Best Christmas Gifts For Geeks » Lego Mindstorms

LEGO MindStorms 9754 Dark Side Developer Kit – 578 pcs

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:16:58 +0000

Survey the 567 plastic pieces that make up the Dark Side Developer Kit, and your first thought is: How could this jumble of plastic doodads ever be assembled into anything approximating a toy? Fear not. The heart of the set is the Micro Scout miniprocessor with a built-in light sensor, motor, and seven "behaviors" that describe the robots' movements and actions. Clear instructions help you build droids of various complexity. Our Jedi Apprentice droid was more fun to build than we expected. Rummaging through the divided tray holding the many components became a kind of game in itself. This toy is best enjoyed by kids and grown-ups together, but technically precocious youngsters could manage very well on their own.

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LEGO Spybotics 3809 Technojaw T55

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:10:17 +0000

Become a secret agent with LEGO Spybotics! Using the CD-ROM software and programmable remote controller, you and your robot can complete daring missions and become the ultimate secret agent team! Build your robot, choose among the ten secret missions, program your robot, and begin your mission! There are four Spybotics robots to collect, each with its own unique function. Play with friends for great mutli-player action!

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LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 – Robotics

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:49:50 +0000

Take your creations to the next level! Now you can build real robots that move and obey your commands. Design them, construct them, and program them quickly and easily, and put them to work for you! Special 3D building instructions included on the RIS CD-ROM lets you build three robots right away using the same pieces: a Candy Sorter, a Robotic Arm, and an Artbot that draws amazing pictures. Then start building your own creations! RIS 2.0 features a simple, easy to master interface. Six Pro Challenges and Big Blocks programming make complicated models a snap to program. Youll be amazed by what your creations can do! Using RIS 2.0 is easy and fun! Heres all you do: Start with the RCX microcomputer the brains of your robot! Bring your idea to life by attaching sensors, motors, and gears to the RCX. Use your PC and the LEGO MINDSTORMSÂ® CD-ROM to create a program that makes your robot act on its own at your command.Now your robot is ready for action. Let it loose and watch it go! 6 AA batteries required (not included). Ages 12+ 3804 Lego

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LEGO Mindstorms Black NXT Brick

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:20:02 +0000

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Robotics Invention System Version 1.5: Mindstorms Power of Robotics @ Your Command

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:06:01 +0000

Lego Robotics Mindstorms Set #9719 Build and program your own Lego robots! You can create thousands of robotic inventions. There are interactive training missions and challenges on the enclosed CD-ROM, the Lego Mindstorms website and your own imagination. Using your PC and the Lego Mindstorms CD-ROM software create a program that lets your invention think and act on it own. With a click of a mouse you can instantly download your program from your PC to your RCS using the infrared transmitter. Works with Windows 95/98 requires a Pentium 90 MHz Computer 16 MB ram At least 50 MB HD space QT 2.1 included on the CD Age 12+ Set contains over 727 LEGO pieces

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LEGO Mindstorms: Star Wars Droid Developer Kit

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:14:30 +0000


Create hundreds of your own droids with three levels of challenge: Jedi apprentice, Jedi Knight, or Jedi Master. Use the "Micro Scout" Lego microcomputer for the brain of your droids. Use the built-in light sensor, motor and sound to bring your droids to life. Create familiar Star Wars droids like R2-D2 or use the Force to create droids of your own.

