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Earth Day Building Challenge Winners

Mon, 05 May 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Many NXTLOGgers took up the global challenge of creating a MINDSTORMS NXT robot that could be used to help maintain a healthy, sustainable environment. There were many innovative entries that can be used to help save energy and the earth, but we can only acknoledge a few winners. Please visit, comment, and rate all the robots entered this competition by entering the tag "nxt200804"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
TP-Bot 2008
Created by: Dino_Martino

The TP-Bot 2008 helps the earth by helping people to use less paper... toilet paper! The TP-Bot 2008 is compatible for use with five different people. It has a scanner (where users present an accesspass and 4 digit secret code), a TP dispensing system, and the robot can even tell you how much toilet paper you have left. Dino_Martino provides a creative concept and a well detailed NXTLOG (we would love to see some video). Congrats on winning the Champion's Award! (This is Dino_Martino's 5th project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
The Tree Doctor
Created by: Mister.Tux

The Tree Doctor is a true Earth Day robot designed to save a precious natural resource. The robot was designed to inspect trees to see if they have the pine beetle. Within 2 days, a few handfuls of these beetles can infest and kill an entire tree. The Tree Doctor roves around a tree and scans its hardness with an ultrasonic sensor. Mister.Tux found that trees infected with the pine beetle reflect back quite a bit of sound. For an innovative concept and robot design, Mister.Tux wins the Robot Design Award. (This is Mister.Tux's 8th NXTLOG project, and 2nd NXTLOG Challenge award!) P.S. LEGO MINDSTORMS is not intended for outdoor use - use MINDSTORMS outdoors at your own risk.

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Vestas Windmill (turbine) FLL2007 demo
Created by: robotica008

The Vestas Windmill created by robotica008 (actually MDP/MCP Martyn Boogaarts) as a demonstration model during the 2007-08 FLL final in Rijnmond, the Netherlands. The robot behaves like a real wind turbine. By blowing into the front fan, the NXT knows how hard the large windmill should turn. For a true Earth Day robot that replicates an alternative energy solution, the Vestas Windmill is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is robotica008's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Crash Lab(with the florecant fetchbot)
Created by: RrangerRick

RrangerRick with the help of some minifigs has created a robot that helps fetch old lightbulbs safely so that new energy efficient compact florescent lightbulbs can be used. RrangerRick's NXTLOG is very creative with LEGO minifigs narrating the action. We also appreciate the message of this project, that saving energy can start with something as simple as changing a lightbulb. This is RrangerRick's 11th project on NXTLOG. Congrats!

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Water Saver
Created by: iggy5772

Bottle sorter 3000
Created by: xaviack

Plant Waterer
Created by: mperrin

Hybrid Machine
Created by: NeXTSTORM

Garbot
Created by: spaz487

An Earth Friendly Report
Created by: NatoNX

Generator bot
Created by: arclegoman12
Many NXTLOGgers took up the global challenge of creating a MINDSTORMS NXT robot that could be used to help maintain a healthy, sustainable environment. There were many innovative entries that can be used to help save energy and the earth, but we can only acknoledge a few winners. Please visit, comment, and rate all the robots entered this competition by entering the tag "nxt200804"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
TP-Bot 2008
Created by: Dino_Martino

The TP-Bot 2008 helps the earth by helping people to use less paper... toilet paper! The TP-Bot 2008 is compatible for use with five different people. It has a scanner (where users present an accesspass and 4 digit secret code), a TP dispensing system, and the robot can even tell you how much toilet paper you have left. Dino_Martino provides a creative concept and a well detailed NXTLOG (we would love to see some video). Congrats on winning the Champion's Award! (This is Dino_Martino's 5th project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
The Tree Doctor
Created by: Mister.Tux

The Tree Doctor is a true Earth Day robot designed to save a precious natural resource. The robot was designed to inspect trees to see if they have the pine beetle. Within 2 days, a few handfuls of these beetles can infest and kill an entire tree. The Tree Doctor roves around a tree and scans its hardness with an ultrasonic sensor. Mister.Tux found that trees infected with the pine beetle reflect back quite a bit of sound. For an innovative concept and robot design, Mister.Tux wins the Robot Design Award. (This is Mister.Tux's 8th NXTLOG project, and 2nd NXTLOG Challenge award!) P.S. LEGO MINDSTORMS is not intended for outdoor use - use MINDSTORMS outdoors at your own risk.

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Vestas Windmill (turbine) FLL2007 demo
Created by: robotica008

The Vestas Windmill created by robotica008 (actually MDP/MCP Martyn Boogaarts) as a demonstration model during the 2007-08 FLL final in Rijnmond, the Netherlands. The robot behaves like a real wind turbine. By blowing into the front fan, the NXT knows how hard the large windmill should turn. For a true Earth Day robot that replicates an alternative energy solution, the Vestas Windmill is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is robotica008's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Crash Lab(with the florecant fetchbot)
Created by: RrangerRick

RrangerRick with the help of some minifigs has created a robot that helps fetch old lightbulbs safely so that new energy efficient compact florescent lightbulbs can be used. RrangerRick's NXTLOG is very creative with LEGO minifigs narrating the action. We also appreciate the message of this project, that saving energy can start with something as simple as changing a lightbulb. This is RrangerRick's 11th project on NXTLOG. Congrats!

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Water Saver
Created by: iggy5772

Bottle sorter 3000
Created by: xaviack

Plant Waterer
Created by: mperrin

Hybrid Machine
Created by: NeXTSTORM

Garbot
Created by: spaz487

An Earth Friendly Report
Created by: NatoNX

Generator bot
Created by: arclegoman12

MINDSTORMS NXT NXT Building Challenge

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:00:00 GMT
NXT NXT...? Are you seeing double? Yes! We are presenting a doubly fun building challenge on NXTLOG where you create a robot that uses 2 NXT bricks! We are also giving you double the amount of time to enter this challenge. The 2 NXT's can be onboard the robot or the 2 NXT's can be separate...but we must require that the 2 NXT's communicate with each other. You have until Monday June 30th to enter.

Don't have 2 NXT's? Why not enter the challenge with a friend!

What will you make?

See the MINDSTORMS NXT NXT Building Challenge NXTLOG for more detailsNXT NXT...? Are you seeing double? Yes! We are presenting a doubly fun building challenge on NXTLOG where you create a robot that uses 2 NXT bricks! We are also giving you double the amount of time to enter this challenge. The 2 NXT's can be onboard the robot or the 2 NXT's can be separate...but we must require that the 2 NXT's communicate with each other. You have until Monday June 30th to enter.

Don't have 2 NXT's? Why not enter the challenge with a friend!

What will you make?

See the MINDSTORMS NXT NXT Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details

MINDSTORMS NXTperts share their expertise at the FLL World Festival

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Along with seeing great robots in competition at the FLL World Festival in Atlanta, Georgia last week, attendees were also able to see live demonstrations from MINDSTORMS experts.

The NXT STEP blogger Jim Kelly and The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo author Fay Rhodes shared their expertise on using 3-D programs to build LEGO MINDSTORMS models, and MUP Ralph Hempel, creator of pbLua, shared his passion for Open Source and alternative programming for LEGO MINDSTORMS.

