LEGO Mindstorms - Whats New

Not your dad’s train set… MINDSTORMS NXT controls LEGO R/C Trains with HiTechnic IR Link!

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:00:00 GMT

The HiTechnic IR Link (IR stands for InfraRed) has been available for a little over a year now. If you have the MINDSTORMS RCX brick, motors and sensors, LEGO TECHNIC sets with Power Function Motors, or even LEGO R/C Trains, the IR Link from HiTechnic can enable you to control them with the NXT.

The folks from HiTechnic created a LEGO R/C Trains project that uses the MINDSTORMS NXT and a HiTechnic IR Link to control the trains.

In this project a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor and a Light Sensor are used to detect the location of the trains. An NXT program monitors the location of each train and sends commands (using the IR Link) to each of the trains to control when to start, and then to stop once they have reached their destination.

The NXT can control up to three trains at a time, and can select and set their speed and direction of each.

What a great project for the holidays, MINDSTORMS NXT controlled LEGO Trains under your Christmas tree!

To see video of these trains in action and to download a program file, check out the HiTechnic LEGO R/C Train project on NXTLOG.

The IR link from HiTechnic is available online at LEGO Shop at Home: IR (Infrared) Link Sensor

The LEGO R/C train is also available from Shop at Home: LEGO R/C Train Sets

The IR Link sensor NXT-G blocks are available from the downloads page at the HiTechnic website:
HiTechnic
The HiTechnic IR Link (IR stands for InfraRed) has been available for a little over a year now. If you have the MINDSTORMS RCX brick, motors and sensors, LEGO TECHNIC sets with Power Function Motors, or even LEGO R/C Trains, the IR Link from HiTechnic can enable you to control them with the NXT.

The folks from HiTechnic created a LEGO R/C Trains project that uses the MINDSTORMS NXT and a HiTechnic IR Link to control the trains.

In this project a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor and a Light Sensor are used to detect the location of the trains. An NXT program monitors the location of each train and sends commands (using the IR Link) to each of the trains to control when to start, and then to stop once they have reached their destination.

The NXT can control up to three trains at a time, and can select and set their speed and direction of each.

What a great project for the holidays, MINDSTORMS NXT controlled LEGO Trains under your Christmas tree!

To see video of these trains in action and to download a program file, check out the HiTechnic LEGO R/C Train project on NXTLOG.

The IR link from HiTechnic is available online at LEGO Shop at Home: IR (Infrared) Link Sensor

The LEGO R/C train is also available from Shop at Home: LEGO R/C Train Sets

The IR Link sensor NXT-G blocks are available from the downloads page at the HiTechnic website:
HiTechnic

Learning about games and playing through LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Twice a year a course, held by the youth organisation FDF, for approximately 300 young kids in the age span of 14-19 is held at The Outdoor Center Sletten near the city of Silkeborg, Denmark. All these 300 are sorted into groups according to their desire for learning about the world, philosophy or themselves. Each group is run by volunteers, called instructors for this purpose, who all love to pass on the knowledge they themselves have been taught or learned throughout the years.

We had a group of 19 young men and women who had decided they wanted to learn more about the essentials of games and playing (theory and practice). Therefore it was with great fondness we had thought of LEGO when we decided to implement it into our schedule on the course in the fall of 2008. Normal LEGO, however, would not do for a, to some degree, serious course. Also we feared traditional LEGO would not catch the attention of the group we had in mind. Consequently we stumbled upon LEGO Mindstorms NXT. It had all the things we were looking for, the basics of LEGO where you assemble the pieces in an easy to understand way. It had the looks to appeal our group and required the imaginative and ingenuity we hoped to inspire the group with. Unfortunately, the prize was slightly out of our reach, considering we would need around 10 complete sets to make sure everybody would be able to get their hands on this cool machinery. Luckily, a request was posted to the right people, and we were allowed to borrow 10 complete sets of LEGO for the benefits of learning and understanding it in practice.

There had been set several days aside, computers had been borrowed from friends, families and other instructors to run the LEGO Mindstorms NXT programs, to make downloading and creating programs as quick as possible. Then the day finally dawned, and my fellow instructors and I looked at each other nervously. Had we missed our mark? Would this even appeal in the slightest to this group of teenagers? A generation, infamous for its towering standards and from time to time unreasonable criticism of things earlier generations had no problem with. Had LEGO simply been a fad that we had loved and was now lost in the abyss of older generations? With great anxiety we waited for them to arrive, and most of all their reaction.

We were not disappointed. The group was overly ecstatic to learn what we had planned for them. Boys and girls alike were only not racing towards the big grey boxes placed alongside the computers out of politeness as we finished our introduction. When we allowed them, they actually ran to each box to delve into the mysteries of LEGO Mindstorms NXT. The girls were fascinated with the robot’s ability to recognize colour, and the boys were awestruck by the possibility to build humanoid robots.

After the first day with LEGO Mindstorms NXT, about eight hours of intensive work with the robots, we realized that we would not have enough time to learn them perfectly, as the possibilities and options seemed to expand rapidly as we learned more and more. In the end, the teenagers who had come to Sletten to learn about games and playing went home with so much more, thanks to LEGO Mindstorms NXT and the generosity of The LEGO Company.
Twice a year a course, held by the youth organisation FDF, for approximately 300 young kids in the age span of 14-19 is held at The Outdoor Center Sletten near the city of Silkeborg, Denmark. All these 300 are sorted into groups according to their desire for learning about the world, philosophy or themselves. Each group is run by volunteers, called instructors for this purpose, who all love to pass on the knowledge they themselves have been taught or learned throughout the years.

We had a group of 19 young men and women who had decided they wanted to learn more about the essentials of games and playing (theory and practice). Therefore it was with great fondness we had thought of LEGO when we decided to implement it into our schedule on the course in the fall of 2008. Normal LEGO, however, would not do for a, to some degree, serious course. Also we feared traditional LEGO would not catch the attention of the group we had in mind. Consequently we stumbled upon LEGO Mindstorms NXT. It had all the things we were looking for, the basics of LEGO where you assemble the pieces in an easy to understand way. It had the looks to appeal our group and required the imaginative and ingenuity we hoped to inspire the group with. Unfortunately, the prize was slightly out of our reach, considering we would need around 10 complete sets to make sure everybody would be able to get their hands on this cool machinery. Luckily, a request was posted to the right people, and we were allowed to borrow 10 complete sets of LEGO for the benefits of learning and understanding it in practice.

There had been set several days aside, computers had been borrowed from friends, families and other instructors to run the LEGO Mindstorms NXT programs, to make downloading and creating programs as quick as possible. Then the day finally dawned, and my fellow instructors and I looked at each other nervously. Had we missed our mark? Would this even appeal in the slightest to this group of teenagers? A generation, infamous for its towering standards and from time to time unreasonable criticism of things earlier generations had no problem with. Had LEGO simply been a fad that we had loved and was now lost in the abyss of older generations? With great anxiety we waited for them to arrive, and most of all their reaction.

We were not disappointed. The group was overly ecstatic to learn what we had planned for them. Boys and girls alike were only not racing towards the big grey boxes placed alongside the computers out of politeness as we finished our introduction. When we allowed them, they actually ran to each box to delve into the mysteries of LEGO Mindstorms NXT. The girls were fascinated with the robot’s ability to recognize colour, and the boys were awestruck by the possibility to build humanoid robots.

After the first day with LEGO Mindstorms NXT, about eight hours of intensive work with the robots, we realized that we would not have enough time to learn them perfectly, as the possibilities and options seemed to expand rapidly as we learned more and more. In the end, the teenagers who had come to Sletten to learn about games and playing went home with so much more, thanks to LEGO Mindstorms NXT and the generosity of The LEGO Company.

