uses C++ and Python to code robots.
IQ is for grade school - middle school, so this is an option. It uses these things called “pins”:
To attach plastic parts together. Very friendly to build with. The education kit will set you back around $500. IQ also has a competition, but you would need some other people to team up with. It uses block code to code the robots, though (feel free to correct me on this) there may be a plugin that allows the robot to be coded in C++.
GO is similar to IQ, and uses similar parts; just with more limited capabilities and cheaper. The education kit costs around $200. It only uses block code.
Here is the VEX page with the code options: https://www.vexrobotics.com/vexcode
VEX products are expensive, as they are meant for schools with deep pockets to purchase. For you, since you’re just waiting for the school to start a robot club, I recommend a VEX GO kit. @Sidoti worked at VEX, so he may better know them (sorry Mr. Sidoti but I don’t know which product line you did)
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