A crowd favorite was the demonstration "Taking LEGO MINDSTORMS to the Sky" given by Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of WIRED magazine. He showed off and explained his MINDSTORMS UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Chris designed an autopilot system for a radio controlled model airplane that uses the NXT and HiTechnic Sensors to control an autopilot system, which both stabilizes and navigates the plane autonomously. A highlight for Anderson was sharing his invention with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen (owner and Vice Chairman of LEGO) and Dean Kamen (the founder of FIRST and inventor of the Segway). He told them that he was looking to do something that had never been done with MINDSTORMS before...fly. Next stop says Chris, (for someone else) is... space?

Many of these MINDSTORMS experts are also participating in the Ask the NXTperts section of MINDSTORMS.com Have a question for them? Ask the NXTperts!Along with seeing great robots in competition at the FLL World Festival in Atlanta, Georgia last week, attendees were also able to see live demonstrations from MINDSTORMS experts.

The NXT STEP blogger Jim Kelly and The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo author Fay Rhodes shared their expertise on using 3-D programs to build LEGO MINDSTORMS models, and MUP Ralph Hempel, creator of pbLua, shared his passion for Open Source and alternative programming for LEGO MINDSTORMS.

A crowd favorite was the demonstration "Taking LEGO MINDSTORMS to the Sky" given by Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of WIRED magazine. He showed off and explained his MINDSTORMS UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Chris designed an autopilot system for a radio controlled model airplane that uses the NXT and HiTechnic Sensors to control an autopilot system, which both stabilizes and navigates the plane autonomously. A highlight for Anderson was sharing his invention with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen (owner and Vice Chairman of LEGO) and Dean Kamen (the founder of FIRST and inventor of the Segway). He told them that he was looking to do something that had never been done with MINDSTORMS before...fly. Next stop says Chris, (for someone else) is... space?

Many of these MINDSTORMS experts are also participating in the Ask the NXTperts section of MINDSTORMS.com Have a question for them? Ask the NXTperts!

Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST, awarded the LEGO Prize

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Owner and Vice Chairman of LEGO awarded Dean Kamen the LEGO Prize for his passionate commitment to FIRST. “It is 10 years ago we began a pilot project with FIRST LEGO League – and in the intervening years it has simply grown and grown. From just a couple of hundred participants to more than 100,000!” says Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.

“We are particularly proud to be able to honor Dean Kamen for his personal and untiring commitment to child development and learning. Children learn best when new knowledge is presented in play form, and in founding FIRST, Dean has created an organization which – uniquely and through systematic, creative play – helps children and young people understand and appreciate science and technology. We say that the future belongs to our children, and Dean Kamen plays an immensely important role in creating a better future – harnessing the fantastic creativity and inventiveness that children and young people experience through involvement in FIRST programs.”

The LEGO Prize was founded in 1985 and has been awarded to individuals and institutions who have made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children and young people. The recipients have included Astrid Lindgren, Paul Newman, John Feierabend, Mario Lodi and such institutions as Associacão Santa Therinha in Brazil, The SaekDong Organisation in Korea, and Papalote Museo del Niño in Mexico City. The LEGO Prize was last awarded in 1997.

Dean Kamen will receive the sum of $100,000, which he will pass on to the FIRST organization, and a unique glass bowl created specially for the occasion by Steffen Dam, a Danish glass artist from Ebeltoft.

“FIRST is inspiring the next generation of innovators and engineers,” said Kamen. “Years from now, some of the students who competed in the Georgia Dome will be inventing solutions to society's most challenging problems."

Former President George H. W. Bush echoed Kamen’s beliefs during the FIRST Challenge Opening Ceremonies on Friday, April 18. He reminisced about attending the inaugural FIRST Championship sixteen years ago and recognized Kamen for fostering young people’s aspirations in science and technology.Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Owner and Vice Chairman of LEGO awarded Dean Kamen the LEGO Prize for his passionate commitment to FIRST. “It is 10 years ago we began a pilot project with FIRST LEGO League – and in the intervening years it has simply grown and grown. From just a couple of hundred participants to more than 100,000!” says Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.

“We are particularly proud to be able to honor Dean Kamen for his personal and untiring commitment to child development and learning. Children learn best when new knowledge is presented in play form, and in founding FIRST, Dean has created an organization which – uniquely and through systematic, creative play – helps children and young people understand and appreciate science and technology. We say that the future belongs to our children, and Dean Kamen plays an immensely important role in creating a better future – harnessing the fantastic creativity and inventiveness that children and young people experience through involvement in FIRST programs.”

The LEGO Prize was founded in 1985 and has been awarded to individuals and institutions who have made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children and young people. The recipients have included Astrid Lindgren, Paul Newman, John Feierabend, Mario Lodi and such institutions as Associacão Santa Therinha in Brazil, The SaekDong Organisation in Korea, and Papalote Museo del Niño in Mexico City. The LEGO Prize was last awarded in 1997.

Dean Kamen will receive the sum of $100,000, which he will pass on to the FIRST organization, and a unique glass bowl created specially for the occasion by Steffen Dam, a Danish glass artist from Ebeltoft.

“FIRST is inspiring the next generation of innovators and engineers,” said Kamen. “Years from now, some of the students who competed in the Georgia Dome will be inventing solutions to society's most challenging problems."

Former President George H. W. Bush echoed Kamen’s beliefs during the FIRST Challenge Opening Ceremonies on Friday, April 18. He reminisced about attending the inaugural FIRST Championship sixteen years ago and recognized Kamen for fostering young people’s aspirations in science and technology.

2008 FIRST LEGO League World Festival Award Winners

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Eighty one teams from around the world participated in the 10th FIRST LEGO League (FLL) World Festival this past weekend at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Top honors in the FLL challenge went to Champion’s Award 1st Place winner, Team 8095 "External Fusion" from Singapore; Champion’s Award 2nd Place winner, Team 2560 "Pixelation" from North Branch, Minnesota; and Champion’s Award 3rd Place winner, Team 334 "Power Peeps" from Swartz Creek, Michigan. The Champion’s Award measures how teams inspire and motivate others about the excitement and wonders of science and technology, while demonstrating gracious professionalism.

Winning first place in Robot Performance were the NERDS (The New England Robotics Designers) from New Hampshire, USA. The team took this year’s green theme seriously by dressing up as the Green Man Group (in honor of the popular Blue Man Group). They entertained the public in the pits playing the “tubes,” and managed perfect 400 point scores each round with their innovative MINDSTORMS NXT robot design.

A complete list of the 2008 FLL World Festival Awards can be found here.

Congratulations to all the participants in the World Festival!Eighty one teams from around the world participated in the 10th FIRST LEGO League (FLL) World Festival this past weekend at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Top honors in the FLL challenge went to Champion’s Award 1st Place winner, Team 8095 "External Fusion" from Singapore; Champion’s Award 2nd Place winner, Team 2560 "Pixelation" from North Branch, Minnesota; and Champion’s Award 3rd Place winner, Team 334 "Power Peeps" from Swartz Creek, Michigan. The Champion’s Award measures how teams inspire and motivate others about the excitement and wonders of science and technology, while demonstrating gracious professionalism.

