A great way to develop the electrical engineering branch is with an Arduino based robotics kit, such as the Elegoo Smart Car. Arduino is an open-source platform used for building and programming all types of electronics projects. It’s basically a programmable mini-computer consisting of a micro-controller (circuit board) and some programming software.

The language used is a simplified version of the widely used C++ language, so it is great for beginners to learn the basics of coding. We won’t delve much further into it in this article, but you can find a good introduction here.

This kit comes with everything you need to build and control your own robotic RC car. For the price, it also includes some pretty cool bits of hardware. There are 4 motors, 1 servo motor, an ultrasonic sensor, Bluetooth, line tracking & obstacle avoidance modules and all circuit boards and wiring. We also like how this set includes a built in rechargeable battery pack – we have seen other sets that do not!

You will be guided through assembly with instructions and video tutorials on the CD included in the kit. However, some users also suggest using YouTube tutorials to help with this. You can find a good one here.

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Controlling the car can be achieved by simply using the infrared remote, with the phone App or through manually programming functions. The language used is a simplified version of C++ and there are tutorials for some examples included to guide you through this.

For example, in Obstacle Avoidance mode the car will automatically detect obstacles in its surroundings by emitting ultrasonic waves to detect distance. In Line Tracking mode you can create a path as a line and have your robot follow it with it’s infrared sensor.

This really is a great budget engineering toy for adults. Furthermore, once you become familiar with the Arduino there are hundreds of other projects out there so you are opening the door to loads more possibilities. As such, it is a great learning tool.

Another great electrical engineering toy for adults is the Smart Video Car by SunFounder. The main difference between the two being that SunFounders operates with a Raspberry Pi – a micro computer similar to Arduino. Raspberry Pi kits are also very popular, but we will not go into them in this article. You can find a detailed review of the SunFounder Smart Video Car here.

Engineering Kits for Adults Summary

Whether your interest is in mechanical or electrical engineering adults sets, we hope you have found the kits featured here interesting. Our aim was to show you that these are way more than just ‘toys’, they are educational tools that can be used to develop skills, prototype designs and more!

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If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences, please leave a comment below and a member of our team will be happy to help. Thanks for reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started in robotics?

To get started in robotics, the key skills you will need to learn involve electrical engineering and coding (software engineering). Each of the engineering kits discussed in this article are fantastic options to start learning these skills. You may also want to checkk out our guide to robotics kits for adults.

Can I learn robotics on my own?

Yes! There are so many options these days, with incredible robotics kits that guide new learners from the very fundamentals of electric circuits to coding and beyond. There are also Beginner’s Guides such as the one from Robotics Online. Better yet, there are boundless opportunities to learn every imaginable skill from knowledgable YouTubers and from the companies that make these kits. Having said that, you may still improve your skills more rapidly by joining a local robotics club, where you can discuss all things robotics with likeminded people who will no doubt love to help a new learner in this exciting field.

Are robotics engineers in demand?

Yes! Incredibly so, and demand is only increasing. According to an article by MachineDesign, the first nine months of 2017 saw the highest number of orders for robots ever recorded. And all these robots need robotics engineers to make them function!