I’ve discussed robots and how amazing they can be in many of my articles. Today I want to talk about what it takes to build one. As you will see, surprisingly little!

But, Jurica, you might say, although I’d love to make my own robot, I’m not a coder or a mechanic. With many robot-building kits, you don’t need to be engineering-savvy. Ready to enter the world of modular robotics? Let’s go.

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MOSS – Modular Robotics

MOSS is a robotics-construction system that enables you to design robots right out of the box — no wiring, no programming, no coding, no soldering.

Creating your MOSS robot is both fun and intuitive. You basically start with building blocks, not unlike LEGO bricks, that have different colored faces with distinctive functions. The blocks communicate when their corresponding faces are connected, transferring power and information among one another. That is what makes your robot spring to life.

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Green Power blocks act like batteries, powering other blocks. Data In and Out faces are used to send and receive information from other block types and to help your robot navigate the environment or respond to outside stimuli. There are other blocks available. You can learn more about how MOSS works in detail on its website.

Once your machine is complete, you can have it navigate on its own (like Roomba) or control it remotely by using pre-made iOS and Android apps.

If you’re coding-inclined, there’s a lot more you can do with your MOSS robot. You could use Scratch (a free educational programming language that is both visual and easy to learn) to program its Brain block or expand its functions directly by using MOSS Flash, an upload tool that enables you to create new behaviors for your MOSS Brain block through MOSS Firmware API.

Robots everywhere

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While you still can’t buy MOSS blocks individually, you can choose between two pre-made configurations, Zombonitron 1600 ($199.95) and Exofabulatronixx 5200 ($599.95). It’s important to note that only the latter is equipped with the Brain block necessary for programming.

If you visited the website, you have probably noticed that Modular Robotics also features another product called Cubelets. While I won’t go into detail about it, I will do my best to highlight the main differences between MOSS and Cubelets. As you can see, they look and function in an almost identical way. The similarities are, however, only skin deep.

While MOSS blocks rely on their connection system, Cubelets don’t need to be connected to communicate. Modular Robotics expert Jonathan Moyes explains: There is a reprogrammable microcontroller inside every Cubelet, and each of the Cubelets in a construction recognize the presence, location, type and state of all of the other modules in that construction. With individual Cubelets exhibiting their own behaviors (based on local and global rules), and then communicating with all the other Cubelets collectively as a group, the behaviors your robot exhibits are a result of a great deal of complex interactions.

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Although the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 targets a younger audience, they contain everything you need to create customizable and programmable robots: an intelligent brick computer that controls the system (EV3 Brick), a set of sensors and motors, and LEGO parts from the Technic line to create the mechanical systems.

Programming a LEGO robot is a visual experience and, at first glance, looks similar to Scratch. You will also notice similarities between how MOSS blocks and LEGO EV3 programming interface works: You combine various colored blocks to bring your robot to life.

Some of the various blocks available for LEGO MINDSTORMS:

Lego

Once you’ve configured your robot by uploading EV3 data into its programmable brick, it will start to relay those instructions to various sensors and motors attached to it, as well as process the feedback received.

Note that LEGO also allows you to control your creation via smartphone or tablet, by using the free Robot commander app.

Lego

For $349.99, you’ll receive the programmable brick, as well as a number of sensors and parts for building your custom robot. After you’re happy with your masterpiece, you can upload it for other LEGO MINDSTORMS enthusiasts to view and rate. Here are some examples from the LEGO gallery, along with user ratings:

Lego

Using a LEGO MINDSTORMS kit is very easy, thanks to a number of video tutorials and documentation available on the main site.

Robocore

If you’re ready to get your hands dirty and willing to learn some “proper” code as well, you will be able to appreciate the true power of RoboCORE.

RoboCORE is a central (hence “CORE”) component of your future robot. It has all the features a robot may need, minus mechanical parts. Simply said, RoboCORE is a hardware component that ties in the software and external modules, allowing you to easily integrate mechanical components and external sensors, which enable your robot to sense its surroundings and act accordingly. If you think this sounds like an advanced version of a LEGO programmable brick, you’re probably right.

Robocore

Above is the complete code (yes, in only one file) to make the simplest telepresence robot in the world.

RoboCORE has more tricks up its sleeve: It connects your robot wirelessly to the Internet, so you can forget about wires dangling as you transfer data to and from your robot. Coding, although necessary, isn’t complex; if you have ever programmed the Arduino, you can easily handle the RoboCORE. If Arduino doesn’t ring a bell, and if seeing the code above made you nauseous, you’ll be happy to know that guys in RoboCORE are planning to expand it to Scratch, so it will be perfect for entry-level programmers.

As you can see, RoboCORE-based robots sound more complex for the user than MOSS, Cubelet and LEGO MINDSTORMS. This, however, comes with added creativity and the list of things you can do with your RoboCORE bot.

So there you have it. Which of these platform looks the most enticing or at least the least intimidating to you? Share your comments below and feel free to provide links to the images of robots you’ve already built. I’m eager to see what you’ve come up with!