Winning first place in Robot Performance were the NERDS (The New England Robotics Designers) from New Hampshire, USA. The team took this year’s green theme seriously by dressing up as the Green Man Group (in honor of the popular Blue Man Group). They entertained the public in the pits playing the “tubes,” and managed perfect 400 point scores each round with their innovative MINDSTORMS NXT robot design.

A complete list of the 2008 FLL World Festival Awards can be found here.

Congratulations to all the participants in the World Festival!

Greetings from the FLL World Festival in Atlanta!

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
The FIRST LEGO League World Festival kicked off yesterday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. At the opening ceremonies teams wore party hats as they celebrated the ten-year anniversary of FLL. Yesterday’s events also included judging and practice rounds, and an anniversary party in Centennial Park. Today the robots take to the playing filed to see who will be champion!

The MINDSTORMS Team as well as many members of the MCP were at the MINDSTORMS booth sharing their NXT creations and knowledge. Visitors to the booth got a chance to interact with NXT robots including Chris Anderson’s LEGO Autopilot, Chris Smith’s NXT Hoop Rover, and Gus Jansson and David Schilling’s NXT Helicopter. Also on hand were the original members of the MUP (MINDSTORMS User Panel) who helped develop the NXT.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of LEGO MINDSTORMS, and to celebrate, two Alpha Rex World Travelers are going on a Global Roadrip. FLL Teams can sign up to possibly host an Alpha Rex on his travels.
The FIRST LEGO League World Festival kicked off yesterday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. At the opening ceremonies teams wore party hats as they celebrated the ten-year anniversary of FLL. Yesterday’s events also included judging and practice rounds, and an anniversary party in Centennial Park. Today the robots take to the playing filed to see who will be champion!

The MINDSTORMS Team as well as many members of the MCP were at the MINDSTORMS booth sharing their NXT creations and knowledge. Visitors to the booth got a chance to interact with NXT robots including Chris Anderson’s LEGO Autopilot, Chris Smith’s NXT Hoop Rover, and Gus Jansson and David Schilling’s NXT Helicopter. Also on hand were the original members of the MUP (MINDSTORMS User Panel) who helped develop the NXT.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of LEGO MINDSTORMS, and to celebrate, two Alpha Rex World Travelers are going on a Global Roadrip. FLL Teams can sign up to possibly host an Alpha Rex on his travels.

How do you get to the FLL World Festival? Practice, practice, practice.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:00:00 GMT
Practice, practice, practice is what the St. Clare’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team, the Transformers from Staten Island, NY are doing to prepare for the FLL World Festival later this week at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Transformers practice 5 to 6 times a week from 2 to 4 hours per session in the science lab at their school. They practice with multiple robots on multiple tournament tables while working toward that perfect 400 point score. ”The pizza delivery man knows us well, parents send in nourishment, and maintenance is ready to set up cots for us!” says their dedicated coach, Mary Lee.

The Transformers are a team of 18 students, ten boys and eight girls from 11-14 years of age. Most of the team has experience with LEGO MINDSTORMS, participating for 1-3 years in a minor league before joining the ”Majors” (which is the team at St. Clare’s that competes in FLL tournaments). All 18 team members along with their family, friends, and coach are attending the festivities in Atlanta.

”This is the second year that the Transformers are using a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot. We now recognize the NXT as a more advanced machine with tremendous possibilities,” explains Coach Lee.

About FLL Events
Each year FLL teams embark on an adventurous challenge based on current, real-world issues. Students between 9 and 14 years of age build and program a robot to complete a set number of missions in 2½ minutes (the robot game), present research on a given topic (the research presentation), and share how they designed and programmed their robot (the technical presentation). This year’s FLL theme, “Power Puzzle” challenges teams to use robotics to understand and create solutions for one of today's most critical environmental issues: energy management and conservation.

The Robot Game
The Transformers found the solar panel mission to be the most difficult robot task in the Power Puzzle challenge. Four separate groups of students worked on troubleshooting the mission, each with their own robot. The biggest trouble was getting the solar panel to stay on. ”We finally tackled this by adding extra pieces to the panel that allowed it to hang, and we added little claws that helps it grab on to the roof if it starts to flip over.” Each group helped one other succeed by sharing ideas and building for each other. ”The frustration was high at times, but it brought us closer and taught us to battle together.”

The Transformers are excited that the robots they are taking to the World Festival can score 400 points provided the opposing team does not get the satellite challenge first. Let’s hope the Transformers make it!

The Research Project
The Transformers conducted extensive research in their community on alternative enery options. They visited a home with solar panels to see how they are setup and work. They investigated their school, local zoo, and a bakery, and then researched similar structures in different areas using alternative energy and energy providers. The team even went to the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island to learn about a methane gas collection system and to explore the possibility of using the area as a wind farm. The team saw that fish were dying in a local pond, discovered that the oxygen levels were low and requested that a solar aerator pump be installed as part of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Adopt a Bluebelt program. They also held a public forum on alternative energy for the community and presented their findings on all our research and allowed special guests in the field to speak. The Transformers live up to their name in transforming their community in green ways!

The Technical Presentation
The Transformers played with different robot designs including a horizontal design that they found on NXTLOG. The team played with different attachments, including a big lasso type piece that swings down over the corn and later the uranium to gather those pieces before coming back to base (after it hits the rail car and brings the coal to base). Other attachments include a big box for catching the oil and a flat piece to push objects like the dam and the power line.

For the programming, the team relies on motor rotations and time rather than sensors. Although the robot has a third motor, the team tries to limit its use, using the law of motion to swing an arm forward rather than extra programming. The team also works to multi-task when programming by either reusing programs to complete additional missions, or by completing a number of tasks in one area before returning the robot to base. The students discovered one innovative shortcut by using the robot itself to be the wave turbine, having it end up in the ocean at the end of the 2½ minutes.

The Journey to the World Festival
The team has been busy with practices and fundraising but also finds time to play sports together to ease the pressure of competing on a global level. They also have been practicing some dance moves for a special show in Atlanta. Just last week the Transformers participated in a FLL Tri-State Tournament at the Javits Center in NYC where they not only got a chance for extra pratice, but they met Mayor Mike Bloomburg as well.

While all 18 team members are prepared to play the robot game at the World Festival, some will act as ambassadors and greet attending teams, some will work as team photographers, and others as the pit crew. We look forward to seeing this team in action at the Georgia Dome!

