LEGO Mindstorms page

What is it ?

Now here's a great toy for grown ups ! The RCX Lego brick, developed at the M.I.T., contains a sophisticated micro-computer which can be programmed using your PC. You can then add sensors and motors to it, constructing a robot which will react with "intelligence" to the sensor inputs it receives. You can make walking robots, robots which guard against intrusion, robots which follow a path, robots which will go outside and measure the temperature and then come back in to tell you....and someone has even made a photocopier !

Programming

This is the best bit. You can use RCX code provided with the Robotics Invention System 1.5, or you can use some third party language to program your brick. I use pbForth, and Visual Basic 6.0 ( working model ) with the spirit.ocx active control extensions to program it. There are other languages, namely NQC ( Not Quite C ), but these two are hugely exciting to start off with. Any Win95 or Win98 PC with a small serial port free will do. You can get "free" Visual Basic working Models with books, and one such book which I have is "Learn Visual Basic 6.0 Now" by Michael Halvorson, published by Microsoft Press. It's a great step by step guide to help you learn Visual Basic ( there's quite a high learning curve for this "visual" version of the BASIC programming language ). pbForth can be downloaded free from the net, though you need to know something about the Forth programming language. However, you can always start from scratch.

Mindstorm Sets

The "Robotics Invention System 1.5" is the first one to get. Then I'd say get an additional motor with the "Advanced Power Pack" and the "Dark Side Development Set". Then "Vision Command" and the "Extreme Creatures" sets, followed by the "Droid Development Set". I also have the "Exploration Mars" set, and if you want more technic parts get something awesome like the "Silver Champion". Technics is the new Lego, also compatible with the older Lego, but stronger and more suited for mechanical constructions that use gears and pulleys.

Links

There are thousands of Mindstorm sites which will introduce you to Lego robotics. Just remember that you are not dealing with the average toy here... these sets are used by micro-engineering students in Universities and Colleges, and when pushed to their limits, one can build some amazing robots and machinery. In Japan, Sato has made quite a few awesome inventions, and you can even download some of his building instructions. I recommend following some instructions on building a few models that come with the sets you buy. When you have an idea of how the new technic parts fit together, and how to achieve useful gearing ratios, then throw the manuals away...and follow your imagination ! There are some nice books on Lego Robotics ; try searching Amazon. Good Luck !

 

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Last modified: December 28, 2000