The LEGO Mindstorms NXT lets you envision, build and program your own robot. However that's not all.
As you become more experienced, you'll discover to go far beyond the user's guide, and as is the nature of Lego, you can brush off all the rules and go on to produce whatsoever you wish. With time your robots will go more sophisticated both in the way they look, and in the way they act - the things they can do. Some of the abilities will easily shock and astonish you.
You probably will not go on to make the next Robocop or iRobot, but with all the unlimited things you can do with the LEGO Mindstorms NXT, you'll be interested and delighted for a lifetime. It's kind of like that old classic Lego set that you might still have stored away. It's always good fun when you take it back out and see what new things you can construct. The Mindstorms set will have a similar effect, but better - you'll never put it away in the basement or cellar, it will always be kept where you can see it - ready to be picked off and played with again and again..
It's a hefty cost tag for a Christmas present, however as a present you can go on using again and again into your old age, the Lego Mindstorms NXT completely lives up to the price tag.
Who Should You Get The Mindstorms NXT 8547 Set For
The Mindstorms set is good for anyone old enough to not swallow the parts and able to understand the basic functions of a computer. Making your first robot is easy when you follow the easy instructions in the guide book.
And ofcourse, anyone hearing the world 'programming' probably thinks it's going to be complex, but it can be as easy as just a few clicks of the mouse on your computer.
Those who are younger can discover numerous ways to have fun with their robots, whereas the die-hard robotics fan can indulge himself in interlocking programs that can play naughts and crosses and even solve a Rubik's cube.
What Does The LegoMindstorms Come With??
The Legos Mindstorm NXT comes with a total of six hundred and nineteen pieces. These include an assortment of connectors, wheels, rods, beams and sensors.
Underlying Constructing Units
Mindstorms has a different look from LEGO, due to its basic unit being a beam instead of the usual LEGO brick, producing a Meccano look. But unlike Meccano, you can simply snap the pieces together without having to use any tools.
Due to a huge number of pieces that look almost identical, you'll perhaps be looking around at lot at first trying to find for the right unit. But after a little experience you'll almost intuitively know what you're looking for.
Motors x3
The motors are what make your robot move.
The Sensory Units
The sensory unit s are like the eyes and ears of the robot. The Mindstorms NXT 2.0 comes with
1. A sensor that detects light, which gives your robot the ability to see different shades of light and even detect colors.
2. A sensor for kinesthetic input, that enables your robot to 'feel.' No I'm not talking about emotions, but rather about touch. Your robot can be triggered to carry out a programmed action when you or something/someone else touches it..
3. An audio sensor that is the 'ear' of the robot, allowing it to 'hear' different sounds.
4. An ultrasound sensory unit that makes use of echo-location, so your robot can determine how far away it is from an object such as a wall.
The NXT Intelligent Brick
This is your robot's core, a tiny computer that processes data from the 4 different sensors and according to the programming you give it, orchestrates compound movements in your robots by controlling the 3 servo motors, whether this is through the robot proceeding forward, driving about on its wheels, streaming water/drinks into a mug.... the list goes on.
User Guide
Despite Mindstorms seeming so complex when you haven't tried it, the Instruction Guidebook is brilliantly simple, with one-step-at-a-time instructions on how to make a shooter bot, robotic alligator, color sorting machine and a walking man-like robot as featured on the box.
When you've mastered these four models, you can then go on to experiment with innovative machines of your own choosing. You can also buy separate guides (yes, whole guides published just on the LEGO Mindstorms NXT ) that demonstrate how to build more complicated robots with far superior programming.
Be warned though, you may face some frustration from not having enough pieces to build absolutely anything you want. Fortunately the Lego Technique range uses the same series of beams, and you can always get a Lego Technique set if you need the parts. Lego was designed to fit together.