Team Transfromers includes: Alanna Bergstrom, Adrianno Corso, Katie Geraghty, Ian Grice, Thomas Grimaldi, Matthew Gulotta, Shannon Long, Joseph Maggio, James McKeon, Steven Milazzo, Judy Muller, Meagan O'Connor, Amanda O'Keefe, Michelle Pagano, Christopher Piccirello, Paul Piccirello, James Pugliese and Serena Zinsley, and Coachs Mary Lee and Barbara Grimaldi.Practice, practice, practice is what the St. Clare’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team, the Transformers from Staten Island, NY are doing to prepare for the FLL World Festival later this week at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Transformers practice 5 to 6 times a week from 2 to 4 hours per session in the science lab at their school. They practice with multiple robots on multiple tournament tables while working toward that perfect 400 point score. ”The pizza delivery man knows us well, parents send in nourishment, and maintenance is ready to set up cots for us!” says their dedicated coach, Mary Lee.

The Transformers are a team of 18 students, ten boys and eight girls from 11-14 years of age. Most of the team has experience with LEGO MINDSTORMS, participating for 1-3 years in a minor league before joining the ”Majors” (which is the team at St. Clare’s that competes in FLL tournaments). All 18 team members along with their family, friends, and coach are attending the festivities in Atlanta.

”This is the second year that the Transformers are using a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot. We now recognize the NXT as a more advanced machine with tremendous possibilities,” explains Coach Lee.

About FLL Events
Each year FLL teams embark on an adventurous challenge based on current, real-world issues. Students between 9 and 14 years of age build and program a robot to complete a set number of missions in 2½ minutes (the robot game), present research on a given topic (the research presentation), and share how they designed and programmed their robot (the technical presentation). This year’s FLL theme, “Power Puzzle” challenges teams to use robotics to understand and create solutions for one of today's most critical environmental issues: energy management and conservation.

The Robot Game
The Transformers found the solar panel mission to be the most difficult robot task in the Power Puzzle challenge. Four separate groups of students worked on troubleshooting the mission, each with their own robot. The biggest trouble was getting the solar panel to stay on. ”We finally tackled this by adding extra pieces to the panel that allowed it to hang, and we added little claws that helps it grab on to the roof if it starts to flip over.” Each group helped one other succeed by sharing ideas and building for each other. ”The frustration was high at times, but it brought us closer and taught us to battle together.”

The Transformers are excited that the robots they are taking to the World Festival can score 400 points provided the opposing team does not get the satellite challenge first. Let’s hope the Transformers make it!

The Research Project
The Transformers conducted extensive research in their community on alternative enery options. They visited a home with solar panels to see how they are setup and work. They investigated their school, local zoo, and a bakery, and then researched similar structures in different areas using alternative energy and energy providers. The team even went to the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island to learn about a methane gas collection system and to explore the possibility of using the area as a wind farm. The team saw that fish were dying in a local pond, discovered that the oxygen levels were low and requested that a solar aerator pump be installed as part of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Adopt a Bluebelt program. They also held a public forum on alternative energy for the community and presented their findings on all our research and allowed special guests in the field to speak. The Transformers live up to their name in transforming their community in green ways!

The Technical Presentation
The Transformers played with different robot designs including a horizontal design that they found on NXTLOG. The team played with different attachments, including a big lasso type piece that swings down over the corn and later the uranium to gather those pieces before coming back to base (after it hits the rail car and brings the coal to base). Other attachments include a big box for catching the oil and a flat piece to push objects like the dam and the power line.

For the programming, the team relies on motor rotations and time rather than sensors. Although the robot has a third motor, the team tries to limit its use, using the law of motion to swing an arm forward rather than extra programming. The team also works to multi-task when programming by either reusing programs to complete additional missions, or by completing a number of tasks in one area before returning the robot to base. The students discovered one innovative shortcut by using the robot itself to be the wave turbine, having it end up in the ocean at the end of the 2½ minutes.

The Journey to the World Festival
The team has been busy with practices and fundraising but also finds time to play sports together to ease the pressure of competing on a global level. They also have been practicing some dance moves for a special show in Atlanta. Just last week the Transformers participated in a FLL Tri-State Tournament at the Javits Center in NYC where they not only got a chance for extra pratice, but they met Mayor Mike Bloomburg as well.

While all 18 team members are prepared to play the robot game at the World Festival, some will act as ambassadors and greet attending teams, some will work as team photographers, and others as the pit crew. We look forward to seeing this team in action at the Georgia Dome!

Team Transfromers includes: Alanna Bergstrom, Adrianno Corso, Katie Geraghty, Ian Grice, Thomas Grimaldi, Matthew Gulotta, Shannon Long, Joseph Maggio, James McKeon, Steven Milazzo, Judy Muller, Meagan O'Connor, Amanda O'Keefe, Michelle Pagano, Christopher Piccirello, Paul Piccirello, James Pugliese and Serena Zinsley, and Coachs Mary Lee and Barbara Grimaldi.

University Students Design Innovative MINDSTORMS NXT Robot for the Human-Robot Interaction Conference

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
National Instruments (NI) and LEGO MINDSTORMS teamed up to show their products at the Human-Robot Interaction Conference (HRI) in Amsterdam. HRI is an annual conference that seeks to showcase the very best in human-robot interaction. This year's theme was "Living With Robots."

One highlight of the conference was an international design competition for university students. Students were given one MINDSTORMS NXT set and a CODATEX RFID sensor with tags and were challenged to build a model demonstrating human-robot interaction.

A RFID Sensor (Radio-Frequency IDentification) is used with RFID tags (or transponders) and can be useful in all kinds of applications. For example, if your robot moves along a line, you can place the RFID tags along the line to help the robot locate points along the path. If you put the tags into containers, your robot can identify them easily.

The University of Amsterdam team took first place with Phobot, a robot designed to help children overcome their fears. The Phobot uses RFID tags to detect other frightening robots. When Phobot detects a larger robot, it reacts by spinning around in a gesture of anxiety. Then with gentle guidance from human interaction through voice and touch, the robot overcomes its phobia. By allowing children to watch as the robot gradually overcomes its fear of bigger machines, they too can learn to cope with their own phobias. Phobot overcame its fear for Alpha-Rex and danced with joy!

Second place in the competition went to PotBot, a flower robot that is designed to live in harmony with nature. PotBot was a collaborative effort between Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Other highlights of the conference was a Labview powered Segway that Andy Bell from NI brought from the United States. Daniel Wittenaar and Martyn Boogaarts of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners (MCP), and Steven Canvin from LEGO were also on hand showing off their Labview powered MINDSTORMS robots.

Check out these links for more information on these robots and HRI 2008:
HRI 2008
Phobot
Pot Bot video
CODATEX RFID Sensor
National Instruments National Instruments (NI) and LEGO MINDSTORMS teamed up to show their products at the Human-Robot Interaction Conference (HRI) in Amsterdam. HRI is an annual conference that seeks to showcase the very best in human-robot interaction. This year's theme was "Living With Robots."

One highlight of the conference was an international design competition for university students. Students were given one MINDSTORMS NXT set and a CODATEX RFID sensor with tags and were challenged to build a model demonstrating human-robot interaction.

A RFID Sensor (Radio-Frequency IDentification) is used with RFID tags (or transponders) and can be useful in all kinds of applications. For example, if your robot moves along a line, you can place the RFID tags along the line to help the robot locate points along the path. If you put the tags into containers, your robot can identify them easily.