NXTLOG Holiday Building Challenge

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

'Tis the season to be building
Fa la la la la la la la la
Robots to help with holiday gilding
Fa la la la la la la la la
Put your project up on NXTLOG…
Fa la la la la la la la la
Wow! A cool robotic yule log
Fa la la la la la la la la

The holiday season is here and we want you to design a Holiday NXTbot! Your robot must represent a seasonal holiday. (Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, Eid-el-Fitr, Diwali, and more…).

You can make a NXT Turkey, a timely ornament, a Kwanzaa kinara, a dreidel, or even a robotic gift wrapper. The ideas are endless so use your creative imagination to make a fun holiday bot!

There's no limit on amount of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors, motors, NXT programmable bricks, HiTechnic sensors, or Bluetooth communication you can use on your MINDSTORMS NXT Holiday Bot.

You have until Friday December 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See this NXTLOG to enter Holiday Building Challenge

Happy Building!
'Tis the season to be building
Fa la la la la la la la la
Robots to help with holiday gilding
Fa la la la la la la la la
Put your project up on NXTLOG…
Fa la la la la la la la la
Wow! A cool robotic yule log
Fa la la la la la la la la

The holiday season is here and we want you to design a Holiday NXTbot! Your robot must represent a seasonal holiday. (Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, Eid-el-Fitr, Diwali, and more…).

You can make a NXT Turkey, a timely ornament, a Kwanzaa kinara, a dreidel, or even a robotic gift wrapper. The ideas are endless so use your creative imagination to make a fun holiday bot!

There's no limit on amount of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors, motors, NXT programmable bricks, HiTechnic sensors, or Bluetooth communication you can use on your MINDSTORMS NXT Holiday Bot.

You have until Friday December 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See this NXTLOG to enter Holiday Building Challenge

Happy Building!

The NXTLOG Cool Creature Building Challenge Winners are in!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Lots of brave NXTLOGgers entered the Cool Creature Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble creatures of all kids. Three of the winners are first time NXTLOGgers! From insects to slimy snails, all the bots entered in this challenge are worth building and playing with. Visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by the gaggle, flock, or swarm of robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200810"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Robby, the Elephant
Created by: Robby-Hood

Robby-Hood created Robby, the Elephant because, “We always thought Elephant was a really cool, majestic, and friendly creature.” This NXT Elephant moves its trunk up and down and ears back and forth as it is walking, and it grunts as well! This project uses just one NXT brick, 3 motors, and its body is 100% constructed out of LEGO Pieces. Robby-Hood clearly describes how he construced and programmed the robot and provides an LDD and program file so you can build one too! For a very cool creature, we award Robby, the Elephant the Champion’s Award! (This is Robby-Hood’s first project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Slime the Snail
Created by: jayko543

Slime the Snail was created as a “happy accident.” First Jayko543 tried making a little biped, but when it tried to walk, it fell over and flopped all over the table. “I thought it sort of looked like a slug or snail. So thats when I created it. . . ewwww.” But Slime the Snail is not all that gross, it has some fun and innovative design elements. The motors are used as CAMs (the motors are offset on the robot) to make it move, and when the robots eyes are touched or when something makes a loud noise it will pull them into its shell. Jayko543 provides program files, an LDD file, and video of Slime the Snail in action! For creative and unique robot, we award Slime the Snail the Robot Design Award. (This is Jayko543’s fourteenth project on NXTLOG and the second contest award - sneezebot ("achoo") won the CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD in the Winter Wonderland Challenge).

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Norton the NXT-Rex
Created by: Elmo9701

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. That’s what Elmo9701 did with the Norton the NXT-Rex project. It is now a robotic dinosaur. It started as a worm, then evolved to a dragon, and finally transformed to Norton the NXT-Rex. Elmo9701’s NXTLOG is well organized into steps that describe the robot’s Design, the Challenges and Solutions to building the project and a highly detailed step related to The Program. Norton is programmed to interact with its user via the sound sensor, touch sensor, ultrasonic sensor, motors, and NXT buttons, display screen, and speaker. He talks to the user, walks on the floor, adds simple numbers, and tells the user the distance to objects that are in front of him. Elmo9701 annotated the program files and gives credit to NXTLOGgers LegoManIAm94 and NXTGeek2 whose projects inspired the programming. For excellence in robotic programming (and NXTLOG team effort) we award Norton the NXT-Rex the Robot Performance Award! (This is Elmo9701’s first NXTLOG Project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
A PANDA!!
Created by: chocolatelover2014

A very creative Cool Creature Challenge entry, A PANDA!! is narrated by 3 minifig reporters from the LNN (LEGO News Network), Samantha, Daniel, and Adam. The three are working on an epic mission to rescue a Panda from danger in the mountains to the LEGOLAND Zoo. When they rescue the Panda they discover it is lonely so they build a NXT Panda to keep it company. The robotic Panda is programmed to walk on a quest for bamboo, and it will back up if it sees dark, and will stop when its tail is hit. For a very original NXTLOG, we award A PANDA!! the creative use of NXTLOG award. (This is chocolatelover2014’s first entry on NXTLOG).

HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Some robots listed in the Honerable Mention section were not considered for awards due to (1) a missing program file, (2) a missing .lxf (LEGO Digital Designer File), or (3) both.

Walkingthunder-The Dragon
Created by: NatoNX

Roboworm, 1-legged walker
Created by: Luis007006

Bumble bee
Created by: rammjet

Turtle bot
Created by: spacedude1234567

Snail
Created by: alemaster123

Mawchaw the gineapiglet
Created by: rammjet

The Waddling Penguin
Created by: toothpaste35

Robo-Girrafe
Created by: doddy345

monkey
Created by: duncydunc

Jumping insects with moving feelers
Created by: Zsolo66
Lots of brave NXTLOGgers entered the Cool Creature Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble creatures of all kids. Three of the winners are first time NXTLOGgers! From insects to slimy snails, all the bots entered in this challenge are worth building and playing with. Visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by the gaggle, flock, or swarm of robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200810"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Robby, the Elephant
Created by: Robby-Hood

Robby-Hood created Robby, the Elephant because, “We always thought Elephant was a really cool, majestic, and friendly creature.” This NXT Elephant moves its trunk up and down and ears back and forth as it is walking, and it grunts as well! This project uses just one NXT brick, 3 motors, and its body is 100% constructed out of LEGO Pieces. Robby-Hood clearly describes how he construced and programmed the robot and provides an LDD and program file so you can build one too! For a very cool creature, we award Robby, the Elephant the Champion’s Award! (This is Robby-Hood’s first project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Slime the Snail
Created by: jayko543

Slime the Snail was created as a “happy accident.” First Jayko543 tried making a little biped, but when it tried to walk, it fell over and flopped all over the table. “I thought it sort of looked like a slug or snail. So thats when I created it. . . ewwww.” But Slime the Snail is not all that gross, it has some fun and innovative design elements. The motors are used as CAMs (the motors are offset on the robot) to make it move, and when the robots eyes are touched or when something makes a loud noise it will pull them into its shell. Jayko543 provides program files, an LDD file, and video of Slime the Snail in action! For creative and unique robot, we award Slime the Snail the Robot Design Award. (This is Jayko543’s fourteenth project on NXTLOG and the second contest award - sneezebot ("achoo") won the CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD in the Winter Wonderland Challenge).

