KEYESTUDIO Mini Tank Kit V2 Smart Car for Arduino, IR Infrared and App Remote Control (iOS and Android), Light and Ultrasonic Follow, 8X16 LED Panel, Ultrasonic Obstacle Avoidance,15+

The first thing I look for in a learning kit is the quality of the kit. Not only do you get very good material with this project but you also get a good amount of learning tools in programming that you have at your command. I have built other kits that were not by Keyestudio and I must say that Keyestudio kits offer the best of both worlds. Assembly of this kit is done in a way that you will learn a lot about the Arduino programming Language. Assembly was not only fun but when completed I had learned a lot about the Arduino programming. If you are not a Arduino programmer don't let that scare you away. When I first started building Keyestudio kits I was brand new to Robot training with Arduino. You don't have to learn Arduino if you don't want to, because you can just enjoy building the kit and enjoy using the Tank robot. It is a really fun vehicle to drive around and to build. I will have to admit that I have a little of my second childhood in me and quit fully enjoy driving it around the house. I can see why they name it a Tank because it will go just about anywhere you want it to go. I can't wait until the weather warms up so I can have some fun outside with it. It has more features available than all the other kits.LED program, Light Following, IR Remote Control Bluetooth App, Obstacle Avoiding, Ultrasonic Following,This kit earns a solid 5 stars from me. Don't let the reviews that claim it is hard to assemble scare you because it is very easy to assemble and comes with a complete set of photos of each section of the assembly. Keyestudio has come up with many kits that are not just fun to assemble, and drive, but include many ways to start learning to code with Arduino. I am 80 years old and I have had a great time learning with this kit and even more fun playing with it when it was done. And for all the adults out there don't think you are too old to have a lot of fun building this one, get two and build it along side your child. You can even use Mixly with this one. It comes with everything you need to assemble, code, and drive all by IRRemote Control.

Motor Tank comes disassembled in carton box, all parts are very well packed (some parts, shields, sensors have their own boxes). There are a lot of small details (like nuts and screws), why I am saying it is hard to assemble if you're a kid. Assembly and coding documentation is nice too. There is wiki for each model (my was KS0428) and there are files stored at Dropbox. Coding documentation have code samples for each sensor as separate part, at the end there are 3 complete sample code for controlling the tank through IR or Bluetooth. My children really likes the tank.Pros: well packed, well documented, shares happiness.Cons: not easy to assemble for kids, also does not contain wrench for nuts, so I recommend to prepare pliers before you start to assemble.Do I recommend this product? Yes, ofcourse! Me and my kids enjoying of it.

I am thoroughly enjoying building this Keyestudio Mini Tank Robot V2. I am a retired electronic technician and this kit is the perfect thing to help me learn about new technologies. I am impressed by the use of metal parts for construction. The components are laid out in a manner so that you can understand how each circuit board and sensor assembly is wired together to become one unit. The individual boards are well labeled and made durable. The diagrams and pictures used in the assembly instructions on-line are clear and illustrated well.I chose the V2 Mini Tank for a robotics project because I am interested in learning about the use of Blue Tooth technology. This robot kit is a great learning tool that can be utilized by both young students and older adults who have an interest in electronics and want to discover how to use sensors in robotics. I have had an interest in robotics since I retired and am looking forward to learning more from this kit and to be able to work with all of the projects that it provides. Thank you KEYES Corporation.