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LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547)

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:52:20 +0000

Take LEGO to the next level with MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0. Combining the versatility of the LEGO building system with a microcomputer brick and intuitive programming software, this building kit enables you to construct robots that see, speak, feel, and move. Designed for ages 10 and up, the 2.0 robotics tool set features everything you need to create and program your first robot in approximately one hour. After that, you can create an endless lineup of robots that do what you want--if you can dream it, you can build it. MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Ages: 10 and up Pieces: 619 Requires: 6 "AA"/LR6 batteries (not included) What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Brings LEGO to life. The Challenging: Booklet only includes instructions for one basic robot. In a Nutshell: Everything you need to build and program robots -- jump starts inventive play. With MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0, you can construct robots that see, speak, feel, and move. View larger. Use the included software to program your robot and watch it come to life. View larger. Build, Program, Go Creating a MINDSTORMS robot is challenging -- but not too difficult -- with an illustrated step-by-step booklet and software showing the way. The booklet gives you instructions for building a basic "Quick Start" robot only, which is an easy introduction to the MINDSTORMS experience. This robot took our two adult testers about 30 minutes to build and 30 minutes to program. After that, they spent a lot of time just playing with their creation and testing its abilities. Once you master the basics of MINDSTORMS, you'll need to use the included software to get instructions for more advanced creations. You can also use the MINDSTORMS web site to find instructions for many other robots, or you can create robots on your own. No matter what you choose to create, the principles are the same: just build the robot using the LEGO elements in the kit, and program it on your computer using the software. Then watch your robot come alive. NXT Technology Brings LEGO to Life MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 features the latest in robotic technology: an advanced programmable microcontroller, Interactive Servo Motors, smart sensors, icon-based drag-and-drop programming software, interactive challenges, and wireless Blue tooth and USB connections -- all the smart technologies you need to create your custom robot. First, the brain of the MINDSTORMS robot is NXT, an intelligent, computer-controlled LEGO brick that features a 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display, input and output ports, and a speaker. Second, three Interactive Servo Motors give you precise control over the robot and ensure that the robot moves with precision -- the built-in rotation sensor can measure one-degree steps. Third, there are four robotic sensors. The first is the Ultrasonic Sensor, one of two sensors that gives your robot vision. You can use it to make your robot avoid obstacles, sense and measure distance, and detect movement. And fourth of all, two Touch Sensors give your robot a sense of touch. They detect when they are being pressed or released, and you can use them to make your robot pick up things or act on command. For example, by pressing a Touch Sensor you can make your robot walk, talk, close a door, or turn off your TV. There's also a Color Sensor that functions three ways: it distinguishes colors -- black and white, as well as a range of bright and pastel colors -- it distinguishes light settings, and it can be used as a color lamp. And finally, the MINDSTORMS Software lets you program your robot. Use the software to create a program, and then download the program to the NXT by using the USB cable or the wireless Blue tooth connection. Mac- and PC-compatible drag-and-drop software gives you 16 building and programming challenges, from beginner to expert. Overall, this set scores an excellent rating for its clever design elements. Our testers enjoyed the way the set brought a new level of interaction to their LEGO experience, and appreciated how easy it was to create their first robot. They also loved the way this set encourages inventive play -- all the cool hardware that makes up the set can be used to build any robot you dream up. Finally, our testers liked how this set offers a great balance of learning and fun, and encourages interest in science, computers, and engineering. Microsoft Windows Requirements Windows XP Professional or Home Edition with Service Pack 2 or newer Intel Pentium processor or compatible, 800 MHz minimum (1.5 GHz or better recommended) Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or newer Intel Pentium processor or compatible, 1 GHz minimum (1.5 GHz or better recommended) CD-ROM drive Apple Macintosh Requirements Apple MacOS X v10.4 or v10.5 PowerPC G3, G4, G5 processor, 600 MHz minimum Intel processor (1.3 GHz or better recommended) DVD drive General System Requirements 512MB of RAM minimum 700MB of available hard-disk space XGA display (1024x768) 1 available USB port Compatible Blue tooth adapter (optional) What's in the Box NXT programmable LEGO Brick, Ultrasonic Sensor, Color Sensor, two Touch Sensors, three Interactive Servo Motors, USB cable, 7x6-wire cables, building instructions for four robots, user guide, software, test pad, and 619 LEGO pieces.

