Unpacking Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0
1st of January. Early morning. My 9 year old son found a gift from Santa Claus under the Christmas tree. It turned out to be a huge box with Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0.
The size of the box, as well as the quality of performance at a height. The first time you just want to consider the box. The flip cover shows the bundle and software items.
')
So, what we have in the box:
This is the second version of the Mindstorms kit. And it has grown a bit compared to its first version. Details were added, a new sensor appeared - the Color Sensor.
A brick can play pre-recorded sounds and display prepared images and text on its screen.
An interesting feature of the brick is the built-in bluetooth, which can be used to communicate with another brick, and to control the robot with the help of the phone. On the network without problems, I found software for simple phones, Windows Mobile and Android.
Opening the box, you understand that the kit contains many small parts. And store them in a box is not very convenient. The previous experience with Lego came in handy. In use went new plastic box and plastic bags with zippers. Although the box is good, but functionally it is no longer used.
Here it is what a great and terrible brick.
Instructions included in English, but in Lego style, everything is intuitively clear and simple. The paper manual provides explanations for installation and configuration, at the same time allows you to assemble a basic (test) module. The remaining schemes are available through the program Lego Mindstorm NXT.
The instruction in Russian is easy to find online, for example here .
To work the brick will need 6 AA finger-type batteries. I recommend stocking up with batteries and a charger. After searching, on the Lego website, a standard battery of $ 54.95 + a power supply of $ 24.99 was found.
For me so expensive.
There are no questions to the standard NXT-G software either, everything just works.
The NXT-G is a graphical programming environment developed by National Instruments for LEGO. Writing NXT-G programs is very similar to creating flowcharts. You “write” a program by dragging and dropping blocks that describe various behaviors, such as turning an engine. Using different blocks, you can control the engines, determine the distance to the object or change the color, as well as reproduce the sound and execute the code depending on the state of the sensors, etc.
You write the program, connect the robot (brick) to the computer, fill in the program, transfer the robot to the test site and watch how your child begins to explore the world.
NXT-G is designed for children and adults who have no programming experience and for this reason, it is very easy to use. It is clear that the possibilities of this program are limited, but it solves its initial tasks perfectly. On the Internet, many third-party environments have been discovered that allow you to write code directly. I will try to do a review soon.
Then everything went according to the instructionsfor the oil assembly models, running software. Thanks to the step-by-step instructions, Lego, the son does everything himself, I only occasionally peep and suggest the right direction.
Son collects a model. Then we test various programs at the test site, for example, the speed of the robot passing along the line. So the next few months have something to do. The main thing is to throw in puzzles.
For myself, I downloaded the book “Extreme NXT”, which gives a lot of ideas on the use of bricks and instructions for creating and connecting new sensors. So the most interesting is yet to come.
And lastly, Monster Chess is a very large chess set using LEGO MINDSTORMS for each chess piece.
Unpacking
The size of the box, as well as the quality of performance at a height. The first time you just want to consider the box. The flip cover shows the bundle and software items.
')
So, what we have in the box:
- NXT programmable unit (just a brick on) - the core of the whole system
- 4x sensors:
- Ultrasonic sensor - allows the robot to measure the distance to the object and respond to movement
- Two touch sensors - allow the robot to respond to touch
- The color sensor is the most interesting sensor, it includes three functions at once: It can detect 6 colors - White, Black, Yellow, Red, Green and Blue, light intensity and be a backlight
- 3x Interactive servomotors - in addition to providing movement, they can be used as sensors, providing determination of the angle of rotation of the wheel.
- USB cable for connecting a brick to a computer
- 7x patch cables
- Instruction
- Software CD for Windows and Mac OS
- Test field for calibrating sensors and testing your offspring
- 613 different Lego parts
This is the second version of the Mindstorms kit. And it has grown a bit compared to its first version. Details were added, a new sensor appeared - the Color Sensor.
A brick can play pre-recorded sounds and display prepared images and text on its screen.
An interesting feature of the brick is the built-in bluetooth, which can be used to communicate with another brick, and to control the robot with the help of the phone. On the network without problems, I found software for simple phones, Windows Mobile and Android.
Opening the box, you understand that the kit contains many small parts. And store them in a box is not very convenient. The previous experience with Lego came in handy. In use went new plastic box and plastic bags with zippers. Although the box is good, but functionally it is no longer used.
Here it is what a great and terrible brick.
Instructions included in English, but in Lego style, everything is intuitively clear and simple. The paper manual provides explanations for installation and configuration, at the same time allows you to assemble a basic (test) module. The remaining schemes are available through the program Lego Mindstorm NXT.
The instruction in Russian is easy to find online, for example here .
To work the brick will need 6 AA finger-type batteries. I recommend stocking up with batteries and a charger. After searching, on the Lego website, a standard battery of $ 54.95 + a power supply of $ 24.99 was found.
For me so expensive.
There are no questions to the standard NXT-G software either, everything just works.
The NXT-G is a graphical programming environment developed by National Instruments for LEGO. Writing NXT-G programs is very similar to creating flowcharts. You “write” a program by dragging and dropping blocks that describe various behaviors, such as turning an engine. Using different blocks, you can control the engines, determine the distance to the object or change the color, as well as reproduce the sound and execute the code depending on the state of the sensors, etc.
You write the program, connect the robot (brick) to the computer, fill in the program, transfer the robot to the test site and watch how your child begins to explore the world.
NXT-G is designed for children and adults who have no programming experience and for this reason, it is very easy to use. It is clear that the possibilities of this program are limited, but it solves its initial tasks perfectly. On the Internet, many third-party environments have been discovered that allow you to write code directly. I will try to do a review soon.
Then everything went according to the instructions
What next?
Son collects a model. Then we test various programs at the test site, for example, the speed of the robot passing along the line. So the next few months have something to do. The main thing is to throw in puzzles.
For myself, I downloaded the book “Extreme NXT”, which gives a lot of ideas on the use of bricks and instructions for creating and connecting new sensors. So the most interesting is yet to come.
And lastly, Monster Chess is a very large chess set using LEGO MINDSTORMS for each chess piece.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/111458/
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