First of all, as shown in the pictures, the kit really does come with almost everything you'll need, short of a phone and a laptop to control and program it, respectively.Although, as mentioned, it does not come with batteries. You'll need to source your own 18650 cells. This isn't too difficult (and understandable given import/shipping restrictions), but keep in mind that this is something else you'll have to buy, which does increase the cost of the kit, and means if you're gifting it to somebody you'd better buy them some of those batteries, too.This wouldn't be such a big deal, but the instructions barely mention how to properly deal with the batteries. Like, if you plug the kit in over USB with the batteries installed and you unplug the USB, the lights stay on for a bit (even if the batteries were dead before) which insinuates that plugging it in charges the batteries. It might, but I honestly don't know, and the instructions don't clarify. Further, I don't know if the batteries are supposed to be installed after the robot is assembled or not, but it's very difficult to get them in after it's all assembled.At any rate, the parts it does come with are, in my opinion, of good and consistent quality. The sensors are in ESD-protection bags, and the bits of hardware are pretty well labelled. Some little screws are not labelled, so you kinda have to go by what fits (like for mounting the servo).Also, I noticed four main errors in the instructions. For one, there is one place where the Bluetooth module is shown to be installed incorrectly. When you're putting the robot together, make sure you double-check how the Bluetooth module is supposed to be installed (look at more than one picture for the orientation). Second, the image showing how to install the little "horn" of the servo, the plastic bit that connects to it and lets it rotate the assembly with the ultrasonic sensor, is upside down. The horn actually fits perfectly, but you won't get it to fit if you just follow that picture.Third, the way you install the wheels is a bit unclear. Before screwing the two sides of the bottom part with the together, scroll down in the instructions to make sure you don't install them the wrong way. It is a bit unclear, since the instructions tell you how to put one side together, then tell you that the other side is a mirror image. Which it sort of is, but it's a bit unclear until you see some more pictures.The fourth major error I found is more of an error of assembly. The IR sensor is very difficult to install, since you have to somehow put a tiny nut onto a screw that is very short, through a small hole in another part. I couldn't get it to fit properly, so I installed it upside down. It is not perfect, but it does work that way.As well, it took me a very long time to figure out how to install the tracks. I honestly don't even think I did it right after all, but it took so long. In my opinion, the biggest problem with the instructions was that they did not adequately explain how to install the tracks to the wheels.Now, the wiring is where this kit really shines. The instructions are quite clear about what goes where (just make sure you know which motor is which) and the top part has some holes for cable management. I was honestly somewhat worried for the wiring part, but it was easy and actually fun, in my opinion.And the programming is straightforward, too. The drivers are included with the Arduino IDE, and it should work automatically. However, the instructions do state that uploading code to the board will not work if the Bluetooth module is installed on the board. Of course, since the instructions tell you to install the Bluetooth module in the assembly portion, and the assembly portion comes before the programming portion, it is easy to forget. If you get the following error while uploading code, try unplugging the Bluetooth module and trying again. It might work:avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not respondingavrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x60I do wish this was included in the instructions, in some troubleshooting section. I know, the instructions do include the admonition to disconnect the Bluetooth module before uploading code, but having this specific error message would be a fine addition to them.Anyway, the mobile app for controlling this robot is actually really cool. For me, at least, it connected very easily to the robot, and the controls were really responsive.However, as I explained above with the tracks, they were the most difficult part of the robot to put together. And while I don't think I did it entirely properly, the robot in its final state was a bit underwhelming for me.I couldn't get it to go very fast, like in the video, even with known fully-charged 18650 batteries. Might have been some problem with the tracks, or maybe my batteries didn't provide enough current somehow? I honestly don't know. But it was difficult for it to get traction, even on tile and wood.Overall, it's a very cool concept, and I really like some of the things Keyestudio has done with this kit. For example, I really like the app, the Arduino code samples are good and easy to follow, and the individual pieces are quite high-quality. The instructions are alright, though as I've said they are lacking in a few key areas.I don't honestly know if I would recommend this robot - I couldn't get it to go too fast, the battery woes still exist, and some parts of the assembly process (like the tracks and installation of the servo and IR sensor) are unexpectedly difficult. But for someone who has had a bit of experience with Arduino projects, little robots, or these types of things - at least most of the assembly process is a lot of fun, and the final product (assuming you don't run into whatever issue(s) I faced that made my robot very slow) is pretty great.