Robotistan - Solar Tracker System Compatible with Arduino - with Electronic Components - Smart Dual Axis Solar Tracker System DIY Educational Sun Tracker Kit

It was fairly easy to assemble but didn't track light/sun. The voltmeter was workingas expected.Reason it didn't work is the Arduino R3 SMT was not programmed with sun tracker code.The led-13 was blinking once per second meaning it still has the basic factory code BLINK.Manual claims it factory programmed and should run with connections.However it was not programmed per manual.When I tried to program it, it would not accept, bad Arduino as a newone worked.Lowered from 4 stars to 3 because I had to replace the Arduino uno R3Needs improvement.

It claims to use an arduino but is a fake arduino, I'm. Not sure if this will do some malicious code as soon I connect it or while is connected or nothing but it should not use the word arduino for this.Even with that issue, I was happy to do my first "arduino" project, my son's were happy and we learned, I will buy original arduinos and continue learning with my son's.

Cannot use it. Did not come with 2 Servo screws. Display had 2 leads broken at solder joints. Press fit fiber parts broke.

The Robotistan - Solar Tracker System is a great kit for older kids that are interested in smart tech, science, and electronics. The kit combines all three and is the type of project that is fun to build and teaches at the same time. Personally, I love kits like this, and I have just as much fun building it as I do using and learning from it once it is built. I just wish we would have stuff like this when I was a kid!My daughter, who is a Senior in HS and going to college next year for Engineering, has known that she wants to be an Engineer since she was a little girl and part of the reason I got this kit, the other is that I love stuff like this too! Some of the other reviews have pointed out a few issues that they experienced, as well as some nice aspects. We didn’t have any of those issues so either we may have just gotten lucky, but I am only able to speak to our experience. All the parts come in labelled bags, and it comes with everything you need.The laser cut pieces are excellent and everything went together with no issues. As someone else pointed out, you do need to pay close attention to the order of the steps but if you keep that in mind and go slow you shouldn’t have any problems. The top piece that moves and tracks the sun is a little top heavy, but I am not sure there is much that can be done other than using much more expensive materials, such as carbon fiber, that would be strong enough and lighter than what is used.Depending on their level of knowledge and/or experience with DIY science projects that involve using controllers like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, there may be a learning curve involved. The controller is not a “genuine” Arduino, but I have used plenty of generic ones over the years and this one is about typical. If I decide to use this for other projects in the future, I can always swap out and upgrade a few of the components with better ones I have laying around such as more powerful and faster servos. The components it came with are good enough for now as they work as they are supposed to work.Part of the fun of this kit is that you can modify it and add additional modules and components and have fun and learn along the way. If you are looking for a fun, DIY, STEM project kit for that budding Engineer or just someone who likes to tinker with electromechanical systems, then this is a great kit. My daughter and I can recommend it!

I liked the material they used for the laser cut parts, it seemed stronger than plastic ones. The instructions were pretty good. There were a few issues, but most were easily resolved. I did have some difficulty early on with the voltmeter. The white wire broke and I ended up having to shorten the cable slightly and solder the leads back. The fact that it worked when I was finished let me know that I got the wires connected correctly. There was one point when I was confused because I didn’t realize that I needed to put two of the brass standoffs to raise the base up so the servo motor would fit underneath. The instructions talk about double sided tape that is supposed to be in the package, but all I could find were some foam disks. I used those to secure the sensor boards and the solar panel. The colors of the wires from the photo sensors did nt match the diagram in the instructions. I just made sure that the S on the sensor connected to the S on the shield and that it plugged into the correct port. I took a battery USB power pack outside with me because the solar tracker does not power itself and I powered it from the USB output on the power pack. I used the code as it came already programmed into the Arduino, I didn’t make any modifications. The voltmeter did read the voltage from the solar panel. However, it didn’t successfully track the sun. It would move a bit and then it would duck its head and stop. There are a couple of things I need to check. To see if the servo for the up and down is in the right initial position. The instructions weren’t clear as to what that position should be when mechanically engaging the servo motor. The kit came with a lot of spare parts, fortunately, the only ones I used were the sticky foam disks. It was fun to build, but it will take me a significant amount of time to resolve the remaining issues. A better solution to the voltmeter connection would be a great improvement.