The University of Amsterdam team took first place with Phobot, a robot designed to help children overcome their fears. The Phobot uses RFID tags to detect other frightening robots. When Phobot detects a larger robot, it reacts by spinning around in a gesture of anxiety. Then with gentle guidance from human interaction through voice and touch, the robot overcomes its phobia. By allowing children to watch as the robot gradually overcomes its fear of bigger machines, they too can learn to cope with their own phobias. Phobot overcame its fear for Alpha-Rex and danced with joy!

Second place in the competition went to PotBot, a flower robot that is designed to live in harmony with nature. PotBot was a collaborative effort between Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Other highlights of the conference was a Labview powered Segway that Andy Bell from NI brought from the United States. Daniel Wittenaar and Martyn Boogaarts of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners (MCP), and Steven Canvin from LEGO were also on hand showing off their Labview powered MINDSTORMS robots.

Check out these links for more information on these robots and HRI 2008:
HRI 2008
Phobot
Pot Bot video
CODATEX RFID Sensor
National Instruments

FIRST LEGO League World Festival, 17-19 April

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Meet members at the LEGO MINDSTORMS Team!

The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) World Festival is held annually at the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The festival marks the conclusion of the past season’s round of competitions around the world, with a tournament celebration of this year’s theme, Power Puzzle, where the children on the teams have been challenged to use robotics to understand and create solutions for one of today's most critical environmental issues: energy management and conservation.

At the World Festival you will also have an opportunity to meet members of the LEGO MINDSTORMS team from the LEGO headquarters, who will be showing fun models from the new LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics toolset, together with expert users. You can find us in the Pit Area.

On the agenda:

- Quizzes - where you can win prizes!
- Cool MINDSTORMS models to play with, made by the expert users!

Presentations:

- 'Using 3-D programs to build LEGO MINDSTORMS models' - by Fay Rhodes and Jim Kelly
- 'Open Source and alternative programming for LEGO MINDSTORMS' - by Ralph Hempel, creator of pbLua
- 'Taking LEGO MINDSTORMS to the Sky - The LEGO Autopilot' - by Chris Anderson

Celebrating 10 years of LEGO MINDSTORMS:

- Kick-off for the LEGO MINDSTORMS Global Roadtrip - we will send off two robots across the planet - come and sign up - so one of them might visit your FLL team!

And much more.

See you there!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS Team
Meet members at the LEGO MINDSTORMS Team!

The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) World Festival is held annually at the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The festival marks the conclusion of the past season’s round of competitions around the world, with a tournament celebration of this year’s theme, Power Puzzle, where the children on the teams have been challenged to use robotics to understand and create solutions for one of today's most critical environmental issues: energy management and conservation.

At the World Festival you will also have an opportunity to meet members of the LEGO MINDSTORMS team from the LEGO headquarters, who will be showing fun models from the new LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics toolset, together with expert users. You can find us in the Pit Area.

On the agenda:

- Quizzes - where you can win prizes!
- Cool MINDSTORMS models to play with, made by the expert users!

Presentations:

- 'Using 3-D programs to build LEGO MINDSTORMS models' - by Fay Rhodes and Jim Kelly
- 'Open Source and alternative programming for LEGO MINDSTORMS' - by Ralph Hempel, creator of pbLua
- 'Taking LEGO MINDSTORMS to the Sky - The LEGO Autopilot' - by Chris Anderson

Celebrating 10 years of LEGO MINDSTORMS:

- Kick-off for the LEGO MINDSTORMS Global Roadtrip - we will send off two robots across the planet - come and sign up - so one of them might visit your FLL team!

And much more.

See you there!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS Team

Biped Building Challenge Winners

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Lots of NXTLOGgers took up the ultimate challenge of building a MINDSTORMS NXT Biped. Although there were many stunning entries, we can only acknoledge a few. But, you can visit, comment, and now RATE all the robots entered this competition by entering the tag nxt200803

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Bipedal Dragon Prototype
Created by: billy259

The Bipedal Dragon Prototype has loose ankles that can bend left or right, tilting the robot as it steps. The Prototype also moves a hinged NXT intelligent brick left and right when it is stepping. The mechanism is a simple hookup to and extension on the legs (similar to the way Alpha Rex has that hookup). It is simple, but effective, and does not strain the motors. Combined with the rubber grippers in its feet, it is able to step forward and walk. Weightshifting is a bit difficult to manage when you want your robot to look a certain way, but in the end The Bipedal Dragon Prototype came out looking pretty good! billy259 provides an incredibly detailed NXTLOG, excellent pictures, and annotated program files (we would love to see some video now). Congrats on winning the Champion's Award! (This is billy259's 8th project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
NeXTBIRD (or MODEL 05)
Created by: NeXTSTORM

NeXTBIRD was designed to look, walk, and act like an actual bird (and birds are bipeds). When NeXTBIRD's program is triggered, it moves its tail up and down making some sounds, or it moves its legs back and forth and seems very happy to see you, or NeXTBIRD will move forward and then, after making some noise, backwards. If the lights turn off, NeXTBIRD will start to snore for 20 seconds. Congratulations NeXTSTORM on your excellence in Robot Design. (This is NeXTSTORM's 5th NXTLOG project.)

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Little Bigfoot
Created by: Mister.Tux

This is no ordinary biped, according to Mister.Tux, this rare species of NXT is related to Bigfoot, yes, the Bigfoot. The cute, 6 inch tall creature can scuttle at speeds up to 6 feet per minute. It's huge feet, each, at average, 5 inches by 6 1/2 inches will stomp down anything in it's path. You better keep an eye out next time you dare to camp out the woods! It took Mister.Tux three tries before constucting a working biped walking system. Working on the advice of the "tips" part of the MINDSTORMS NXT Biped Competition posting, Mister.Tux analyzed how humans walk. "I saw that when I step forward, I first pick up my heel then swing my foot forward while flattening it out. I then used gears to copy this movement." Mister.Tux's program is simple and effective (it's annotated too). For all your hard work and determination Mister.Tux, your Little Bigfoot project is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is Mister.Tux's 5th NXTLOG project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
The helpi'vefallenandican'tgetup! biped
Created by: jayko543

The H.I.F.A.I.C.G.U., (or "Granny") is a biped that will walk forward until she sees an object. Then a motor in the back flips a beam forward and makes Granny fall over. She will scream and display "help i've fallen and i can't get up! (push button)". When you push the button she "claps" and shows a smiley face on her LCD. Set her upright and you can do it all over again! jayko543's even designed a walker for Granny, but works just fine without her walker (she just looks more like an actual Granny with it). This is jayko543's second Creative Use of NXTLOG award (his first was in the Winter Wonderland Challenge). Congrats!