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Norton the NXT-Rex
Created by: Elmo9701

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. That’s what Elmo9701 did with the Norton the NXT-Rex project. It is now a robotic dinosaur. It started as a worm, then evolved to a dragon, and finally transformed to Norton the NXT-Rex. Elmo9701’s NXTLOG is well organized into steps that describe the robot’s Design, the Challenges and Solutions to building the project and a highly detailed step related to The Program. Norton is programmed to interact with its user via the sound sensor, touch sensor, ultrasonic sensor, motors, and NXT buttons, display screen, and speaker. He talks to the user, walks on the floor, adds simple numbers, and tells the user the distance to objects that are in front of him. Elmo9701 annotated the program files and gives credit to NXTLOGgers LegoManIAm94 and NXTGeek2 whose projects inspired the programming. For excellence in robotic programming (and NXTLOG team effort) we award Norton the NXT-Rex the Robot Performance Award! (This is Elmo9701’s first NXTLOG Project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
A PANDA!!
Created by: chocolatelover2014

A very creative Cool Creature Challenge entry, A PANDA!! is narrated by 3 minifig reporters from the LNN (LEGO News Network), Samantha, Daniel, and Adam. The three are working on an epic mission to rescue a Panda from danger in the mountains to the LEGOLAND Zoo. When they rescue the Panda they discover it is lonely so they build a NXT Panda to keep it company. The robotic Panda is programmed to walk on a quest for bamboo, and it will back up if it sees dark, and will stop when its tail is hit. For a very original NXTLOG, we award A PANDA!! the creative use of NXTLOG award. (This is chocolatelover2014’s first entry on NXTLOG).

HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Some robots listed in the Honerable Mention section were not considered for awards due to (1) a missing program file, (2) a missing .lxf (LEGO Digital Designer File), or (3) both.

Walkingthunder-The Dragon
Created by: NatoNX

Roboworm, 1-legged walker
Created by: Luis007006

Bumble bee
Created by: rammjet

Turtle bot
Created by: spacedude1234567

Snail
Created by: alemaster123

Mawchaw the gineapiglet
Created by: rammjet

The Waddling Penguin
Created by: toothpaste35

Robo-Girrafe
Created by: doddy345

monkey
Created by: duncydunc

Jumping insects with moving feelers
Created by: Zsolo66

Robotics Club at Spastics Society of Karnataka

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT
The Spastics Society of Karnataka [1] (SSK) is a school in Bangalore, India dedicated to the welfare of the disabled children suffering from various Neuro-Muscular disorders.

The Robotics club at SSK got initiated when two volunteers from school decided to enroll the students of the school to participate in the First LEGO League contest in 2007 conducted by SAP in India. From the time the students got hold of the LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit, everyone has been fascinated by the fun-filled aspects building the models and programming the robot to do tasks. Initially, everyone was apprehensive about programming, thinking that it was a complicated task. But when got introduced to the LEGO Mindstorms Programming Environment, it was a wonderful realization to students that programming could be such a simple and an enjoyable activity.

As Nivedita, a student from the school would put it, "When I was given a chance to build something of my imagination, I came up with an idea to build a super truck, which can be used for construction purpose. It took me nearly 3 or 4 days to build this rare truck. After I built it I did some basic programming using the Mindstorms NXT-G. I tested it and it worked perfectly. I was thrilled the way it worked as per my program."

The Robotics club was formed by the students from various different classes and having different capabilities and talents. The whole idea was when working as a team, each student would be able complement another one's capability.

So, we have Kartik, Avinash and Padmini in the club, who are wheelchair bound, with limited motor skills, but very good at logic, programming, research and "Theoretical Robotics". Complementing their skills and with an equally good imagination is Nivedita, Leo, Hema, Shivu and John. They engage in building the robot using the kit and programming the kit.

Leo has been a find of the club, who was able to realize his potential with the help of LEGO Kits. He was enrolled to this school only a year ago, after being diagnosed as dyslexic and unable to cope with students in the normal school.When given the LEGO kit, he was able to recognize his natural ability to architect models and build things. People wonder at his innate ability to build the robotics model quickly. Have a look at Robby the Elephant for a example, which Leo created within a day.

The robotics club and Mindstorms kit has helped the students and volunteers alike in expanding their quest for science and robotics. And winning the second prize in India level contest of FLL has greatly boosted the confidence of students. More importantly, the robotics club and NXT kit has given the students, parents, teachers and volunteers to engage themselves in an exciting activity every week, working and sharing the fun together as team.

Have a look at The Spastic Society of Karnataka's website hereThe Spastics Society of Karnataka [1] (SSK) is a school in Bangalore, India dedicated to the welfare of the disabled children suffering from various Neuro-Muscular disorders.

The Robotics club at SSK got initiated when two volunteers from school decided to enroll the students of the school to participate in the First LEGO League contest in 2007 conducted by SAP in India. From the time the students got hold of the LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit, everyone has been fascinated by the fun-filled aspects building the models and programming the robot to do tasks. Initially, everyone was apprehensive about programming, thinking that it was a complicated task. But when got introduced to the LEGO Mindstorms Programming Environment, it was a wonderful realization to students that programming could be such a simple and an enjoyable activity.

As Nivedita, a student from the school would put it, "When I was given a chance to build something of my imagination, I came up with an idea to build a super truck, which can be used for construction purpose. It took me nearly 3 or 4 days to build this rare truck. After I built it I did some basic programming using the Mindstorms NXT-G. I tested it and it worked perfectly. I was thrilled the way it worked as per my program."

The Robotics club was formed by the students from various different classes and having different capabilities and talents. The whole idea was when working as a team, each student would be able complement another one's capability.

So, we have Kartik, Avinash and Padmini in the club, who are wheelchair bound, with limited motor skills, but very good at logic, programming, research and "Theoretical Robotics". Complementing their skills and with an equally good imagination is Nivedita, Leo, Hema, Shivu and John. They engage in building the robot using the kit and programming the kit.

Leo has been a find of the club, who was able to realize his potential with the help of LEGO Kits. He was enrolled to this school only a year ago, after being diagnosed as dyslexic and unable to cope with students in the normal school.When given the LEGO kit, he was able to recognize his natural ability to architect models and build things. People wonder at his innate ability to build the robotics model quickly. Have a look at Robby the Elephant for a example, which Leo created within a day.

The robotics club and Mindstorms kit has helped the students and volunteers alike in expanding their quest for science and robotics. And winning the second prize in India level contest of FLL has greatly boosted the confidence of students. More importantly, the robotics club and NXT kit has given the students, parents, teachers and volunteers to engage themselves in an exciting activity every week, working and sharing the fun together as team.

Have a look at The Spastic Society of Karnataka's website here

New questions answered in the "Ask the NXTperts" section

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Take a look at the "Ask the NXTperts" section and see what our NXTperts are answering to interesting questions like:

How can I give the NXT servo motors more torque? What is a gear ratio?

When I tell my robot to turn 90 degrees, it does not turn 90 degrees. Why?

The section is located hereTake a look at the "Ask the NXTperts" section and see what our NXTperts are answering to interesting questions like:

How can I give the NXT servo motors more torque? What is a gear ratio?

When I tell my robot to turn 90 degrees, it does not turn 90 degrees. Why?

The section is located here

Humorous NXT vs. RCX videos poke fun at LEGO MINDSTORMS

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:00:00 GMT
MINDSTORMS is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Many remember MINDSTORMS as only being the yellow RCX brick, and some newcomers to LEGO MINDSTORMS are only familiar with the white and gray NXT.

Jake Ingman and Brandon Newendorp co-chairs of the Iowa FLL Planning Team were getting a lot of questions from teams on the differences between the RCX and NXT kits. They came up with the idea to create a series of fun videos to help educate teams on the differences between the two. These humorous videos ponder the pros and cons of each MINDSTORMS platform using Apple's ® Mac vs. PC TV ads as their muse.

"All of the video was shot in one evening in front of a green screen. Jake played RCX while I played NXT. I have to say, we have a lot of video of us making it about halfway through a scene before we start laughing! Once the video was shot, I did the effects and editing in Apple's Final Cut Pro" says Brandon.

