WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:06.720 You asked and I'm delivering more robotics videos. Today we've got the VEX 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.639 IQ Super Kit from VEX Robotics. VEXIQ was introduced about 2 years ago and 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:14.000 it's chiefly targeted at elementary to middle school students. For those of you 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:18.560 who don't know what this is all about, robotics kits like the ones from Tetris, 00:00:16.400 --> 00:00:23.279 Makeblock, Mindstorms, and Vex are basically educational toys sort of. I 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:26.160 mean, they're not exactly toys, but I don't know what else to call them. you 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:30.000 won't really be able to build a practical, useful robot that will dress 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:34.079 you in the morning or vacuum your floor or cook you dinner. That's not really 00:00:31.840 --> 00:00:37.680 the point. The purpose of these robotics kits, as far as I can tell, is the 00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:41.120 enormous amount of educational value that they provide while still being a 00:00:39.360 --> 00:00:44.320 ton of fun. When you build with this stuff, you're learning a huge amount 00:00:42.879 --> 00:00:48.399 about mechanical engineering and programming. And there is so much to 00:00:46.480 --> 00:00:52.000 learn. So, let's dig in and see what the VEX IQ system has to offer. And hit that 00:00:50.719 --> 00:01:02.640 like button if you want to see more robotics videos in the future. 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:08.799 The Logitech G303 features a lightweight design, an advanced optical sensor with 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:14.080 Delta 0ero technology for precise tracking, and RGB lighting to match your 00:01:11.119 --> 00:01:17.759 setup. Click now to learn more. So, if you want to get started with a 00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:21.119 VEX IQ robot, you've basically got three choices. There's the starter kit with a 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:24.400 radio remote control and two touch sensors. There's the starter kit with no 00:01:22.960 --> 00:01:27.840 remote control, but it has seven sensors. Then there's the super kit, 00:01:26.080 --> 00:01:32.000 which has the remote control and the seven sensors, but is $50 more, which I 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:35.920 think is well worth it. That's the kit I'll be reviewing today. It comes with 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:39.119 850 parts, which you can use to build and program pretty much any kind of 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:42.479 robot you can imagine, and there are instructions for several models to get 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:46.079 you started. The learning ceiling is surprisingly high while still being easy 00:01:44.720 --> 00:01:52.159 enough for beginners to get started with, but we'll talk more about that later. So, opening up the box, we see, 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:56.880 hey, what's this? It comes with its own storage bin and a compartmentalized 00:01:54.320 --> 00:02:00.560 tray, 50 points to Gryffindor. That's great. There's plenty of extra room to 00:01:59.119 --> 00:02:04.399 allow your collection of VEX parts to grow. You can even fit a second tray 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:07.200 above the first one. Looks like you won't be needing to take any trips down 00:02:05.759 --> 00:02:10.720 to the Container Store, which is actually a cooler place than it sounds. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:14.239 Anyway, the VEX IQ kit comes with a getting started guide, two instructional 00:02:12.480 --> 00:02:18.560 booklets, and a poster with all of the pieces at 1:1 scale for reference 00:02:16.160 --> 00:02:22.400 purposes. Next, we get to the included sensors. Oh yes, these are awesome. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:26.400 There are seven in total, and they're all small and easy to mount anywhere 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:29.520 onto your robot. We've got two bumper switches. These will let your robot know 00:02:27.920 --> 00:02:33.200 when it's run into something. There is an ultrasonic distance sensor. These use 00:02:31.440 --> 00:02:36.720 echolocation to measure distances to objects. That's always fun. And there's 00:02:35.040 --> 00:02:40.080 a light and color sensor, useful for line following, detecting colors, and 00:02:38.239 --> 00:02:44.080 measuring ambient brightness. And then my favorite, the gyro sensor, which 00:02:41.920 --> 00:02:48.560 measures turn rates and angles, very useful for orientation. There are also 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:52.400 two touch LEDs, which I don't really think of as sensors. They can't really 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:56.959 be used as extra bumper switches. They're more like extra buttons. Each 00:02:54.319 --> 00:03:01.040 one also has fully programmable RGB LEDs, which I've always found to be very 00:02:59.040 --> 00:03:05.360 useful for debugging and knowing where you are in a program. Then we get to the 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:09.120 smart motors, and guess what? There are four of them. And they're all pretty 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:13.440 powerful, too. Not only that, but they're easy to mount, not too bulky or 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:17.440 oddly shaped, and they all have encoders and microprocessors inside to measure 00:03:15.760 --> 00:03:21.120 all sorts of cool stuff. You can even install them without having to worry 00:03:18.959 --> 00:03:26.000 about damage. Next up, we've got the radio controller, which is great, but it 00:03:23.519 --> 00:03:29.760 could be better. It feels kind of cheap and the buttons are a bit soggy, 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:34.080 especially the shoulder buttons, which rotate as they press inward rather than 00:03:31.920 --> 00:03:38.159 going in straight. Also, my left joystick has a bit of a problem. It 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:41.599 doesn't go all the way to the left. I've been told that this is a known issue 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:46.000 which has been fixed in the most recent batch. I recalibrated mine for full 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:50.159 functionality, but VEX says they're glad to do RMAs if customers aren't happy. 