Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0

Create the smartest, strongest and most advanced Lego robots ever, in as few as 30 minutes! Lego Mindstorm's highly versatile palette of Lego Technic elements combines with state-of-the-art ultrasonic, sound, light and touch sensors in the next generation of intuitive robotics. With included Quick-Start guide and step-by-step building instructions, beginners and experts alike can create humanoid, vehicle and animal robots that obey every command!

Improved light sensors can detect different colors and intensities, while the new sound sensor enables robots to respond to sound patterns and tones. Robots can really "feel" with improved touch sensors, while ultrasonic "eyes" measure distance and movement. Mindstorms now works with both PC and Macintosh, plus with Bluetooth support, you can even command your robot from your mobile phone!

What Can You Invent?
What makes Mindstorms so elegant is that its simple-to-learn programming can control robots that perform such complex functions. Robot construction is like putting together regular LEGOs, everything snaps together. The instruction book lays out step-by-step plans for several robots.

The Mindstorms system has been used to create alarm devices that sense when someone passes through a doorway; coin-sorters that distinguish coins by detecting their diameter, a candy dispenser that dishes up sweets according to simple bar codes, and a wandering robot that takes pictures with an onboard camera. The devices are intelligent enough to follow paths (via markings on the floor), and move around obstacles.

One gifted robot maker invented a LEGO copy machine. It uses the light sensor to detect dark and light regions on one piece of paper and duplicate them on another with a felt-tip pen. He also invented a card-dealing robot that uses a complex mechanical movement to separate the cards. Of course, you're not going to be an expert from the start, but in an hour or two you can be making machines that appear to think!

Programming

Everything about system has been optimized for ease of use. The most amazing example of this is the programming. The visual programming environment allows you to drag, drop and stack commands and bits of code on your computer screen. This means there is no program code to write!

Blocks of code that represent commands are graphically displayed as icons. You can choose from a long list of commands such as left and right turns, reverse, sound effects, pauses, sensor settings, motor speed, or custom-designed functions. Drag the icons together into a row and arrange them into a logical order for a full-fledged, event-driven program. The process is not unlike the physical act of assembling Lego bricks. With two clicks of the mouse, you can upload your program to the RCX, then hit the "run" button and your creation goes to work.

Educational and Fun!

MindStorms is one of the most potent educational products ever. There is no better way to teach kids about computers and mechanics than to let them build an actual working machine and program it. But the real news here is that this "kids" toy is one of the best robotics kits ever produced for the adult robot hobbyist! Less than half of the Mindstorms systems are for kids, the rest are purchased by adults for their own use. It is a testament to the product's success that Mindstorms is challenging enough to stimulate engineers and robot hobbyists, yet simple enough to engage the technical neophyte!

Lego Mindstorms NXT Includes: * 519 specially selected Lego Technic elements * Three interactive servo motors * Built-in rotation sensors to for precise control * Ultrasonic visual, sound, and touch sensors * Improved light sensor detects different colors * Matrix display and speaker * USB 2.0 and Bluetooth support * Easy-to-use PC and Mac compatible interface source