The videos "premiered" at the Iowa FLL Championship in January 2007 and they've also had some viral popularity online. "At the last FLL World Festival a number of people recognized me as "NXT" and wanted to take a picture with me" says Brandon.

"As for a favorite kit," continues Newendorp, "it's tough to say. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both kits, which we tried to demonstrate in the videos. Both kits offer FLL teams a different set of engineering challenges to overcome. Personally, I like the more capable programming, motors and sensors of the NXT, but I'm still a fan of the traditional LEGO bricks used to build RCX robots. "We've been thinking about making another set of the videos this season, continuing the NXT vs. RCX idea. We'll see what comes out of it!"

We can't wait to see what this creative duo comes up with NXT!
To view the NXT vs. RCX videos visit the ISEK Website:

ISEK NXT vs. RCXMINDSTORMS is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Many remember MINDSTORMS as only being the yellow RCX brick, and some newcomers to LEGO MINDSTORMS are only familiar with the white and gray NXT.

Jake Ingman and Brandon Newendorp co-chairs of the Iowa FLL Planning Team were getting a lot of questions from teams on the differences between the RCX and NXT kits. They came up with the idea to create a series of fun videos to help educate teams on the differences between the two. These humorous videos ponder the pros and cons of each MINDSTORMS platform using Apple's ® Mac vs. PC TV ads as their muse.

"All of the video was shot in one evening in front of a green screen. Jake played RCX while I played NXT. I have to say, we have a lot of video of us making it about halfway through a scene before we start laughing! Once the video was shot, I did the effects and editing in Apple's Final Cut Pro" says Brandon.

The videos "premiered" at the Iowa FLL Championship in January 2007 and they've also had some viral popularity online. "At the last FLL World Festival a number of people recognized me as "NXT" and wanted to take a picture with me" says Brandon.

"As for a favorite kit," continues Newendorp, "it's tough to say. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both kits, which we tried to demonstrate in the videos. Both kits offer FLL teams a different set of engineering challenges to overcome. Personally, I like the more capable programming, motors and sensors of the NXT, but I'm still a fan of the traditional LEGO bricks used to build RCX robots. "We've been thinking about making another set of the videos this season, continuing the NXT vs. RCX idea. We'll see what comes out of it!"

We can't wait to see what this creative duo comes up with NXT!
To view the NXT vs. RCX videos visit the ISEK Website:

ISEK NXT vs. RCX

New resource for FIRST LEGO League Coaches

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:00:00 GMT
The 2008-09 FIRST LEGO League season is underway and a new resource has recently come on the market that can help rookie and experienced FLL coaches alike.

FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide co authored by James Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin (both from http://thenextstep.blogspot.com) explores over a dozen topics related to facilitating an FLL team to help run a successful FLL season.

MINDSTORMS.com recently talked to Jim and Jonathan about the book:

How did the idea for the book come about?

Jim: Jonathan and I were both hearing the same concern about the lack of training materials for FLL. Much of the information available for coaches and team members is scattered among various web sites and discussion forums and we believed a book could be used to provide a head-start for new teams and more help for veteran teams. We approached No Starch (publisher of the Idea Book that we both contributed robots to) and they were interested and helped us formulate the topics that would be covered.

Is the book really useful to both rookie and experienced teams?

Jonathan: Absolutely! We wrote this book to cover both basic and advanced material. Some of the basic material includes discussion about how the FLL competition works, how to form a new team, and other things that rookie teams or teams-to-be can benefit from. More advanced topics include fundraising and how to do well in tournament judging sessions. Our building and programming tips also range from basic to advanced.

What topics does the book cover?

Jim: We decided to use the book to cover everything from the start of the FLL season to the day after the final competition (whether local, regional, or international). Topics include a history of FIRST and FLL and how to examine the rules for each new season. We provide details on forming a team, organizing, and managing a group. A few chapters cover the basics of building and programming and we hope we've provided some solid background and theory that can be used by all teams to focus their experiments and testing. We also felt it was important to cover those aspects of competition that don't always get as much attention as the Robot competition - the Project and Presentation aspects as well as various judging roles that all competitors should understand. We end the book with some wrap-up discussion on the season and suggestions on reviewing the season and finding the high-points to celebrate - it's all about the experiences you have during the season and using what you've learned to help you not only next year but in all areas of your education.

Was it difficult writing a book with two authors not living in the same place?

Jonathan: Not really; e-mails and phone calls worked out fine for us. After deciding what material we wanted to cover in the book, we split up the chapters between us. We'd each work on our chapters mostly by ourselves. When one of us finished a chapter, the other author would review and edit it before passing it on to the publisher.

What is the book's overall goal?

Jim: We wanted to provide an A-to-Z guide for all things related to FLL. While it's impossible to include everything, our goal quickly became to make certain there was enough information in the book for a new coach or parent to register a team, organize a team, and give them a reasonable chance to compete against experienced teams - this included giving enough information on all aspects of FLL and not just the Robot Game. We also wanted to give experienced teams some possible new ways of looking at the competition and maybe some new ways to attack the missions. One of our main purposes for the book was to provide something that could be read, cover-to-cover, and give anyone a solid understanding of FLL.

Our last question is for Jonathan. How do you like being a published author at age 16?
Jonathan: It's really exciting... and a lot of work! Since we were trying to get the book out quickly in time for the next FLL season, and since we were writing most of it during the school year, it was definitely one of the busiest times of my life. It's been a great experience, though, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.The 2008-09 FIRST LEGO League season is underway and a new resource has recently come on the market that can help rookie and experienced FLL coaches alike.

FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide co authored by James Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin (both from http://thenextstep.blogspot.com) explores over a dozen topics related to facilitating an FLL team to help run a successful FLL season.

MINDSTORMS.com recently talked to Jim and Jonathan about the book:

How did the idea for the book come about?

Jim: Jonathan and I were both hearing the same concern about the lack of training materials for FLL. Much of the information available for coaches and team members is scattered among various web sites and discussion forums and we believed a book could be used to provide a head-start for new teams and more help for veteran teams. We approached No Starch (publisher of the Idea Book that we both contributed robots to) and they were interested and helped us formulate the topics that would be covered.

Is the book really useful to both rookie and experienced teams?

Jonathan: Absolutely! We wrote this book to cover both basic and advanced material. Some of the basic material includes discussion about how the FLL competition works, how to form a new team, and other things that rookie teams or teams-to-be can benefit from. More advanced topics include fundraising and how to do well in tournament judging sessions. Our building and programming tips also range from basic to advanced.

What topics does the book cover?

Jim: We decided to use the book to cover everything from the start of the FLL season to the day after the final competition (whether local, regional, or international). Topics include a history of FIRST and FLL and how to examine the rules for each new season. We provide details on forming a team, organizing, and managing a group. A few chapters cover the basics of building and programming and we hope we've provided some solid background and theory that can be used by all teams to focus their experiments and testing. We also felt it was important to cover those aspects of competition that don't always get as much attention as the Robot competition - the Project and Presentation aspects as well as various judging roles that all competitors should understand. We end the book with some wrap-up discussion on the season and suggestions on reviewing the season and finding the high-points to celebrate - it's all about the experiences you have during the season and using what you've learned to help you not only next year but in all areas of your education.

Was it difficult writing a book with two authors not living in the same place?

Jonathan: Not really; e-mails and phone calls worked out fine for us. After deciding what material we wanted to cover in the book, we split up the chapters between us. We'd each work on our chapters mostly by ourselves. When one of us finished a chapter, the other author would review and edit it before passing it on to the publisher.

What is the book's overall goal?