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Golfing Biped
Created by: NXTsaur

MD-X2.4
Created by: 222Doc

Ape Biped (TWO LEGED)
Created by: nickguletskii

IAB V2 (Independant Automated Biped)
Created by: Murcielago53

robo walker
Created by: kineticenergy

A Clone War(featuring the AT-JW)
Created by: RrangerRick

biped walker
Created by: teenager101

Realy tiny walker (RTW) V1
Created by: srh1502
Lots of NXTLOGgers took up the ultimate challenge of building a MINDSTORMS NXT Biped. Although there were many stunning entries, we can only acknoledge a few. But, you can visit, comment, and now RATE all the robots entered this competition by entering the tag nxt200803

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Bipedal Dragon Prototype
Created by: billy259

The Bipedal Dragon Prototype has loose ankles that can bend left or right, tilting the robot as it steps. The Prototype also moves a hinged NXT intelligent brick left and right when it is stepping. The mechanism is a simple hookup to and extension on the legs (similar to the way Alpha Rex has that hookup). It is simple, but effective, and does not strain the motors. Combined with the rubber grippers in its feet, it is able to step forward and walk. Weightshifting is a bit difficult to manage when you want your robot to look a certain way, but in the end The Bipedal Dragon Prototype came out looking pretty good! billy259 provides an incredibly detailed NXTLOG, excellent pictures, and annotated program files (we would love to see some video now). Congrats on winning the Champion's Award! (This is billy259's 8th project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
NeXTBIRD (or MODEL 05)
Created by: NeXTSTORM

NeXTBIRD was designed to look, walk, and act like an actual bird (and birds are bipeds). When NeXTBIRD's program is triggered, it moves its tail up and down making some sounds, or it moves its legs back and forth and seems very happy to see you, or NeXTBIRD will move forward and then, after making some noise, backwards. If the lights turn off, NeXTBIRD will start to snore for 20 seconds. Congratulations NeXTSTORM on your excellence in Robot Design. (This is NeXTSTORM's 5th NXTLOG project.)

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Little Bigfoot
Created by: Mister.Tux

This is no ordinary biped, according to Mister.Tux, this rare species of NXT is related to Bigfoot, yes, the Bigfoot. The cute, 6 inch tall creature can scuttle at speeds up to 6 feet per minute. It's huge feet, each, at average, 5 inches by 6 1/2 inches will stomp down anything in it's path. You better keep an eye out next time you dare to camp out the woods! It took Mister.Tux three tries before constucting a working biped walking system. Working on the advice of the "tips" part of the MINDSTORMS NXT Biped Competition posting, Mister.Tux analyzed how humans walk. "I saw that when I step forward, I first pick up my heel then swing my foot forward while flattening it out. I then used gears to copy this movement." Mister.Tux's program is simple and effective (it's annotated too). For all your hard work and determination Mister.Tux, your Little Bigfoot project is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is Mister.Tux's 5th NXTLOG project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
The helpi'vefallenandican'tgetup! biped
Created by: jayko543

The H.I.F.A.I.C.G.U., (or "Granny") is a biped that will walk forward until she sees an object. Then a motor in the back flips a beam forward and makes Granny fall over. She will scream and display "help i've fallen and i can't get up! (push button)". When you push the button she "claps" and shows a smiley face on her LCD. Set her upright and you can do it all over again! jayko543's even designed a walker for Granny, but works just fine without her walker (she just looks more like an actual Granny with it). This is jayko543's second Creative Use of NXTLOG award (his first was in the Winter Wonderland Challenge). Congrats!

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Golfing Biped
Created by: NXTsaur

MD-X2.4
Created by: 222Doc

Ape Biped (TWO LEGED)
Created by: nickguletskii

IAB V2 (Independant Automated Biped)
Created by: Murcielago53

robo walker
Created by: kineticenergy

A Clone War(featuring the AT-JW)
Created by: RrangerRick

biped walker
Created by: teenager101

Realy tiny walker (RTW) V1
Created by: srh1502

Two new updates on MINDSTORMS.com. A new improved NXTLOG 2.0 and brand new site, Ask the NXTperts.

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today we launched a big website update - check it out!

NXTLOG 2.0!

Yes, a new and improved NXTLOG! You now can upload video, rate your favorite projects and have a better search experience.
We also updated the rules to help make NXTLOG not only a safe and fun community, but also the go-to place on the web for the best MINDSTORMS NXT projects.

What are you waiting for? Visit the NXTLOG 2.0 now!

NXTLOG 2.0

Ask the NXTperts

Have you ever wanted to ask an expert's advice on MINDSTORMS NXT robot you are building? Well now you can...ask a NXTpert!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS team has pulled together a panel of NXTperts to answer questions you may have about building, programming, or even advanced questions to improve your robotics knowledge.

Visit Ask the NXTperts to see the latest round of questions and answers or ask your own question today.

Play well!
Today we launched a big website update - check it out!

NXTLOG 2.0!

Yes, a new and improved NXTLOG! You now can upload video, rate your favorite projects and have a better search experience.
We also updated the rules to help make NXTLOG not only a safe and fun community, but also the go-to place on the web for the best MINDSTORMS NXT projects.

What are you waiting for? Visit the NXTLOG 2.0 now!

NXTLOG 2.0

Ask the NXTperts

Have you ever wanted to ask an expert's advice on MINDSTORMS NXT robot you are building? Well now you can...ask a NXTpert!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS team has pulled together a panel of NXTperts to answer questions you may have about building, programming, or even advanced questions to improve your robotics knowledge.

Visit Ask the NXTperts to see the latest round of questions and answers or ask your own question today.

Play well!

NXT Biped Inpsiration from Yoshihito Isogawa

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT
There are only a few days left to enter the MINDSTORMS NXT Biped Building Challenge! We had a chance to talk to Yoshihito Isogawa about how he built his NXT Walker, an amazing biped on NXTLOG.

What inspired you to create a NXT Walker?
I tried to build a robot walking like a human being because I felt that I needed to raise my LEGO building technique.

How did you get started on your creation? Did you research other robots or bipeds on how they walked?
At first, I knew that most bipeds that are not made with LEGO have a lot of motors in each joint. However, MINDSTORMS NXT cannot control many motors. Therefore, I try to build bipeds with as few motors as possible. I even realized that it's possible to build a biped with only one motor!

The first biped I made I used a LEGO Micro Scout motor (from the LEGO MINDSTORMS Droid Developer Kit), however, this biped shaked when its foot reached the ground because it had no knees. Therefore knees were added using universal joints.

The second Micro Scout biped I made was the protype for my NXT Walker:
NXT Walker
I also posted a building guide for my NXT Walker on my website:
NXT Walker Building Guide

What were the biggest challenges you faced?
There were two challenges I faced. One was weight balance. I had to adjust the position of the NXT according to which batteries I used (ex. NXT rechargeable batteries or alkaline cell or NiMH rechargeable batteries). Otherwise, the robot falls down. Of course it is hard for the robot to fall down if the back foot becomes bigger, but then the design of biped doesn't look cool.

Another challenge was the setting of the ankles and legs. When even one tooth of a gear slips, the biped cannot walk very well.

What was the best feeling you had creating the NXT Walker?
I feel happy when anyone who watches the NXT Walker is surprised.

What advice would you give to builders who wish to create a NXT biped?
The most difficult thing for bipeds is the shifting of the center-of-gravity. I would encourage builders to think about how they will create their biped in various ways. It is very difficult to build bipeds, so it’s a good idea to get started with four-legged robots or six-legged robots.

