The LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0lets you visualize, construct and program your own robot. But there's more..
It's not just about making a machine and making it do things, but about constructing more and more advanced machines that get more and more intelligent as you learn some advanced programming. You won't exactly cause the first robotics revolution with your Mindstorms NXT 2.0 robots taking over the universe, but with all the things you can do with it, you'll never get bored.
It IS kind of expensive for a Christmas gift, but for a gift you can go on using evermore, the LegoMindstorms is surely worth it.
Who Should You Get The LEGO Mindstorms NXT 8547 Set For
Mindstorms caters for all users above the age of ten. The instruction manual is so easy to follow, you'll be up and ready with your first robot within one hour.
Ofcourse, anyone hearing the world 'programming' is likely to think it's going to be perplexing, but it's surprisingly easy when you actually acquire it and give it a try.
Those who are younger can find numerous ways to have fun with their robots, whereas others can go on to devise robots that do much more than just drive, walk, shoot or sort balls.
What's Included In The Package?
There are 619 pieces in the Mindstorms NXT 2.0 box. These include an assortment of beams, sensors, rods, connectors and wheels.
The Basic Unit
You may notice that the basic piece is a beam instead of a block as they usually have in LEGO, giving it a Meccano feel. But unlike Meccano, you can merely snap the parts together without having to use any tools.
Due to a huge number of parts that look almost identical, you might spend the first few days taking a little longer making those robots, as you'll take some time finding the right pieces you need. But after a little experience you'll almost intuitively know what you're looking for.
Motors x3
These servo motors will be responsible for making your robot move.
Sensory Units
The sensors will allow your machine to obtain information about its surroundings. The LEGO Mindstorms 2.0 comes with
1. A light sensor, with which your robot can 'see' different levels of light and even 'see' colors so that it can respond when you show it a blue ball for example, and not respond to a yellow one or respond differently.
2. A unit that senses touch, which allows your robot to have a certain reaction when it touches something/someone, or when something/someone else touches the robot.
3. An audio sensor that is the 'ear' of the robot, allowing it to 'hear' different sounds.
4. An ultrasonic sensor that uses simple echo-location to determine how far away it is from a solid object.
The Intelligent Brick Of NXT
Your robot's central processing unit, a tiny computer-like device that you program and depending on what programming you put in, instructs 1, 2 or 3 of the motors to start movement, whether in the form of your robot catching something, running to hide under the bed, attacking an intruder.. the list goes on.
Instruction Booklet
The Instruction Guidebook for the Mindstorms set is very thorough and quite easy to follow, with step-by-step details on how to build a shooting bot, robogator, color sorting machine and alpha rex.
When you've mastered these four models, you can then go on to try out original machines of your own choosing. When you're lost for ideas, you can always go out and get yourself some experts guides written explicitly for LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0, which will run you through how to make more advanced robots.
Be warned though, you may face some frustration from not having enough pieces to construct absolutely anything you want. If you have this predicament, you can always extend the Mindstorms NXT set with pieces from the Lego Technique range, which makes use of the same basic unit.
Where Can I Get The Best Deal On The Mindstorms NXT?