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LEGO Mindstorms NXT

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:02:28 +0000

Sure, Mindstorms NXT is a toy, but it is an important toy, like a piano or a chemistry set. It's one of those items that engages an imagination and possibly opens doors to new interests. Since our future is surely to be shared with robots--it's already started happening, just look at Roomba--those robots will need, at least initially, humans to program and maintain them. Those people, years from now, will likely remember their experiences with Lego Mindstorms. Out of the Box The main part of the kit is the NXT itself. It's about the size of an iPod (though a bit thicker) with a a loudspeaker, a monochrome LCD, and navigation keys on the front. This is the controller for the robot--it's brain, if you will. It has three ports on top for connecting to the servo motors and four ports on the bottom for connecting to four different sensors: Touch, Light, Sound, and Ultrasonic (see detail below). The NXT: the computer-controlled brain of the Mindstorms robot Touch Sensor: enables the robot to feel and react to its environment Sound Sensor: enables the robot to react to sound Light Sensor: can detect light and color Ultrasonic Sensor: allows the robot to measure distance and react to movement Servo Motors: ensures the robot moves with precision The set includes Ethernet-like wires for connecting all of these to the NXT, as well as software and a basic USB cable for downloading programs from your computer. Then there are all the Lego parts, hundreds of them, and most are very small. It would be a good idea to get a plastic organizer for the different parts--it would not only make construction and storage easier but also part loss less likely. Hitting the Bricks The instructions for MNXT are simple, illustrated, and they gently take the new user on an introductory path through the system. The quick start guide promises a 30-minute robot building and programing intro, though for me it was closer to 50 (I'm a little old and slow). It starts with a simple diagnostic routine which shows you how to test the function of all sensors, then proceeds to step-by-step picture instructions for building a basic first robot. It's about as complex as building a piece of Ikea furniture. Programming is the real gem in this system. It has a drag-and-drop interface using pre-programmed objects that you pull from a palette and snap to other objects. Next, I installed the software. Be sure to check the system requirements (below). The software is well-designed and very intuitive. It comes with built-in video instructions on how to create your first simple program and download it to your NXT. Bringing It To Life Programming is the real gem in this system. It has a drag-and-drop interface using pre-programmed objects that you pull from a palette and snap to other objects. Each object is configurable. For example, the Sound object brings up a sub-window that allows you to choose between a tone and a list of sound files, set the volume, set duration, and so on. Little Lego bricks between the objects reinforce the idea that building a NXT program is like building a Lego model. Programming this way is much easier than, say, creating a web page from scratch. Lego even offers a software development kit for getting deeper into the programming. Mindstorms NXT "challenges" from top: Tribot, RoboArm, and Spike. There comes a genuine thrill from seeing something you've created--even something simple and silly as my first program--come to life in a robot. It's akin to seeing yourself on TV for the first time. I played that program a dozen times. The software contains "challenges," which are similar step-by-step instructions for creating and programming more complex models, such as a robotic arm that can "perform simple tasks and react to different colors." Each challenge is divided into smaller tasks with step-by-step building, programming, and testing guides for each task. Accessing your latest program once it's downloaded to the NXT is pretty easy. Lego has set it up so that you can execute it by pressing the big orange center button four times in a row after start-up. I was surprised to find out that you don't need a computer to program the NXT. You can program directly into the NXT Program submenu. Bluetooth Ready The NXT also has built-in Bluetooth wireless technology. If your computer has Bluetooth, you can test and download programs to the NXT without connecting the USB cable--a really handy feature if you're programming a complicated dance routine and you don't want your robot getting tripped up in cables. If your phone or PDA has Bluetooth, you might be able to use your device to control the robot. Best of all, Bluetooth allows you to create a network of up to three NXT devices. Think of the possibilities: three NXTs plus three sets of blocks and sensors equals bigger, more complex robots. My one and only complaint is that I wish the sensors had more "studs," those little round parts that allows Lego bricks to interlock. --Porter B. Hall

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