There is no better way to learn robotics than building and programming your own robots. This project form MusaW shows what it takes to build a ESP8266 WiFi controlled quadruped robot. It has 12 DOF with SG90 servos and can be controlled via a smartphone browser.
The entire project can be completed for under $60. You are going to need an Arduino Nano and a few other simple components to complete this project. The instructions are available here.