Jim: We wanted to provide an A-to-Z guide for all things related to FLL. While it's impossible to include everything, our goal quickly became to make certain there was enough information in the book for a new coach or parent to register a team, organize a team, and give them a reasonable chance to compete against experienced teams - this included giving enough information on all aspects of FLL and not just the Robot Game. We also wanted to give experienced teams some possible new ways of looking at the competition and maybe some new ways to attack the missions. One of our main purposes for the book was to provide something that could be read, cover-to-cover, and give anyone a solid understanding of FLL.

Our last question is for Jonathan. How do you like being a published author at age 16?
Jonathan: It's really exciting... and a lot of work! Since we were trying to get the book out quickly in time for the next FLL season, and since we were writing most of it during the school year, it was definitely one of the busiest times of my life. It's been a great experience, though, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.

MINDSTORMS NXT Cool Creature Building Challenge

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:00:00 GMT
What can be more fun than a barrel full of monkeys? A barrel full of NXT monkeys! We've had Biped, Quadruped, and even Bug Bot challenges on NXTLOG, but now we want you to have lots of fun and build the coolest creature on the planet.

"Creature" for this contest means animals of any sort. So go out and build the most creative robotic animal you can imagine. Spike can't be the only NXT creature around.

You have until Friday October 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See the Cool Creature Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.

Happy Building!
What can be more fun than a barrel full of monkeys? A barrel full of NXT monkeys! We've had Biped, Quadruped, and even Bug Bot challenges on NXTLOG, but now we want you to have lots of fun and build the coolest creature on the planet.

"Creature" for this contest means animals of any sort. So go out and build the most creative robotic animal you can imagine. Spike can't be the only NXT creature around.

You have until Friday October 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See the Cool Creature Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.

Happy Building!

The NXTLOG Summer Sports Challenge Winners are in!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:00:00 GMT
Over 90 NXTLOGgers entered the Summer Sports Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble real-life athletes in competition. We saw robotic gymnasts, boxers, ball players, runners, swimmers, and many other robots playing summer sports - but only a few can win the gold! Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200808"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
NXT Gymnast
Created by: LeoBello

The NXT Gymnast created by LeoBello is a robot that can compete in the Uneven Bars competition. There are 2 motors for the arms and 2 for the legs (but the NXT has only 3 ports so only one leg is powered). The movie that LeoBello includes with this project shows the robot performing an Uneven Bar routine with great skill and grace. We award the NXT Gymnast a 10.0! (Also see LeoBello's 2nd Summer Sports Challenge entry: NXT Basketball Player)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Equestrian Mark 2
Created by: _Dragongirl_

_Dragongirl_ entered 2 robots in the Summer Sports Challenge, and Equestrian Mark 2 is an improved version of _Dragongirl_'s first Equestrian robot design. _Dragongirl_ got some help from her dad (adimitrov) to create a robotic horse that can compete in an Equestrian competition. Her first robot had one motor and a detached NXT, while this version sports 2 motors (one is just for show), an onboard NXT, and a creative use of wire as a "bridle." A video of the robot in action shows that this horse can gallop! We appreciate _Dragongirl_'s detailed NXTLOG documentation and dedication in improving her robot. _Dragongirl_ wins the gold in Robot Design!

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
100 meters, The Ultimate Race
Created by: NeXTSTORM

Under the bright light of the Olympic flame, the greatest runners of the world are ready for a drag race from the gun shot to the tape. NeXTSTORM designed the "Ultimate Race" where one NXT powers a number of minifig runners racing down a LEGO track in a LEGO stadium powered by intelligent programming so you never know who is going to win! The "Ultimate Race" ends with a fiesta of great LEGO fireworks bursting in sky. For NeXTSTORM's awesome design and programming, the "Ultimate Race" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Dexter does the Olympics.
Created by: STARMAN71

STARMAN71 uses NXTLOG in a creative way by repurposing a robot previously submitted for the Biped Challenge. This biped, "Dexter," is desgned to enter the Power Walking competition. Power Walking is a fast walk over great distances where the walker has to have one foot on the floor at all times, a task that Dexter does very well. STARMAN71 made Dexter walk faster by changing the gears in the legs and altering the program. STARMAN71 also uses a Power Point presentation to count down the starting sequence for Dexter to "Go." (STARMAN71 has 5 projects on NXTLOG and 3 projects entered in the Summer Sports Challenge.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Kayaker-Bot
Created by: Geo526468

John the Gymnast
Created by: STARMAN71

swimmer
Created by: artificialintelligence

Baskebot
Created by: alemaster123

swimming robot
Created by: dragonk1997

Rapier 2.0 "CHARGE!"
Created by: bry5

JudgeBot
Created by: abcde13

The Brickbusters(with the boxing bot)
Created by: RrangerRick
Over 90 NXTLOGgers entered the Summer Sports Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble real-life athletes in competition. We saw robotic gymnasts, boxers, ball players, runners, swimmers, and many other robots playing summer sports - but only a few can win the gold! Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200808"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
NXT Gymnast
Created by: LeoBello

The NXT Gymnast created by LeoBello is a robot that can compete in the Uneven Bars competition. There are 2 motors for the arms and 2 for the legs (but the NXT has only 3 ports so only one leg is powered). The movie that LeoBello includes with this project shows the robot performing an Uneven Bar routine with great skill and grace. We award the NXT Gymnast a 10.0! (Also see LeoBello's 2nd Summer Sports Challenge entry: NXT Basketball Player)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Equestrian Mark 2
Created by: _Dragongirl_

_Dragongirl_ entered 2 robots in the Summer Sports Challenge, and Equestrian Mark 2 is an improved version of _Dragongirl_'s first Equestrian robot design. _Dragongirl_ got some help from her dad (adimitrov) to create a robotic horse that can compete in an Equestrian competition. Her first robot had one motor and a detached NXT, while this version sports 2 motors (one is just for show), an onboard NXT, and a creative use of wire as a "bridle." A video of the robot in action shows that this horse can gallop! We appreciate _Dragongirl_'s detailed NXTLOG documentation and dedication in improving her robot. _Dragongirl_ wins the gold in Robot Design!

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
100 meters, The Ultimate Race
Created by: NeXTSTORM

Under the bright light of the Olympic flame, the greatest runners of the world are ready for a drag race from the gun shot to the tape. NeXTSTORM designed the "Ultimate Race" where one NXT powers a number of minifig runners racing down a LEGO track in a LEGO stadium powered by intelligent programming so you never know who is going to win! The "Ultimate Race" ends with a fiesta of great LEGO fireworks bursting in sky. For NeXTSTORM's awesome design and programming, the "Ultimate Race" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Dexter does the Olympics.
Created by: STARMAN71

STARMAN71 uses NXTLOG in a creative way by repurposing a robot previously submitted for the Biped Challenge. This biped, "Dexter," is desgned to enter the Power Walking competition. Power Walking is a fast walk over great distances where the walker has to have one foot on the floor at all times, a task that Dexter does very well. STARMAN71 made Dexter walk faster by changing the gears in the legs and altering the program. STARMAN71 also uses a Power Point presentation to count down the starting sequence for Dexter to "Go." (STARMAN71 has 5 projects on NXTLOG and 3 projects entered in the Summer Sports Challenge.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Kayaker-Bot
Created by: Geo526468

John the Gymnast
Created by: STARMAN71

swimmer
Created by: artificialintelligence

Baskebot
Created by: alemaster123

swimming robot
Created by: dragonk1997

Rapier 2.0 "CHARGE!"
Created by: bry5

JudgeBot
Created by: abcde13

The Brickbusters(with the boxing bot)
Created by: RrangerRick

MINDSTORMS NXT and yellow marshmallow treats in near space?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:00:00 GMT
What happens when you send yellow marshmallow treats into near space? And what would happen when they land in the hot Nevada desert? That’s what some 4th grade students from Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA wished to investigate as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) project last week in Reno, Nevada.

