Sourcing the right eyeballs for your bot can be a pain. With the help of our awesome community of roboticists we have identified some great cameras for each level of price point and quality from low cost to high end research.

We have the cameras in stock now. Stay tuned because soon we will offer them with custom made brackets for mounting solutions making your life just that much easier!

Need something cheap and small?

Grab the Microsoft LifeCam VX-800 Webcam for a mere $19.95

Quality Webcam more your pace?

The Microsoft LifeCam Cinema Webcam – 720p HD is an AMAZING BUY giving you HD for $59.99

Need to go wireless for teleprescence or offloading processing? The perfect video solution for your next Mech Warfare entry?

We got you covered with TRENDnet TV-IP110W WiFi Camera for $119.95

and coming soon, the Firefly research camera from Point Grey.

PhidgetSpatial 0/0/3 is a 3 axis Accelerometer which measures static and dynamic acceleration in 3 axes, up to 5g, and provides a high sampling speed of up to 1000 samples per second.

PhidgetSpatial 3/3/3, 9 Axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) measures static and dynamic acceleration in 3 axes, up to 5g.; it also measures magnetic field in 3-axes up to ±4 Gauss and finally measures angular rotation in 3 axes, up to ±400° per second.

You have to use the right tool for the job Beavis. We now have American made JIS Philips head screwdrivers and Hex keys which are extremely tough and won’t strip or wear. Great news for those of you who have had to deal with the annoyance of cheap imports that barely make it through a single build. We also now stock Turbo Lock for a great low price of $9.95 per 10ml. Be a manly geek and git yourself sum new tools!

RFID is an exciting new technology that is finding its way into a variety of different industries; pet identification, keyless entry, hospitals, inventory management and tracking, tollway collections, security, data collection, wildlife tracking, and much more.

Beyond that, RFID is just plain cool and fun to play with. RFID has found its way into many DIY and interactive art projects over the last few years as people experiment with the possibilities of the technology. Now anyone can learn about RFID with this great RFID Experimenters kit.

This kit includes everything needed to get started:

• RedBee RFID reader
• RFID tag variety pack (13)
• Project CD with 5 Projects
• USB Cable

The projects disk comes with 5 great projects to do at home including RFID Login for your computer!

The 5 Projects Include:

• RFID Login (Windows 7)
• RFID Deadbolt
• RFID Safe
• RFID Racers
• RFID Logger (With database integration)

The RedBee RFID Reader is a ground breaking first in many areas. Capable of being used as a tethered device to a PC or microcontroller OR as a preprogrammed stand alone device it is the only hobby reader with both options. The RedBee also comes default with USB and TTL serial with the ability to add Xbee for wireless communication. Very cool!

Checkout the Huge feature list for the RedBee RFID Reader:

• Supports all EM41xx family 125 kHz RFID tags
• USB, XBee, and TTL Serial communication
• Serial Communication Protocol and Shared Serial Devices Protocol (SSDP)
• .NET programming API
• Operates as a slave device to PC or microcontroller
• Onboard programmable microcontroller
• Xbee point to point
• Xbee Mesh networking
• 3 power input options (Barrel Connector, USB, or Vcc)
• 4 Configurable I/O pins
• Valid/Invalid Tag LED
• Xbee Comm LED

We’re proud to introduce the first of many products on the horizon, the Desktop Robot Turret! This Pan & Tilt platform is based around the custom designed Arduino-Compatible MosquitIO microcontroller!

The Desktop Robot Turret is the perfect starting point for experimenters, roboticists, and hobbyists alike to get started in the exciting field of physical computing! This easy to build kit is based around the exclusive MosquitIO Pan & Tilt Microcontroller and includes everything needed to build a fully programmable, Arduino-compatible Pan & Tilt platform. Add webcams, lasers, airsoft guns, a variety of sensors to the available I/O, up to two small motors, and switch things on and off with the built-in solid-state relay! The MosquitIO can also be custom programmed using the Arduino IDE for autonomous behavior using sensory input, or a variety of other custom applications- your imagination is the limit!

We are also working with Roborealm for a fully supported module for the MosquitIO, but for those of you who can’t wait; We’ve created a preliminary colored object tracking demo using Roborealm. Stay tuned for a full-featured Roborealm Module as well as special packaged deals!

We have been quietly adding new products and are overdue for a post. Here are some of the fun new things you will find in the store.

The PhidgetIR

The PhidgetIR is a must have for those DIY hackers building their own home automation projects.

• Sends and Receives Consumer IR codes
• Control your computer or any Phidgets with an old remote control
• Control your TV, DVD, etc. with your computer
• Connects directly to a computer’s USB Port

PowerSwitch Tail

Another great home automation tool. Hacking together a 120V switching device is a pain in the ass. We have been looking for a device like this for 6 years. You can now safely control an outlet device without exposing any 120VAC voltages. All you need is a 5 volt signal which you can provide from an Arduino or other microcontroller or Phidget.

Laser Module – Red

PEW! PEW! PEW! Every robot needs a laser. These super tiny lasers are PERFECT for robot projects. A great help for tracking where sensors are pointing, assisting visualization, or just plain adding robot bling. We were blown away by the quality and strength of dot this laser puts out. No more hacking cheapo lasers from the store. The flat rectangle form factor makes mounting this laser a dream.

Sensor & Cable Coupler Pins

We wanted to make it easy for our robot builders to couple together female to female sensor and cable connectors. So we sourced some extra long header rows to enable people to do just that. The pins are 5.8mm on one side and 8.6mm on the other giving plenty length to get a good lock with standard .1″ female connectors. We will start moving more of our sensors over to female connectors so that people can stop soldering all day and just plug and play!

How about some manual servo control?

Being robot nerds we sometimes forget that people want quick easy servo control solutions. So we added some good direct control solutions.

Joystick Servo Controller

This is a great joystick servo control unit from ServoCity. Built very solid with a high quality joystick this controller is built to last. Be up and running immediatly, just add power and plug in your servos.

Dual Servo Driver

Similar to the Joystick Controller, but half the price. Two rotation knobs for simple fast servo control.

Servo Recorder & Playback Controller

Need to do some recorded playback? This is your goto device. The Servo Recorder can be used as a simple servo driver or a complete servo motion recorder. Once the motions are recorded, you can select between single or loop playback. Recording time is 3 minutes.

Have you ever wanted to own your very own battle bot? Now with the Viper from FingerTech Robotics you can own one today. With a build time of less then an hour, you can have your very own wedge battle bot that’s ready to smash the competition! The Viper comes with everything you need, but the batteries and the five thousand dollar price tag.

Great For:

• - Parent Child project
• - Classroom or after school project
• - Boyscouts/Club activities
• - Great Birthday party activity