And yet another idea for a kit

[sje]

It turns out that Heathkit is re-badging robot hardware from another company whose name escapes me at the moment. The pricing from the other company ranges from US$5,000 to US$8,000 (ouch!) depending on configuration. The low end price is for the platform with wheels, motors, some sensors, etc., but no ITX form CPU/board and no shiny plastic housing.

The US$5,000 version looks more attractive to the hacker and not only because of the lower price. For one thing, the off-center cheap web cam from the high end model is missing, making room for a centered, possibly binocular arrangement. But it's still a high price for a unit that has no provision for an arm.