Under the leadership of Shady Hill science teachers Barbara Bratzel and Jeanne McDermott as well as Chris Rogers and Susan Tse from Tufts University, the 4th grade students used the yellow marshmallows to measure temperature and pressure during the mission.

“We ran some tests on Earth with the students--putting the yellow marshmallow treats in a small vacuum chamber, a freezer, and a solar oven--to simulate the conditions they would be exposed to in space and after landing. The kids then made sketches and wrote predictions of what they thought the yellow marshmallow treats would look like when they returned,” says Bratzel.

The students’ payload carried an off the shelf pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, as well as a "marshmallow-o-meter" where a yellow marshmallow is anchored in a LEGO cage with a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor to measure its expansion. The "marshmallow-o-meter" was designed and built by high school student and Shady Hill School alumni Eric Mukherjee. A NXT brick was also used to record the data. The payload was contained in a styrofoam container for insulation and cushioning.

The yellow marshmallows traveled up to 99,570 feet last Tuesday before being recovered in the Nevada desert. The NXT and marshmallow payload is now on its way (via snail mail) back to the students at Shady Hill School. The fourth graders (who will now be fifth graders) will examine the temperature and pressure data and present their findings to their school.

The students are curious to see what happens to their treats. Some students think that the marshmallows will swell up when the pressure is low but shrink back to their original size upon returning to Earth. Some of the students think that they will become wrinkled or that some of the yellow sugar will fall off. Some students think (hope!) that the marshmallows will explode when the pressure is very low.

The students aren’t going to eat any of the yellow marshmallow treats that went into space when they are returned to them, but they enjoyed eating them during their experimentation before the H.A.L.E. launch!

You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/What happens when you send yellow marshmallow treats into near space? And what would happen when they land in the hot Nevada desert? That’s what some 4th grade students from Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA wished to investigate as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) project last week in Reno, Nevada.

Under the leadership of Shady Hill science teachers Barbara Bratzel and Jeanne McDermott as well as Chris Rogers and Susan Tse from Tufts University, the 4th grade students used the yellow marshmallows to measure temperature and pressure during the mission.

“We ran some tests on Earth with the students--putting the yellow marshmallow treats in a small vacuum chamber, a freezer, and a solar oven--to simulate the conditions they would be exposed to in space and after landing. The kids then made sketches and wrote predictions of what they thought the yellow marshmallow treats would look like when they returned,” says Bratzel.

The students’ payload carried an off the shelf pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, as well as a "marshmallow-o-meter" where a yellow marshmallow is anchored in a LEGO cage with a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor to measure its expansion. The "marshmallow-o-meter" was designed and built by high school student and Shady Hill School alumni Eric Mukherjee. A NXT brick was also used to record the data. The payload was contained in a styrofoam container for insulation and cushioning.

The yellow marshmallows traveled up to 99,570 feet last Tuesday before being recovered in the Nevada desert. The NXT and marshmallow payload is now on its way (via snail mail) back to the students at Shady Hill School. The fourth graders (who will now be fifth graders) will examine the temperature and pressure data and present their findings to their school.

The students are curious to see what happens to their treats. Some students think that the marshmallows will swell up when the pressure is low but shrink back to their original size upon returning to Earth. Some of the students think that they will become wrinkled or that some of the yellow sugar will fall off. Some students think (hope!) that the marshmallows will explode when the pressure is very low.

The students aren’t going to eat any of the yellow marshmallow treats that went into space when they are returned to them, but they enjoyed eating them during their experimentation before the H.A.L.E. launch!

You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/

Winners of the LEGO Club Magazine MINDSTORMS drawing contest

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:00:00 GMT
This year it is 10 years ago LEGO MINDSTORMS was first launched, so we want to celebrate the anniversary. As part of the celebration we have run a drawing competition in the March issue of LEGO Club Magazine: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT “Visions of the Future”, where you should draw your MINDSTORMS robot of the future - how would LEGO robots look like in the future?

We have received well over 3000 fantastic drawings from users from age 6 to early 20's, so it has been very hard to choose the 10 winners! Thanks to all of you who entered a drawing for this contest.

Here are the lucky ones who will receive a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set (#8527).

Congratulations, winners, and thank you for your drawings of future LEGO MINDSTORMS robots!!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

Note: all winners will be notified by regular US mail.
This year it is 10 years ago LEGO MINDSTORMS was first launched, so we want to celebrate the anniversary. As part of the celebration we have run a drawing competition in the March issue of LEGO Club Magazine: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT “Visions of the Future”, where you should draw your MINDSTORMS robot of the future - how would LEGO robots look like in the future?

We have received well over 3000 fantastic drawings from users from age 6 to early 20's, so it has been very hard to choose the 10 winners! Thanks to all of you who entered a drawing for this contest.

Here are the lucky ones who will receive a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set (#8527).

Congratulations, winners, and thank you for your drawings of future LEGO MINDSTORMS robots!!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

Note: all winners will be notified by regular US mail.

Winners of the LEGO Club Magazine MINDSTORMS drawing contest (#6 to #10)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:00:00 GMT
Here are #6 to #10.

A big congratulations!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

Here are #6 to #10.

A big congratulations!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

A NXT controlled digital camera and the longest NXT freefall are launched from the stratosphere!

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:00:00 GMT
At 5:57 am Pacific Time today in the desert outside of Reno Navada, USA, MINDSTORMS robots were launched from a weather balloon into the stratosphere (up to 30KM) as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.).

Two of the payloads launched were designed by MINDSTORMS Community Partner, Brian Davis. We got a chance to interview him about his robots and this historic event.

How did you get involved with the H.A.L.E. project?

I actually noticed the University of Nevada at Reno balloon missions long before the project was kicked off, and started planning and dreaming of doing a mission like this with the materials I had at hand (namely, LEGO). When the H.A.L.E. opportunity was presented, I jumped at the chance, submitting two payloads to improve my chances of being accepted. To my surprise, both were approved, so I set to work on two very different projects.

Why are you interested in High Altitude LEGO?

Well, since MINDSTORS NXT came along with it's stronger construction and stronger motors, I've been much more interested in outdoor, "all terrain" robots. I built LNE/PackBot as a high-mobility "supertank" for running around in my house and yard (it also handles small steps, curbs, and rough snowfields). I then went on to construct Serenity, a robotic boat. Both of these are "pure LEGO", and I'd yet to make a robot for the air, so... High Altitude LEGO seemed like the next obvious step.

Even more exciting to me is the fact that these robots have to work right the first time, and handle things I don't know about. In the language of space missions, they must be "fault tolerant", and handle all their own decisions, under conditions where there is no possibility of help. These are not robots I can help out of the corner when they get stuck... and that challenge really got my interest.

Is it safe to send LEGO MINDSTORMS into the stratosphere?

Perfectly safe... but I'm having trouble convincing the minifigs that will ride along of that :). Seriously, the NXT can function under the near vacuum conditions, and will function at low temperature (although the payloads do have insulation and heaters to try to keep them warmer than the -60° C temperatures outside). So for the NXT, conditions aren't a major problem.

However, both my payloads have an additional element of risk. Gypsy's primary support is from two large LEGO turntables and studless beams. If those pull apart, or become brittle in the bitter cold and shatter, the payload could fall... and that's a loooong fall! So it will have a "back up tether", a string that should support it if those turntable supports fail. For Lil' Joe the risk is even greater: if anything goes wrong, it will hit the desert floor at something like 300 mph (around 500 kph). So it has been tested a lot... but there's still some risk.

How are you sending your robots into the stratosphere?

The robots are held on a string that hangs below a balloon. Just like you could attach a minifig to the string of a small helium balloon, the HALE mission uses the same idea. Instead of a small party balloon, it uses a very large weather balloon that can lift many pounds. And instead of a minifig or two, the HALE mission will carry half a dozen payloads in addition to GPS and radio equipment. This "infrastructure" (the stuff you need to support the mission) is being provided by the folks at the University of Nevada at Reno, who have experience in this sort of thing.

