We've posted about DIY robots before, but they usually came as a complete set of ready-to-assemble parts. The ones that Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed don't, though, but they are simple enough to build with off-the-shelf parts. Plus, these sophisticated little machines can connect wirelessly to the internet.

The whole kit, called the Telepresence Robot Kit (TeRK), is composed of a single piece of hardware and a set of "recipes" that robot enthusiast can follow to build their own robots. TeRK was developed by Associate Professor of Robotics Illah Nourbakhsh and members of his Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment (CREATE) Lab.

As such, the robots created using TeRK can take a variety of forms. Parts can be bought at hardware and hobbyist stores. The hardware that controls the TeRK robots is called Qwerk, a unique controller that combines a computer with the software and electronics necessary to control the robot’s motors, cameras and other devices. It also allows the robot to connect wirelessly to the 'net, letting users control their creations through any Internet-connected computer.

TeRK recipes currently available include one for a small wheeled robot armed with a video camera. Other recipes under development include environmental sensors for air quality and sound pollution, and there's even one that can control a stuffed teddy bear.