Greetings! I am looking for input as I decide on how to spend my robotics budget.
Background: I teach a robotics class to highschool students. I currently use a set RedBots which are getting old - gear motors are starting to fail, the encoders have always been a pain, etc. I am looking to replace the whole fleet and I believe I have settled on XRP. We have an FRC team and I really like that XRP works with the WPI Lib. I think this makes it a logical entry point to our program.
I have some questions:
The robot is designated “beta” which I assume means it’s in the beta test stage of development. If that’s correct, is it stable and suitable for a class set for beginning robotics students?
If I decide to order, I want to make sure I get everything we need to begin with. I know I will need USB micro-b cables for each one. Are there other accessories I should consider?
For sensors, I have IMUs for the RedBots but those are built-in to the XRPs so I don’t need to order those. From people who have actually used these with kids, I wondered if there are particular sensors you have found useful/helpful for classroom or competition. I’m thinking about the odometry modules which I could also use with our REV DUO bots. Any color or vision additions people would recommend? Others?
Plastic spares can be printed but are there other spares you have found useful to have on hand - extra servos, other?
I look forward to reading what others have to say about XRP in a real-world school context. Thank you in advance for any input you can provide.
Jeff Buck