One of your projects, "Lil' Joe" involves the longest NXT free-fall. How long is the free-fall? Aren't you afraid that you'll risk breaking your NXT?

Lil' Joe is named after Col. Joseph Kittinger who was instrumental in the early days of upper atmosphere exploration as part of Project Excelsior. He is best known for a world record jump from a balloon above 100,000 feet... which in a very small, experimental way I was curious if I could replicate with a LEGO robot. The payload will hang below the main payload string, to be released at high altitude without a deployed parachute (in other words, in free fall). After a short time (nothing like Col. Kittinger's 14 minute free-fall, more along the lines of a 20 to 40 second free-fall) it will try to deploy its own internal parachute, HOPEFULLY descending on it's own. It will contain its own satellite location system, and the parachute & cords are not LEGO... but everything else, from the computer controlling the mission to the motor releasing the parachute to the software running on the NXT and the sensor detecting free-fall will all be "stock LEGO".

The length of the free-fall is actually left up to the robot - it estimates how high it is upon release, and makes a very conservative estimate of the maximum safe free-fall time. Since there are so many unknowns on this, I'm not trying to set a really impressive, multi-minute free-fall record (although I suspect this payload could). First make sure it works, then maybe the next time make it work better. While all this is going on, Lil' Joe will also be logging the accelerations experienced by the payload just before, during, and after the free-fall portion of the mission, to better understand what is happening to a payload under these conditions.

Your second project, the "Gypsy (a.k.a. Nadar 2.0)," will take video and pictures. Why are you taking pictures?

Gypsy is an improved version of a project I put up on NXTlog named "Nadar". The goal with Gypsy (named after a robot from the TV show "Mystery Science Theater 3000") is to automate an off-the-shelf digital camera to take both still images as well as video. This way I could get a pre-programmed variety of images and movies during the mission, instead of the typical "one picture every 30 seconds" technique that is commonly employed on balloon missions like these.

Additionally, I wanted to be able to control the cameras' pitch (how far up or down it is pointed) to get images up and down the payload string as well as towards the horizon. Gypsy will be following a complex "script" of commands during the mission ("take 10 photos, tilt to look straight down, take four photos, take 40 seconds of video", etc.), and in addition to controlling the camera, will by logging more than 10 different environmental variables (sound, pressure, light, temperatures, etc.) at intervals of a few seconds, storing these using a "data compression" technique to fit as much as possible into the NXT's memory. If this sounds complicated it is, but when it's all done the program is surprisingly small - about 17k in the NXT. NXT-G can churn out some amazingly compact efficient code if you work with its strengths (My Blocks and wires).

What are you hoping to accomplish at the end of this event?

Primarily, showing that a nearly "pure LEGO" robot can do some very impressive stuff in such a hostile environment. Personally I love the challenge of trying something new, and these two payloads have pushed my understanding and use of the NXT, electronics, and NXT-G much further. There may be better ways to do everything I'm trying to accomplish... but doing it with LEGO allows single individuals or small groups to do this sort of thing at a fairly high level for very low cost.

You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/At 5:57 am Pacific Time today in the desert outside of Reno Navada, USA, MINDSTORMS robots were launched from a weather balloon into the stratosphere (up to 30KM) as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.).

Two of the payloads launched were designed by MINDSTORMS Community Partner, Brian Davis. We got a chance to interview him about his robots and this historic event.

How did you get involved with the H.A.L.E. project?

I actually noticed the University of Nevada at Reno balloon missions long before the project was kicked off, and started planning and dreaming of doing a mission like this with the materials I had at hand (namely, LEGO). When the H.A.L.E. opportunity was presented, I jumped at the chance, submitting two payloads to improve my chances of being accepted. To my surprise, both were approved, so I set to work on two very different projects.

Why are you interested in High Altitude LEGO?

Well, since MINDSTORS NXT came along with it's stronger construction and stronger motors, I've been much more interested in outdoor, "all terrain" robots. I built LNE/PackBot as a high-mobility "supertank" for running around in my house and yard (it also handles small steps, curbs, and rough snowfields). I then went on to construct Serenity, a robotic boat. Both of these are "pure LEGO", and I'd yet to make a robot for the air, so... High Altitude LEGO seemed like the next obvious step.

Even more exciting to me is the fact that these robots have to work right the first time, and handle things I don't know about. In the language of space missions, they must be "fault tolerant", and handle all their own decisions, under conditions where there is no possibility of help. These are not robots I can help out of the corner when they get stuck... and that challenge really got my interest.

Is it safe to send LEGO MINDSTORMS into the stratosphere?

Perfectly safe... but I'm having trouble convincing the minifigs that will ride along of that :). Seriously, the NXT can function under the near vacuum conditions, and will function at low temperature (although the payloads do have insulation and heaters to try to keep them warmer than the -60° C temperatures outside). So for the NXT, conditions aren't a major problem.

However, both my payloads have an additional element of risk. Gypsy's primary support is from two large LEGO turntables and studless beams. If those pull apart, or become brittle in the bitter cold and shatter, the payload could fall... and that's a loooong fall! So it will have a "back up tether", a string that should support it if those turntable supports fail. For Lil' Joe the risk is even greater: if anything goes wrong, it will hit the desert floor at something like 300 mph (around 500 kph). So it has been tested a lot... but there's still some risk.

How are you sending your robots into the stratosphere?

The robots are held on a string that hangs below a balloon. Just like you could attach a minifig to the string of a small helium balloon, the HALE mission uses the same idea. Instead of a small party balloon, it uses a very large weather balloon that can lift many pounds. And instead of a minifig or two, the HALE mission will carry half a dozen payloads in addition to GPS and radio equipment. This "infrastructure" (the stuff you need to support the mission) is being provided by the folks at the University of Nevada at Reno, who have experience in this sort of thing.

One of your projects, "Lil' Joe" involves the longest NXT free-fall. How long is the free-fall? Aren't you afraid that you'll risk breaking your NXT?

Lil' Joe is named after Col. Joseph Kittinger who was instrumental in the early days of upper atmosphere exploration as part of Project Excelsior. He is best known for a world record jump from a balloon above 100,000 feet... which in a very small, experimental way I was curious if I could replicate with a LEGO robot. The payload will hang below the main payload string, to be released at high altitude without a deployed parachute (in other words, in free fall). After a short time (nothing like Col. Kittinger's 14 minute free-fall, more along the lines of a 20 to 40 second free-fall) it will try to deploy its own internal parachute, HOPEFULLY descending on it's own. It will contain its own satellite location system, and the parachute & cords are not LEGO... but everything else, from the computer controlling the mission to the motor releasing the parachute to the software running on the NXT and the sensor detecting free-fall will all be "stock LEGO".

The length of the free-fall is actually left up to the robot - it estimates how high it is upon release, and makes a very conservative estimate of the maximum safe free-fall time. Since there are so many unknowns on this, I'm not trying to set a really impressive, multi-minute free-fall record (although I suspect this payload could). First make sure it works, then maybe the next time make it work better. While all this is going on, Lil' Joe will also be logging the accelerations experienced by the payload just before, during, and after the free-fall portion of the mission, to better understand what is happening to a payload under these conditions.

Your second project, the "Gypsy (a.k.a. Nadar 2.0)," will take video and pictures. Why are you taking pictures?

Gypsy is an improved version of a project I put up on NXTlog named "Nadar". The goal with Gypsy (named after a robot from the TV show "Mystery Science Theater 3000") is to automate an off-the-shelf digital camera to take both still images as well as video. This way I could get a pre-programmed variety of images and movies during the mission, instead of the typical "one picture every 30 seconds" technique that is commonly employed on balloon missions like these.

