Using Microsoft RDS
RDS does not require you to know a lot about robotics to get started. However, you specifically mentioned an arm. Controlling any robotic arm is quite a complex process. You need to understand forward and inverse kinematics. There is a very simple example in the book for the Lynxmotion L6 arm, but it has one very important advantage -- all of the joints are in a 2D plane. (The base can rotate, but you can consider this entirely independent of the rest of the joints). This makes the kinematics easily solvable with simple geometry. (Yes, finally, a use for high-school geometry!)
Most of the samples for RDS use wheeled robots with differential drives. This is a common configuration because it is easy to understand and control.
I encourage you to learn about robotics, but you don't have to wait to get started.
Trevor
|