Are you building any bipeds now?
I am building a single motor biped which can turn! The prototype is completed, but I am going to make its design more beautiful and then will publish it soon.

What else have you worked on?
I have published some LEGO books in Japan. One of them is the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Orange Book:
MINDSTORMS.com/Books

I also published a new LEGO technique book last year. This is a PDF file that can be downloaded from my website:
LEGO Technic Tora no Maki

Also see my website of LEGO Creations:
www.isogawastudio.co.jp/legostudio/

Don't forget to visit the NXT Walker on NXTLOG:
NXT Walker
Posted by: yoccha

And enter the MINDSTORMS NXT Biped Building Challenge

Thank you Yoshihito!There are only a few days left to enter the MINDSTORMS NXT Biped Building Challenge! We had a chance to talk to Yoshihito Isogawa about how he built his NXT Walker, an amazing biped on NXTLOG.

What inspired you to create a NXT Walker?
I tried to build a robot walking like a human being because I felt that I needed to raise my LEGO building technique.

How did you get started on your creation? Did you research other robots or bipeds on how they walked?
At first, I knew that most bipeds that are not made with LEGO have a lot of motors in each joint. However, MINDSTORMS NXT cannot control many motors. Therefore, I try to build bipeds with as few motors as possible. I even realized that it's possible to build a biped with only one motor!

The first biped I made I used a LEGO Micro Scout motor (from the LEGO MINDSTORMS Droid Developer Kit), however, this biped shaked when its foot reached the ground because it had no knees. Therefore knees were added using universal joints.

The second Micro Scout biped I made was the protype for my NXT Walker:
NXT Walker
I also posted a building guide for my NXT Walker on my website:
NXT Walker Building Guide

What were the biggest challenges you faced?
There were two challenges I faced. One was weight balance. I had to adjust the position of the NXT according to which batteries I used (ex. NXT rechargeable batteries or alkaline cell or NiMH rechargeable batteries). Otherwise, the robot falls down. Of course it is hard for the robot to fall down if the back foot becomes bigger, but then the design of biped doesn't look cool.

Another challenge was the setting of the ankles and legs. When even one tooth of a gear slips, the biped cannot walk very well.

What was the best feeling you had creating the NXT Walker?
I feel happy when anyone who watches the NXT Walker is surprised.

What advice would you give to builders who wish to create a NXT biped?
The most difficult thing for bipeds is the shifting of the center-of-gravity. I would encourage builders to think about how they will create their biped in various ways. It is very difficult to build bipeds, so it’s a good idea to get started with four-legged robots or six-legged robots.

Are you building any bipeds now?
I am building a single motor biped which can turn! The prototype is completed, but I am going to make its design more beautiful and then will publish it soon.

What else have you worked on?
I have published some LEGO books in Japan. One of them is the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Orange Book:
MINDSTORMS.com/Books

I also published a new LEGO technique book last year. This is a PDF file that can be downloaded from my website:
LEGO Technic Tora no Maki

Also see my website of LEGO Creations:
www.isogawastudio.co.jp/legostudio/

Don't forget to visit the NXT Walker on NXTLOG:
NXT Walker
Posted by: yoccha

And enter the MINDSTORMS NXT Biped Building Challenge

Thank you Yoshihito!

Robotic Easter egg event is deliciously fun!

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT
On March 22nd, hundreds of kids came to see SMART's (Seattle MINDSTORMSand Robotic Techies) annual Robotic Easter Egg Hunt, held this year at the LEGO Store in Bellevue Square near Seattle, Washington USA. Besides being fun, one thing robots often do is make things easier for people. Not that searching for eggs on Easter morning is super difficult, and certainly it's fun to do, but at this event it was a different sort of fun as the LEGO MINDSTORMS robots searched for chocolate Easter eggs and practically delivered them right into the hands of the eager kids.

This year seven different robots built by SMART members handed out thousands of chocolate Easter eggs! Each robot had a different idea about how to collect the eggs and get them over the edge. Some pushed eggs to the edge and then lifted them over. Some scooped them up and dropped them over the edge. Some delivered a dozen eggs or more at once. Some only delivered one or two at a time. All of them were appreciated by the kids, as well as adults!On March 22nd, hundreds of kids came to see SMART's (Seattle MINDSTORMSand Robotic Techies) annual Robotic Easter Egg Hunt, held this year at the LEGO Store in Bellevue Square near Seattle, Washington USA. Besides being fun, one thing robots often do is make things easier for people. Not that searching for eggs on Easter morning is super difficult, and certainly it's fun to do, but at this event it was a different sort of fun as the LEGO MINDSTORMS robots searched for chocolate Easter eggs and practically delivered them right into the hands of the eager kids.

This year seven different robots built by SMART members handed out thousands of chocolate Easter eggs! Each robot had a different idea about how to collect the eggs and get them over the edge. Some pushed eggs to the edge and then lifted them over. Some scooped them up and dropped them over the edge. Some delivered a dozen eggs or more at once. Some only delivered one or two at a time. All of them were appreciated by the kids, as well as adults!

Robotic Easter Egg Hunt in Seatlle, Washington, USA

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:00:00 GMT
SMART (the Seattle Mindstorms and Robotic Techies) are getting their robots warmed up to look for Easter eggs. Come Easter weekend, a large field will be scattered with chocolate eggs. Robots will scurry across the field looking for the yummies, and deliver them to hands of eager kids waiting at the edges. SMART will also be showing one of their Crate Contraptions -- cooperating robots that tirelessly move crates and LEGO soccer balls around in a fascinating robotic ballet.

If you live in the Seattle area, come by Bellevue Square on Saturday, March 22nd between 10am and 4pm to see our robots in action. And enjoy a few chocolate eggs while you're there!SMART (the Seattle Mindstorms and Robotic Techies) are getting their robots warmed up to look for Easter eggs. Come Easter weekend, a large field will be scattered with chocolate eggs. Robots will scurry across the field looking for the yummies, and deliver them to hands of eager kids waiting at the edges. SMART will also be showing one of their Crate Contraptions -- cooperating robots that tirelessly move crates and LEGO soccer balls around in a fascinating robotic ballet.

If you live in the Seattle area, come by Bellevue Square on Saturday, March 22nd between 10am and 4pm to see our robots in action. And enjoy a few chocolate eggs while you're there!

Sample chapter from The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo book now available!

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:00:00 GMT
Visitors to MINDSTORMS.com can now download a sample chapter from Fay Rhodes' book, The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo, A Kid-Friendly Guide to Building Animals with the NXT Robotics System! The sample chapter includes building and programming instructions for a robotic LEGO dinosaur (a LEGOsaurus). We had a chance to interview Fay about her book, and you can download the sample chapter from the MINDSTORMS.com/books page.

What is your experience with LEGO MINDSTORMS?
My husband, Rick, purchased an NXT to use with his son when they first came out in the summer of 2006. I had never touched a robotics kit until he asked for my assistance on a project a few months later. In helping him, I discovered that I had a knack for it and saw a lot of interesting possibilities for teaching enhancement and creative expression.

