Lego Mindstorms
NXT
A Review
and History of the Next Generation of Robotics,
NXT
Released by Lego in July of 2006, the Mindstorms
NXT is simple enough for a ten year old child to
build a robot in 30 minutes. The robot continues to challenge
minds enough to be an educational toy your child will never
outgrow. The current version of the Lego Mindstorms NXT is a
programmable robotics kit which replaced the first-generation
LEGO Mindstorms kit. 
The NXT "brick" is the "brain" of a Mindstorms
robot. This computer-controlled Lego brick lets the
robot autonomously perform different operations.
LEGO Mindstorms is a line of Lego sets
combining programmable "bricks" with electronic motors,
sensors, and lego technic pieces such as gears, axles and
beams.
Mindstorms originated from the
programmable sensor blocks used in the line of educational
toys. The first retail version of Lego Mindstorms was released
in 1998 and marketed commercially as the Robotics Invention
System (RIS). The hardware and software roots of the Mindstorms
Robotics Invention System kit go back to the programmable brick
created at the MIT Media lab. This brick was programmed in
Brick Logo.
Mindstorms kits are also sold as an educational tool,
originally through a partnership between Lego and the the MIT
Library. The educational version of the products is called
Lego Mindstorms for Schools, and comes with programming
software developed at Tufts University. Mindstorms is named
after the book Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful
Ideas by Seymour Papert.
Lego
Mindstorms NXT Community
There is a strong community of professionals and hobbyists
of all ages involved in the sharing of designs, programming
techniques, and other ideas associated with Lego Mindstorms NXT
robots.
Lego encourages community by holding various contests and
events.
Hobbyists such as Steve have
stretched the 1998 technology further than anyone thought
possible, creating a robot that can actually play Connect Four
and WIN 95% of the time! Kids love it. Watch one of the Connect
Four NXT Robot
Videos here.
"Steve's love for the new
Mindstorms NXT is infectious enough that we had to take a look
at the new system, so we hauled a system into the lab for
inspection. Thirty minutes later, surrounded by a scatter of
bricks and instruction booklets, a baby ArsBot rolled off the
assembly line and into our hearts. We were
hooked."
Check out the blog
review here.
Although simple enough for a ten year old child to build a
robot in 30 minutes, do not underestimate the powerful
attraction of the NXT. This is an electronic toy for kids your
child will never outgrow.
Click here to learn more
Mindstorm in the News:
Business Week, Sept 07: Invasion of the
DIY Robots
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