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:53.840 Despite this, the controller is functionally excellent, and it 00:03:51.760 --> 00:03:57.439 definitely is still worth getting. The two joysticks give you proportional 00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:00.959 control in every direction, and on top of that, you've got eight buttons, and 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:05.439 it's all fully programmable and customizable in software. It also comes 00:04:03.200 --> 00:04:10.319 with a 50hour rechargeable battery. And did I mention it's radiocontrolled? 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:14.159 That's a big deal. Unlike infrared, with radio, you don't need line of sight to 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:18.400 your robot, so you won't get easily disconnected. Compare this to the 00:04:15.920 --> 00:04:22.960 Mindstorm's EV3 infrared beacon with five buttons, but no joysticks, and the 00:04:20.479 --> 00:04:27.120 Tetricx gamepad with two joysticks, but no buttons. And now we get to the 00:04:24.960 --> 00:04:31.120 centerpiece of the VEX IQ system, the fully programmable robot brain. This is 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:36.639 where you connect all of your sensors and motors using the included RJ12 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:40.720 cables. This thing has 12 serial ports that can be used as input or output. So 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:45.360 yeah, if you wanted to, you could hook up 12 motors. The brain also comes with 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:50.160 its own rechargeable battery, so there's no need to periodically sacrifice 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:54.000 several at a time to the robot gods. There's also a spot for the radio module 00:04:51.919 --> 00:04:58.479 that easily links to the controller, and it even has a backlit screen. At this 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:02.960 point, I think they're just showing off. As for the rest of the parts, there's a 00:05:00.400 --> 00:05:07.199 wide variety of beams, pins, wheels, gears, axles, corner connectors, rubber 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:12.320 bands, and even double and quadruple wide beams, and metal axles, which are 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:16.000 overkill in most cases. All the parts are strong and good quality, but the 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:20.560 axles can be pretty annoying because they grip either too much or not enough. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:24.400 You can use rubber shaft collars for extra grip, but that can waste a lot of 00:05:22.400 --> 00:05:29.199 space. The LEGO Group solved this problem with expansion caps on all axle 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:34.160 holes, a feature that VEX IQ does not currently have. To recap, the Super Kit 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:38.080 comes with four motors, seven sensors, 12 in ports on the fully programmable 00:05:36.320 --> 00:05:42.800 brain, a radio controller, a rechargeable battery, and 850 pieces. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:47.440 This is all really impressive when you compare the VEX IQ system to its primary 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:52.560 competition, LEGO Mindstorms, of which the newest iteration is EV3. The EV3 kit 00:05:50.400 --> 00:05:56.479 comes with three motors, three sensors, and the Brain Brick has four input ports 00:05:54.479 --> 00:06:00.800 for sensors and four output ports for motors, but they can't be swapped, so 00:05:59.039 --> 00:06:05.039 you couldn't hook up eight motors if you wanted to. And it requires double A and 00:06:02.880 --> 00:06:11.520 AAA batteries, which are not included. While the LEGO Mindtorms EV3 has 550 00:06:07.840 --> 00:06:16.160 pieces and costs $350, the VEX IQ Super 00:06:11.520 --> 00:06:19.039 Kit has 850 pieces and only costs $300. 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:22.639 Wow, that is some good value. So, that's the hardware. Let's get on to the 00:06:20.479 --> 00:06:27.759 software. There are two programming options for VEX IQ, ModKit and Robot C. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:31.360 There are also several third-party alternatives, but those are not 00:06:29.520 --> 00:06:35.520 officially supported. The desktop version of Modkit is 50 bucks, but the 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:39.919 online version is fully featured and free, so let's check that out first. 00:06:37.520 --> 00:06:43.840 Modkit is a purely graphical programming interface based on Scratch from MIT. You 00:06:42.479 --> 00:06:47.840 do have to install something called Modkit Link on your computer first, but 00:06:45.919 --> 00:06:51.520 at least that's pretty easy. You program in Modkit by connecting these various 00:06:49.840 --> 00:06:54.400 code blocks together. It's pretty straightforward. And if you're new to 00:06:53.039 --> 00:06:59.120 all this, there are a few getting started tutorials to help you along. But 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:03.919 that's all that there is, just getting started. Once you've gotten started, the 00:07:01.599 --> 00:07:07.199 tutorials run out. There are no more. Where are the intermediate and advanced 00:07:05.599 --> 00:07:11.280 tutorials? I looked all over the place, but couldn't find any. Now, I can see 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:14.880 that despite its simplicity, Modkit does have a lot more to offer than the 00:07:12.880 --> 00:07:18.080 tutorials tell you about. But without any further guidance, I ended up 00:07:16.400 --> 00:07:22.639 learning Modkit through rigorous trial and error. This always works, but it's 00:07:20.400 --> 00:07:26.479 slow and frustrating, and you're more likely to end up with gaps in your 00:07:24.479 --> 00:07:29.919 knowledge. I did program a pretty cool pinball game, though. Check out that 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:34.080 video on Channel Super Fun right over here. I also encountered a couple of 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:38.400 bugs and missing features, the worst of which is the lack of copy paste, but it 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:42.720 was nothing gamebreaking, unlike my experience with Makeb block video here. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:47.120 Let's move on to the more advanced programming option, Robot C, which has a 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:51.680 10-day free trial and after that costs 79 bucks for a single seat. One 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:56.720 important note, the VEX firmware updater tool that works well for Modkit is very 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:00.720 unreliable for robot C. Here it looks like my firmware is updated, doesn't it? 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:04.240 But it's not. I had to close the dedicated firmware updator tool and 00:08:02.479 --> 00:08:07.840 download firmware through robot C instead and keep that updater tool 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:11.919 closed because it interferes with your serial port. Seriously, what is it with 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:16.560 serial ports and connection problems? It's frustrating. Anyway, first up, 00:08:14.400 --> 00:08:20.479 we've got the robot C graphical mode. There are some great tutorials for this, 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:24.879 which seem to be pretty comprehensive. It's kind of similar to Modkit, but it 00:08:22.400 --> 00:08:30.000 actually has less functionality. There are no functions and no variables. And 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:35.120 like Modkit, there isn't a working copy paste or undo. But you can turn your 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:38.399 graphical code straight into textbased code with the click of a button, which 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:42.800 certainly helps to smooth out the programming learning curve. So, let's 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:46.399 move on to Robot C's textbased mode. It's worth noting at this point that 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:50.399 VEXIQ comes with a free online curriculum for students and teachers. It 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:54.720 explains all sorts of robot stuff in detail, but once you get to the actual 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:59.440 programming, it just says become familiar with the programming software 00:08:56.800 --> 00:09:02.320 and doesn't bother to tell you how. Now, there are tutorials linked from the 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:08.720 software page, which I've been following, but there's nothing for textbased robot C for VEX IQ. So, how is 00:09:07.040 --> 00:09:13.600 someone supposed to learn how to use robot C? Well, I made some phone calls 00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:19.120 and I got an interview with local VEX IQ team leader Sharissa. She tells me her 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:23.440 students teach themselves. There's even curriculum in BC for learning C. That's 00:09:21.839 --> 00:09:27.839 where I have a problem because I'm not a programming teacher. when it comes to C, 00:09:25.760 --> 00:09:31.200 it's my my club that really gets involved in this and they take it kind 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:34.720 of on their own time to learn the language and I really don't have a lot 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:38.000 of a part of that. Well, then it looks like I'll have to piece everything 00:09:35.839 --> 00:09:43.040 together using the online documentation, the included example programs and the 00:09:40.160 --> 00:09:47.279 forums and wiki. That's okay, but without a dedicated tutorial to give you 00:09:45.040 --> 00:09:51.200 a solid foundation of knowledge in robot C, your progress will be slower and 00:09:49.760 --> 00:09:56.800 you're more likely to end up with gaps in your knowledge. At least that's been my experience. One suggestion I've heard 00:09:54.800 --> 00:10:00.399 is that you can just learn C itself. There are plenty of tutorials and books 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:04.959 to help you with that and then robot C will be easy. However you do it, once 00:10:03.040 --> 00:10:08.959 you learn robot C, you will have full control over your robot creations, even 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:13.839 though robot C is apparently not as fullfeatured as C itself. I was able to 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:18.880 program some cool stuff like a PID line follower, a self-parking robot, and a 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:22.240 robot that only hoards red cubes. Robot C works pretty well, but it's got some 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:25.760 problems, too. the Windows can get messed up, especially when you enter 00:10:23.760 --> 00:10:29.839 debugging mode and the Windows freak out for a couple of seconds and you can't do 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:33.839 anything. I also encountered a bug where robot C crashed when the debugger was 00:10:32.079 --> 00:10:37.760 launched, something I had to fix by deleting registry files and 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:42.240 reinstalling. Also, I really wish that Robot C had something like the function 00:10:39.839 --> 00:10:46.079 screen tips in Microsoft Excel. That kind of guidance is really useful when 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:50.079 you're still learning to code. However, it looks to me like not many students 00:10:47.920 --> 00:10:53.760 will even learn to program in robot C for their VEX IQ robots. Instead, 00:10:52.160 --> 00:10:58.480 they'll learn it when they move on to the bigger batter VEX edr robots, which 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:02.880 are aimed at older students in middle to high school. At this point, I've really 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:07.519 come to understand that VEX IQ is not really intended for individuals like 00:11:04.560 --> 00:11:11.440 myself. It's been designed for teams and classrooms, and it's a lot easier to 00:11:09.680 --> 00:11:16.399 learn all this stuff if you have other people around you to help you. In fact, 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:19.680 there are yearly VEX competitions with hundreds of participating teams. 