Lego robot plays Super Mario Bros…and wins
by Joshua Fruhlinger 
posted Oct 26th 2004 at 1:30PM
In an ongoing effort to rid the world of
productive robots, three college students have crafted a Legobot that can beat the first level of Super Mario
Bros. Using Legos and a basic circuit board, Matt Sesno, Ben Rowe, and Tim Dooley built a robot made of Legos
that is capable of playing Super Mario Bros., the first Mario-based platform game for the NES, and even beating the
first level. Why? Apparently (unless they're lying to us), there is a Lego Robot Talent Show every year,
and they were looking for an entry. After all, there's a huge need right now for videogame-playing robots made of
Legos.
[Thanks, Cameron]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
me @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
the apocolyptic visions of the future i'm sure didn't include legomario
Vectormonkey @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I had some hope of being superior to, at least, Legos...(sigh)
Walter @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Damn. At first I thought it was actively watching the screen and knowing when to jump/etc but I think they're just having it push buttons on a timer.
I'm sure something like the technology used in Soul Calimeter ( http://homepage.mac.com/mschrag/SoulCalimeter/ ) could be used to make the robot ACTUALLY play SMB.
Even still, I find this impressive :)
Brian H @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I like how at the talent show there were 3 people sitting in front of a T.V. Looks like a big deal!!
robert @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
cool
Blademonkey @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Wow, how humbling.
But if you think about it, it's got an amazing potential for hardware/software testing combinations (at affordable prices).
Shaun @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Black tron and kupa
what could be better
Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Amazing... I was at least hoping that it would look like something. Didn't you know that humans have a hard time relating to anything that doesn't have a face. Stick one of those little yellow heads on it or something.
Simon Patfield @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Hate to nit pick, but the plural of Lego is Lego.
jonathan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
i just wanted the world to know that these two wonderful inventions are at the top of my Christmas list, lol
okay, bye now.
-jonathan
MartyBurns @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
One could make a lego robot that manipulates the controls of.. another lego robot.. I'm not going any further.
Randy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I at least wanted some video, or directions.
What a let down, we don't even know if it actually works.
Rodney @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I really don't think this project is worthy of engadget. Like Randy said, we should at least have some video. Anyone can setup lego mindstorm to play a sequence. It sounded cool, yet was completely unfullfilling.
Matt Sesno @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Actually, we made two programs for the first level... one was for speed, and in the other Mario grabs all the stars, extra life, mushrooms and flowers. Its funny though, our professor told us that this project was impossible to create, as all the other robots were performing actions like: throwing a ping-pong ball, and driving through an enclosed track... well we showed him otherwise and then won the lego contest with this crazy contraption!
-Matt The Co-Creator
ps. The robot does work, but we had to dismantle it because the actual Legos were property of Middlebury College... so sad.
Glad to know people are interested though....
me @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
the apocolyptic visions of the future i'm sure didn't include legomario
Vectormonkey @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I had some hope of being superior to, at least, Legos...(sigh)
Walter @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Damn. At first I thought it was actively watching the screen and knowing when to jump/etc but I think they're just having it push buttons on a timer.
I'm sure something like the technology used in Soul Calimeter ( http://homepage.mac.com/mschrag/SoulCalimeter/ ) could be used to make the robot ACTUALLY play SMB.
Even still, I find this impressive :)
Brian H @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I like how at the talent show there were 3 people sitting in front of a T.V. Looks like a big deal!!
robert @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
cool
Blademonkey @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Wow, how humbling.
But if you think about it, it's got an amazing potential for hardware/software testing combinations (at affordable prices).
Shaun @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Black tron and kupa
what could be better
Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Amazing... I was at least hoping that it would look like something. Didn't you know that humans have a hard time relating to anything that doesn't have a face. Stick one of those little yellow heads on it or something.
Simon Patfield @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Hate to nit pick, but the plural of Lego is Lego.
jonathan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
i just wanted the world to know that these two wonderful inventions are at the top of my Christmas list, lol
okay, bye now.
-jonathan
MartyBurns @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
One could make a lego robot that manipulates the controls of.. another lego robot.. I'm not going any further.
Randy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I at least wanted some video, or directions.
What a let down, we don't even know if it actually works.
Rodney @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
I really don't think this project is worthy of engadget. Like Randy said, we should at least have some video. Anyone can setup lego mindstorm to play a sequence. It sounded cool, yet was completely unfullfilling.
Matt Sesno @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM
Actually, we made two programs for the first level... one was for speed, and in the other Mario grabs all the stars, extra life, mushrooms and flowers. Its funny though, our professor told us that this project was impossible to create, as all the other robots were performing actions like: throwing a ping-pong ball, and driving through an enclosed track... well we showed him otherwise and then won the lego contest with this crazy contraption!
-Matt The Co-Creator
ps. The robot does work, but we had to dismantle it because the actual Legos were property of Middlebury College... so sad.
Glad to know people are interested though....