I have just ordered arduino kit and have worked before aswell. I have a great interest in robotics. I am planning to buy 999$ vex classroom kit to get started with making robots. Does it really worth to buy that expensive kit? I mean will that kit provide me with enough learning experience? Looking forward for your guidance.thanks
There are many ways to get started learning about robotics. Vex provides an excellent system. The kit you mentioned has plenty of motors and sensors to get you started. Are you planning on participating in the Vex competitions?
Vex is great, but it is somewhat expensive. Actually all robotics is shockingly expensive.
LEGO NXT / MINDSTORMS (if they still exist) or VEX IQ are alternatives.
Generally smaller = cheaper. You’ll still get to build robots and program them.
I was lucky enough to have an amazing robotics program in high school ran by Matt Conroy, who is currently working for the RECF.
So one option is to look for established teams in your area.
Best of luck, come back with whatever questions you have if/when you hit a wall.
-Cody
That’s a good point. If you don’t mind building robots out of plastic and remaining more on the tabletop size, then the Vex IQ kits are probably a cheaper way to get started. The concepts are all the same.
Thanks for the replies. No I am not going for competition but just trying to have some hand on experience on robotics. Can you suggest any better way to learn robotics? I am worried that if i go with vex,there aint enough tutorials to help me learn everything.what u guys say…thanks again 
Check these out and see what you think:
Thank you.I will check them and will return surely with questions
Can i use arduinos or raspberry pi to make the same robots that vex can make? In other words what advantages will I be getting if I use vex over other platforms?will vex provide me with the same learning experience as arduino and raspberry pi? Right now I m thinking to go with vex just becz of the kit as it includes everything and I dont hav to worry about metal. So should I just buy vex hardware and metal and use them with arduino or rasp? Sorry for asking alot of questions but I want to use 1000$ efficiently. Thanks again
Arduino would be better, but you’ll have to build a control stack from scratch.
You’ll need a motor controller, something like this. It speaks it’s own language over UART so you’ll have to program that to work. You’ll also need some kind of radio, like Xbee, which you’ll have to invent a language for it to speak (also over UART).
Then you’ll have to either buy an Xbee controller or build one, which will need it’s own microcontroller with it’s own code to gather the sensor data and transmit them in that language you invent.
You’ll have to configure all this crap and none of it will be competition legal.
I’m painting a picture here.
No don’t do that. As much as the VEX system is overly pricy, it’s the easiest way to get going.
Serious offer: I’ll sell you a used VEXnet controller for $75 and a used rev 2 Cortex’s for $125, half off each. PM me if you’re interested and I’ll send pictures. You’ll still need to buy a set of VEXnet keys and all the rest.
It’d pay for a second GTX 760 and my copy of Fallout 4 which would make me a very happy camper.
If what you want is a system that is more “plug and play” than DIY, then it’s hard to beat something like Vex, especially Vex IQ. But if you don’t mind getting your hands (and mind) dirty with all the nitty-gritty of electronics, soldering your own things together, dealing with little wigs of wires going everywhere, etc. then Arduino is a logical step. The nice thing about Arduino and things like it (such as PicAxe, BASIC Stamps, Propeller chips, Raspberry Pi, the list goes on…) is that you can make your own little dedicated projects relatively cheaply. For example, if you want to make your own burglar alarm, you can buy a PicAxe, some sensors, solder some stuff together and have a simple system for under $50. But you couldn’t really do that with Vex since the Cortex alone costs quite a bit.
Vex is geared more toward their competitions but Vex can get you started learning code, learning about sensors, and even learning about the mechanics of some things. From there, you could work your way “downward” using something like Arduino to start learning the nitty gritty of building your own electronics and your own machines from scratch.
For DIY, check out places like SparkFun.com. If you’re good at reading and teaching things to yourself, Arduino can be fun, but it’s hell if you’re not. If you need things to be simpler, then you might want to try something like Vex IQ to get started.
Thanks for all the great explanations and for your time Mentor and cody. So i have finally ordered the 1000$ kit and will try to play around with and after mastering it(that will take a while) will go building my own. Thanks again guys. Really appreciate