00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:23.279 Something which provides an excellent environment that encourages students to 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:26.959 learn programming, engineering, collaboration, teamwork, and so on. You 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:31.120 know, it's basically a sport like basketball, but for your brain. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:35.440 Brainball. Anyway, considering that VEX IQ is so 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:39.120 classroom oriented, Sherissa's perspective as an educator is 00:11:36.959 --> 00:11:42.880 particularly important for this review. So, I'll let her provide some concluding 00:11:40.959 --> 00:11:46.480 remarks. the school board has a restriction as to like what software you 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:51.200 can install on your computers. So to have a robot programming platform that 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:55.680 is free and web- based is a call from the heaven. So then you would recommend 00:11:53.120 --> 00:12:00.640 the VEX IQ system for teaching kids. Yeah. And um I kind of like an advocate 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:05.600 for this stuff. I have these very eager students. They had a hard time grasping 00:12:02.560 --> 00:12:08.240 programming and I feel like VEX IQ kind 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:13.600 of fills in that gap. For between $250 and $299 Canadian, you can purchase a 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:18.079 box that has all the pieces in it and everything necessary to build one robot 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:22.000 with the construction affordability. I think it's totally there. So, there you 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:25.920 have it. I recommend it. Sharesa recommends it. What more do you want? 00:12:23.760 --> 00:12:29.920 That all being said, I do have quite the laundry list of suggestions for 00:12:27.760 --> 00:12:34.160 improvements to the system, ranging from nice to have to why don't you have this? 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:38.079 VEX Robotics has already proven that they listen to user feedback, so don't 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:43.279 be surprised if you see some of these implemented in the future. As for the 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:45.440 price, I feel like $79 is a lot to ask 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:49.760 for Robot C. But compared to the alternatives, it's actually still 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:54.800 competitive. The VEX IQ hardware though is a steal at its current price of $300 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:59.360 for the super kit, considering how much is included. If you buy one of these, 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:02.880 just make sure that it gets used and appreciated. This is not the kind of 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:07.600 thing to be assembled and played with once and then left to collect dust on a 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:14.240 shelf. Properly utilized, this kit can and does provide years of fun and 00:13:10.560 --> 00:13:16.240 education. And that is valuable. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:20.160 And if you don't like robots, maybe you'll like today's video sponsor, TING, 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:26.000 because when you call Ting, you get to talk to a real person and not a machine. 00:13:22.959 --> 00:13:27.680 Sorry, buddy. Ting is a mobile carrier 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:31.760 that's focused on customer service and satisfaction first. And best of all, in 00:13:29.760 --> 00:13:35.920 my opinion, you only pay for what you use, which is really how all mobile 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:38.959 carriers should work. I mean, why should anyone have to predict how much they're 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:43.279 going to use their phone and then be punished for predicting? Wrong. That's 00:13:40.800 --> 00:13:47.120 stupid. Well, no more. The average TING bill is only $23 a month per device. But 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:52.000 don't take my word for it. Head over to Linus.ing.com and try out their savings 00:13:49.680 --> 00:13:55.519 calculator to see for yourself. Also, if you're stuck in a contract and switch to 00:13:53.600 --> 00:14:00.160 TING, they'll cover 25% of your cancellation fee up to $75. And when you 00:13:58.079 --> 00:14:06.560 sign up at our link, you'll also get $25 in service credit or $25 towards a new 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:08.160 device. So go ahead and check it out. 00:14:06.560 --> 00:14:12.240 Thanks for watching, guys, and let me know your thoughts on the VEX IQ system 00:14:10.079 --> 00:14:16.800 in the comments below. And tell me, were you ever on a robotics team or have I 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:20.399 inspired you to join one? Also, how do you feel about the inevitable automation 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:26.480 of your job and the upcoming robot apocalypse? Let us know with a like or 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:28.320 dislike. I dislike the robot apocalypse. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:31.440 Also, you can get subscribed and even support us directly by using our 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:35.199 affiliate code to shop at Amazon, buying a cool t-shirt like, well, one of these, 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:38.000 or with a direct monthly contribution through the community forum. And if 00:14:36.880 --> 00:14:43.810 you're looking for something else to watch, I suggest you check out the aforementioned bug eating pinball 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:46.100 challenge. See you next time.