Lego Mindstorms NXT
27 OCT 2006
Launch price
£170.00
Stuff says
Hours of pleasure guaranteed. Lego keep on pushing the boundaries and Mindstorms leads the way.
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Stuff.tv hot buy
After what seems like a lifetime of anticipation, Lego has finally launched its Mindstorms NXT robot kit – and once again it's hit the mark.
Intelligent brick what?
The core of the system is the 'intelligent brick': basically a small computer with inputs for the touch, sound, light and ultrasonic sensors, and outputs for the three servo motors.
The Mindstorms software, compatible with both PC and Mac, has 18 building and programming challenges, ranging in difficulty from a simple three-wheeled driving robot up to a full bipedal robot.
The 30-minute claim
Lego's claim that you'll have your first robot in action after 30 minutes is entirely accurate, even though all it will do is drive, turn around and return to its starting position – to hoots of derision from any spectators. Get to grips with the drag-and-drop programming software, however, and their laughter will be silenced.
From seemingly simplistic beginnings – move, wait, make sound – there are incredibly precise modifiers and adjustments to make. The motors, for example, are accurate to one degree of rotation. Programs are downloaded to the brain by USB or Bluetooth.