Mindstorms Nxt -- Engadget

mindstorms nxt posts

3D scanner made entirely from Legos

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Mar 23rd 2009 at 11:01AM

We've seen some pretty kick-ass Lego creations over the years, and this one is no exception -- if anything, it gets bonus points for not only being a pretty sweet hack, but for enabling sweeter, more complex, hacks in the future. The 3D scanner was built by Philo Hurbain, who was looking for a way to model complex Lego parts for use in the LDraw CAD program. This bad boy -- including drive components and sensors -- is entirely made from the colorful plastic toy, except for the probe needle (an old school sewing needle, apparently). The "brain" of this thing is Mindstorms NXT. But that ain't all! Check out the device in action as it models a tiny Lego frog -- video after the break.

[Via Make]

Continue reading 3D scanner made entirely from Legos

Lego safe is made from robot parts, will guard your mint condish Robocop figurines just nicely

by Samuel Axon, posted Nov 19th 2008 at 6:09AM

No, your eyes don't deceive: it's a Lego safe. Apparently Lego's computer-equipped Mindstorms NXT can be used for something more practical than launching robots into space (great as that was), and believe it or not, this box is actually kind of secure. Five double digit codes protect your valuables, and the dial goes both ways, so there's a left and right entry for each number -- hence, over 305 billion possible combinations. Moving the safe will trip motion sensors and set off an alarm, and bars inside strengthen the structure, so while master diamond thieves won't be deterred, surreptitious little siblings might. Video after the break, and check the right nav through the read link to dig up building instructions.

[Via Digg]

Continue reading Lego safe is made from robot parts, will guard your mint condish Robocop figurines just nicely

LEGO Mindstorms ready for Tuesday space launch

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 29th 2008 at 4:00AM

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of LEGO Mindstorms, a group of professors, middle-school students, and corporate nerds will be launching several Mindstorms robots into near-space. The High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (HALE) project will set the robots aloft in an atmospheric weather balloon shortly before sunrise this morning outside of Reno, Nevada. At about 100,000 feet (30km) the balloon will burst and the robots will parachute back to terra firma collecting data and photographs along the way. One robot named Lil' Joe will attempt a world record free-fall decent before deploying its parachute on a pre-programmed schedule. Mind you, the world record is attributable to Mindstorms NXT free-fall, a title we expect is currently held by your little brother sleeping upstairs.

Read -- HALE
Read -- HALE launch tracking

Video: iPhone + LEGO robot = superfluous genius

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 4th 2008 at 4:25AM

It's not always a question of why -- sometimes why not will suffice. The rolling bot above relies upon the Mindstorms NXT light sensor's ability to read the contrasting colors on the iPhone display. After some simple programming and DIY tomfoolery you can drive the robot from the comforts of your WiFi-enabled web browser. Overkill? Oh hells yeah, but at least now your iPhone will serve a purpose after Monday. See how the kids at Battlebricks did it in the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: iPhone + LEGO robot = superfluous genius

The Mindstorms NXT gramophone, or, If Edison played with LEGOs

by Evan Blass, posted Nov 22nd 2007 at 9:43PM

Lying somewhere between the roboflusher and LEGO car-producing LEGO factory on the practicality scale, José Pino's Mindstorms NXT gramophone brings together all the fun and tinny sound of this antiquated music system with today's modern DIY sensibilities. Using little more than an off-the-shelf NXT kit running at 25% power, and, um, a fast food beverage cup, Pino was able rig together a very basic platform for spinning his vinyl, although scratching is probably not recommended on this rather delicate setup. Keep reading for a quick video walkthrough accompanied by those old-timey tunes so popular among today's seniors.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

Continue reading The Mindstorms NXT gramophone, or, If Edison played with LEGOs

LEGO Johnny Five is (kinda) alive; needs input

by Nilay Patel, posted May 1st 2007 at 5:56PM

While we're no strangers to the crazy robots people build out of LEGOs, Daniele Benedettelli's LEGO Johnny Five has got to be the most awe-inspiring brickwork we've seen in a while. The NXT-based 'bot actually contains two NXT units that communicate via Bluetooth to provide Mr. Five a full range of motion from his 6 motors and as much input as he can handle from up to 8 sensors. Benedettelli built the model after careful study of Johnny Five photos to determine his precise measurements, and two previous attempts. While we applaud all this effort, we can't imagine how much time it's going to take him to plate version 4 in gold. Check the read link for plans and videos of Johnny in action.

[Via MAKE: blog]

Killer Lego sumo bots are back for more

by Paul Miller, posted Apr 10th 2007 at 1:52PM

Round 3 of the 2007 DivX Lego Sumo Robotic Championship is just as much a DivX sellout as ever, and the required browser plugin still isn't winning any friends, but despite those caveats, we're still glued to our screens for these exciting Lego bot deathmatches. With new bots like "Blue Wedgie" and "Joker" making quick work of their competition -- thanks to Blue Wedgie's clever wedge action and Joker's active sensing technique -- the matches were a bit more expedient this time around, but still quite entertaining. Nerd sport of the future? We think so.