Overview of 6 Budget Wheel Platforms for Ebay Robots

Good day.

Most recently, I thought that making a robot is expensive. Well, not so much a million, but 5-10 thousand for sure. That is why I did not think in this direction and did not even consider such an opportunity - to create something moving and reacting to the outside world. However, after this top of roboforum.ru/forum88/topic2214.html, my idea changed and I got an idea.

Attention is a brief description of 6 budget platforms for the robot up to 2000 rubles. The assessment is subjective, I will be glad if habrovchane throw links and examples to other budget platforms and opportunities that I missed.
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For all examples, links to Ebay are given, at the time of the article, I chose the cheapest offers. Before you place an order - look at the seller's rating, read the reviews and make sure the shipping cost. And then I had precedents.

Platform of toys for 300 rubles

Pros: Cheap. The cheapest version of the wheeled platform that you can think of. Made from everything that can ride on wheels and has a motor. You need at least 2 motors to create a manageable platform.

Cons: Structural fragility, plastic, the need to think over the basis for the control board, incomprehensible motors, unknown gearbox parameters, the lack of normal mounting for sensors.

As an example, I cite the platform created a couple of days ago from a pair of phenolic tanks, just like in the article roboforum.ru/forum88/topic2214.html I want to note that even though I live in the city by the sea and the markets with the Chinese there is an ocean, but it took me a week to find a pair of phenolic tanks, 300 rubles per pair. Most likely you will not find such a toy in your city. The advantages of the platform are four-wheel drive, soft, high wheels - good grip. Simple motor fasteners to gearboxes, multi-stage reduction gearbox. After the platform is assembled, there are two speakers, sound chips that reproduce the sound, a pair of cases with compartments for 3 batteries - all this can be used both for the robot and in other projects. Of the minuses, I note the poor quality of plastics, the fragility. The load on the platform should be minimal, a couple of shields, batteries and everything. Conclusions about this platform, read at the end.

www.ebay.com/itm/201005665657

Ready platform with Ebay for 430 rubles

Pros: High-quality wheelbase for the robot, a platform with mounts for sensors, control boards. Good gears, beautiful appearance. Low price for a ready platform. Ready mounting gears, encoders, battery compartment.

Minuses: Plastic gearbox, 2 driving wheels - worse permeability. Three wheels - worse stability.

Excellent platform for tests. Two motors, All you need is already in the kit. In my opinion - a great option for pampering. Two wheels with gears cost 260 rubles, without mounts and a plastic base www.ebay.com/itm/200991684601 , so buying a wheel platform is a bargain.

www.ebay.com/itm/New-Motor-Smart-Robot-Car-Chassis-Kit-Speed-Encoder-Battery-Box-For-Arduino-/400651024984

Ready platform with Ebay for 640 rubles

Pros: Everything is the same as in the previous one, but already 4 wheels, which means greater stability.

Cons: All the same as in the previous one, but more expensive.

This is the same platform as the previous example, with an additional wheel, but one third more expensive. Meaning to pay more?

www.ebay.com/itm/New-2WD-V8-Smart-Car-Chassis-Robot-Model-Tracking-Coded-Disc-DIY-Hot-Sales-L-/380865410953

Ready platform with Ebay for 830 rubles

Pros: Four-wheel drive, 4 motors, 4 gears, 4 encoders, a full set of fasteners and a battery compartment. Mass of space between the upper and lower platform of acrylic.

Cons: Plastic everywhere.

Excellent platform for the robot, each motor is controlled separately, the factory workmanship, beautiful appearance. In my opinion the best solution for a budget robot.

www.ebay.com/itm/4WD-Suspension-Car-Chassis-Smart-Car-Shock-Absorption-3-9V-for-Robot-Car-Arduino-/281268879168

Ready platform with Ebay for 950 rubles

Pros: Steel base, four-wheel drive, strong appearance, two motors. Motors look better than previous versions. Another scheme of transmission of torque to the wheels. The platform provides a breadboard for soldering!

Cons: Plastic gears

Beautiful wheeled platform for the robot. Looks reliable - metal base, good crpezh. Two motors - less control circuit. Like the previous version, I consider it the best option for translating the robot into life. Of the benefits - a prototype board right on the robot - it’s convenient! It seems that the developers were not Chinese.

www.ebay.com/itm/4-wheel-Mobile-Platform-small-Robot-Chassis-arduino-/270671106387

Ready platform with Ebay for 1900 rubles

Pros: Metal construction, reinforced gearboxes, four-wheel drive, load up to 2 kg.
Cons: Lack of encoders, battery compartment

Cargo wheel platform)) Gears of another shape, most likely a larger slide, all-steel box-shaped base. must withstand a relatively large weight. However, twice as expensive as the previous model.

www.ebay.com/itm/4-wheel-robot-chassis-2kg-Load-Arduino-mobile-platform-DC-motor-drive-car-/281199561074

Small conclusions. Homemade toy platform - great. But for more than a game and create a prototype of such a platform is not suitable. As a result of creating such an improvised wheelbase, I can say that I would now buy a four-wheel-drive model number 4 or 5. This is a more durable design and has more potential. But when the amount of equipment hung begins to bend my platform - then buy the option number 6 already.

PS There are a lot of more expensive platforms, completely metal, with metal gears in the gearboxes, but they are far from the budget.

If you know more options for budget platforms - please comment in the comments.