LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT - Is It Christmas Yet?
Sep 05 2006This is a little off topic but Ars Technica has a great write-up on the new LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT. For those of you who don’t know. MINDSTORMS is a robotics kit by LEGO. It comes with various pieces for building your robot much like any other LEGO sets. The difference here is that MINDSTORMS provides a programmable unit that allows for complex actions.
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The new NXT kit comes with 4 sensors (touch, sound, light, distance) which can be combined with motors and other parts to build sophisticated vehicles and robots. The programming interface appears to be powerful yet simple enough to use. While the set is a little limited, if you have the cash, you can purchase additional sets for even more complex builds. Bluetooth is even supported on the NXT and can be linked together or with other devices like PDAs or cell phones.
LEGO has even paid attention to its users and provided a nice little community surrounding the MINDSTORMS. There are additional robot building instructions, various developer kits (software, hardware, Bluetooth) and other downloads. |
If you already own LEGOs or the old MINDSTORMS, the new NXT is compatible with the TECHNIC pieces. However, you will need converter cables for old sensors to work with the new system. Check out the education pack which include 3 converter cables (and rechargeable batteries); the retail packs do not include these. There are other differences in the two packages so compare them first before you make a purchase to ensure you get the one you really want or need.
Again, check out the more detailed review on Ars Technica. It even received a highly coveted “X” rating. And, don’t forget that there are various hacks and extensions so let Google be your friend.