Additionally, I wanted to be able to control the cameras' pitch (how far up or down it is pointed) to get images up and down the payload string as well as towards the horizon. Gypsy will be following a complex "script" of commands during the mission ("take 10 photos, tilt to look straight down, take four photos, take 40 seconds of video", etc.), and in addition to controlling the camera, will by logging more than 10 different environmental variables (sound, pressure, light, temperatures, etc.) at intervals of a few seconds, storing these using a "data compression" technique to fit as much as possible into the NXT's memory. If this sounds complicated it is, but when it's all done the program is surprisingly small - about 17k in the NXT. NXT-G can churn out some amazingly compact efficient code if you work with its strengths (My Blocks and wires).

What are you hoping to accomplish at the end of this event?

Primarily, showing that a nearly "pure LEGO" robot can do some very impressive stuff in such a hostile environment. Personally I love the challenge of trying something new, and these two payloads have pushed my understanding and use of the NXT, electronics, and NXT-G much further. There may be better ways to do everything I'm trying to accomplish... but doing it with LEGO allows single individuals or small groups to do this sort of thing at a fairly high level for very low cost.

You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/

High Altitude LEGO® Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) Commemorates 10 Year Anniversary of LEGO MINDSTORMS® by Launching Robotic Experiments to Near Space

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:00:00 GMT
College professors, middle school students and robotics hobbyists will unite shortly after sunrise tomorrow, July 29, 2008, to launch several MINDSTORMS robots into the Earth’s stratosphere to collect data, explore conditional effects of the Earth's atmosphere, and to set a world record as part of the High Altitude LEGO® Extravaganza.

Joining The LEGO Group to support the science experiment are Nevada Space Grant, the University of Nevada-Reno, Energizer and National Instruments to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the LEGO MINDSTORMS® robotics platform.

The MINDSTORMS robots will be launched from a desert location 30 miles outside of Reno, Nevada, USA into near space on an atmospheric weather balloon that will reach an altitude of more than 100,000 feet (30km). At that altitude the robots will be above 99.9% of the atmosphere. The payloads will be exposed to extreme cold and radiation of near space. The sky looks black and the curvature of the Earth is evident.

Once the weather balloon reaches maximum altitude, it will burst and the robots will parachute back down to the Earth individually or as a group depending on the robot’s desired experiment. Two weather balloons will be deployed to carry the payloads of the robots.

Brian Davis, a part-time professor at Indiana University, contributed two of his custom NXT robots to the experiment. The first, Gypsy (called Nadar 1.0 on NXTLOG), has been programmed to automate a digital camera to take both still and video images while in the balloon. His second robot, Lil' Joe, will attempt a world record for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall; the robot will detach from the balloon at maximum altitude and fall until a pre-programmed parachute is deployed.

“I love building LEGO mechanisms because the inherent limitations and versatility of the medium offer unique design challenges,” said Davis. “Additionally, since LEGO bricks are infinitely reusable, I can build and test prototypes much faster than I could in other mediums. I’m excited to take my experiments to a new level; I’ve never tried to build a robot that could function under these conditions and function right the very first time. 100,000 feet above ground is no place for a mistake.”

Children are also getting involved in H.A.L.E. FIRST LEGO League Team 90 from Virginia is getting a head start on this year’s annual challenge, “Climate Connections”, by sending up a robot they created that has been programmed to measure and log Ultraviolet radiation as a function of altitude while on board the weather balloon.

“I am confident that the team will learn something about Earth science and Global Warming through this program,” said David Levy, coach of the team. “We are treating our participation as a FIRST LEGO League research project for the upcoming season’s challenge, so I expect that the team will learn how to seek out the advice of experts in the field, come up with their own solutions through experimentation, document their work and have lots of fun in the process.”

Other robots will seek to collect data in relation to ozone concentration, the impact of varying temperatures and air pressure on objects, particles in the air, impact of flight conditions and varying g-forces as a function of altitude.

Energizer provided H.A.L.E. participants with long-lasting Energizer® Lithium AA batteries, which are 33 percent lighter than ordinary alkaline batteries and perform in extreme temperatures from -40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 60 degrees C), which are ideal for the conditions the robots are anticipated to experience on the balloon.

You can learn more about the individual H.A.L.E. missions as well as learn how you can track the event live tomorrow by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/College professors, middle school students and robotics hobbyists will unite shortly after sunrise tomorrow, July 29, 2008, to launch several MINDSTORMS robots into the Earth’s stratosphere to collect data, explore conditional effects of the Earth's atmosphere, and to set a world record as part of the High Altitude LEGO® Extravaganza.

Joining The LEGO Group to support the science experiment are Nevada Space Grant, the University of Nevada-Reno, Energizer and National Instruments to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the LEGO MINDSTORMS® robotics platform.

The MINDSTORMS robots will be launched from a desert location 30 miles outside of Reno, Nevada, USA into near space on an atmospheric weather balloon that will reach an altitude of more than 100,000 feet (30km). At that altitude the robots will be above 99.9% of the atmosphere. The payloads will be exposed to extreme cold and radiation of near space. The sky looks black and the curvature of the Earth is evident.

Once the weather balloon reaches maximum altitude, it will burst and the robots will parachute back down to the Earth individually or as a group depending on the robot’s desired experiment. Two weather balloons will be deployed to carry the payloads of the robots.

Brian Davis, a part-time professor at Indiana University, contributed two of his custom NXT robots to the experiment. The first, Gypsy (called Nadar 1.0 on NXTLOG), has been programmed to automate a digital camera to take both still and video images while in the balloon. His second robot, Lil' Joe, will attempt a world record for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall; the robot will detach from the balloon at maximum altitude and fall until a pre-programmed parachute is deployed.

“I love building LEGO mechanisms because the inherent limitations and versatility of the medium offer unique design challenges,” said Davis. “Additionally, since LEGO bricks are infinitely reusable, I can build and test prototypes much faster than I could in other mediums. I’m excited to take my experiments to a new level; I’ve never tried to build a robot that could function under these conditions and function right the very first time. 100,000 feet above ground is no place for a mistake.”

Children are also getting involved in H.A.L.E. FIRST LEGO League Team 90 from Virginia is getting a head start on this year’s annual challenge, “Climate Connections”, by sending up a robot they created that has been programmed to measure and log Ultraviolet radiation as a function of altitude while on board the weather balloon.

“I am confident that the team will learn something about Earth science and Global Warming through this program,” said David Levy, coach of the team. “We are treating our participation as a FIRST LEGO League research project for the upcoming season’s challenge, so I expect that the team will learn how to seek out the advice of experts in the field, come up with their own solutions through experimentation, document their work and have lots of fun in the process.”

Other robots will seek to collect data in relation to ozone concentration, the impact of varying temperatures and air pressure on objects, particles in the air, impact of flight conditions and varying g-forces as a function of altitude.

Energizer provided H.A.L.E. participants with long-lasting Energizer® Lithium AA batteries, which are 33 percent lighter than ordinary alkaline batteries and perform in extreme temperatures from -40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 60 degrees C), which are ideal for the conditions the robots are anticipated to experience on the balloon.

You can learn more about the individual H.A.L.E. missions as well as learn how you can track the event live tomorrow by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/

MINDSTORMS NXT Summer Sports Building Challenge

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:00:00 GMT
This is a summer where the whole world is busy with sports activities. We want to challenge you to create a robot that can compete in a sports discipline.

You have until Sunday August 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See the Summer Sports Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.

Good luck and go for the Gold!This is a summer where the whole world is busy with sports activities. We want to challenge you to create a robot that can compete in a sports discipline.

You have until Sunday August 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See the Summer Sports Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.

Good luck and go for the Gold!