What inspired you to write this book?
It started with simple curiosity. I was intrigued by what the NXT could do and really curious about how to make things happen. (Still am!) I'm not a scientist by training, so I had to begin with the basics of simple machines. I was particularly interested in how I could make a robot walk.

Then I noticed that visitors to NXTLOG were asking for models of animals---and that the models being posted didn't really look like the animals they were supposed to be. Sometimes they didn't act like those animals either. That inspired me to see if I could design robots that both looked and acted like specific animals.

When I started designing them, I had no intention of writing a book; I just shared them with a few other people and they seemed really enthused about my designs (enhanced by the funny videos my husband created for each model). Even then, when I began to think about a book, I thought in terms of co-authoring, rather than doing a whole book.

In fact, I think it was when my husband told me I couldn't create enough models on my own for a book that I decided to do it---just to prove to him that I could.

How long did it take you to write the book?
I'm not sure, but I think I designed the robots and created the building images in MLCAD and LPub over a period of about six months.

What is your favorite model in the book?
I'm most proud of designing a robot that hops, because so many of the experts told me no one had figured out how to do that. A friend who is an engineer told me that the design was so simple, he'd never have though of it.

The robot I enjoy watching the most is the peacock. It always brings a smile to my face and others seem to enjoy it even more than I do. The skunk would be a close second, except that I have to chase after that darn dart everywhere. Once, I lost it under my gas stove and it took me a l-o-n-g time to find and recover it.

Why are you sharing this chapter?
The first reason is that people may not realize they that these models require extra parts. I want them to understand that before they purchase the book. I also hope they will enjoy building the LEGOsaurus so much that they will want to build the other models.

Also, it's important to me that people get what they expect---models that work. So much we buy doesn't work as advertised. We worked really hard to make the instructions clear. In fact, I owe a lot to those who tested my instructions (my husband Rick and his son Connor), and to Megan and Riley at No Starch, who worked hard to clarify building images that just weren't clear enough. I'm hoping that this sample chapter will erase any doubts.

What advice do you have to MINDSTORMS NXT builders?
Observe and persevere. Even though you may not be a "rocket scientist", you can learn a lot by observing the different mechanisms in the models on NXTLOG and by observing things that move in the rest of the world. Don't hesitate to pose your questions to the NXTperts on this website or to the readers of the NXTstep Forum.

I owe my success in creating a hopping robot to a simple device (made with a few straws) that I saw on a Scientific American television program. It made me realize that sometimes moving forward requires that you prevent backward motion.

Anything else you would like to add?
Yes, I would like to encourage parents and grandparents to use the NXT kit as an opportunity to teach---or to learn along with---their children and grandchildren. You don't have to be a scientist to have fun with the NXT, and young children can become discouraged if left on their own with the kit.

Also, don't be afraid to think more broadly about the NXT. I consider my animals to be pieces of art that interact with their environment. The NXT offers so many creative possibilities for artists and other creative folk!

Finally, never say you are too old for learning how to build with the NXT. Instead of doing page after page of crosswords and Sudoku, get yourself an NXT kit and exercise those brain cells. And I'll tell you a secret, your grandchildren will think you are coolest grandparent ever when you pull out your kit and invite them to build with you. If your grandchildren have a technical bent, you'll find them teaching you things---which is a wonderful way for both of you to learn and to build on your relationship!Visitors to MINDSTORMS.com can now download a sample chapter from Fay Rhodes' book, The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo, A Kid-Friendly Guide to Building Animals with the NXT Robotics System! The sample chapter includes building and programming instructions for a robotic LEGO dinosaur (a LEGOsaurus). We had a chance to interview Fay about her book, and you can download the sample chapter from the MINDSTORMS.com/books page.

What is your experience with LEGO MINDSTORMS?
My husband, Rick, purchased an NXT to use with his son when they first came out in the summer of 2006. I had never touched a robotics kit until he asked for my assistance on a project a few months later. In helping him, I discovered that I had a knack for it and saw a lot of interesting possibilities for teaching enhancement and creative expression.

What inspired you to write this book?
It started with simple curiosity. I was intrigued by what the NXT could do and really curious about how to make things happen. (Still am!) I'm not a scientist by training, so I had to begin with the basics of simple machines. I was particularly interested in how I could make a robot walk.

Then I noticed that visitors to NXTLOG were asking for models of animals---and that the models being posted didn't really look like the animals they were supposed to be. Sometimes they didn't act like those animals either. That inspired me to see if I could design robots that both looked and acted like specific animals.

When I started designing them, I had no intention of writing a book; I just shared them with a few other people and they seemed really enthused about my designs (enhanced by the funny videos my husband created for each model). Even then, when I began to think about a book, I thought in terms of co-authoring, rather than doing a whole book.

In fact, I think it was when my husband told me I couldn't create enough models on my own for a book that I decided to do it---just to prove to him that I could.

How long did it take you to write the book?
I'm not sure, but I think I designed the robots and created the building images in MLCAD and LPub over a period of about six months.

What is your favorite model in the book?
I'm most proud of designing a robot that hops, because so many of the experts told me no one had figured out how to do that. A friend who is an engineer told me that the design was so simple, he'd never have though of it.

The robot I enjoy watching the most is the peacock. It always brings a smile to my face and others seem to enjoy it even more than I do. The skunk would be a close second, except that I have to chase after that darn dart everywhere. Once, I lost it under my gas stove and it took me a l-o-n-g time to find and recover it.

Why are you sharing this chapter?
The first reason is that people may not realize they that these models require extra parts. I want them to understand that before they purchase the book. I also hope they will enjoy building the LEGOsaurus so much that they will want to build the other models.

Also, it's important to me that people get what they expect---models that work. So much we buy doesn't work as advertised. We worked really hard to make the instructions clear. In fact, I owe a lot to those who tested my instructions (my husband Rick and his son Connor), and to Megan and Riley at No Starch, who worked hard to clarify building images that just weren't clear enough. I'm hoping that this sample chapter will erase any doubts.

What advice do you have to MINDSTORMS NXT builders?
Observe and persevere. Even though you may not be a "rocket scientist", you can learn a lot by observing the different mechanisms in the models on NXTLOG and by observing things that move in the rest of the world. Don't hesitate to pose your questions to the NXTperts on this website or to the readers of the NXTstep Forum.

I owe my success in creating a hopping robot to a simple device (made with a few straws) that I saw on a Scientific American television program. It made me realize that sometimes moving forward requires that you prevent backward motion.

Anything else you would like to add?
Yes, I would like to encourage parents and grandparents to use the NXT kit as an opportunity to teach---or to learn along with---their children and grandchildren. You don't have to be a scientist to have fun with the NXT, and young children can become discouraged if left on their own with the kit.

Also, don't be afraid to think more broadly about the NXT. I consider my animals to be pieces of art that interact with their environment. The NXT offers so many creative possibilities for artists and other creative folk!

Finally, never say you are too old for learning how to build with the NXT. Instead of doing page after page of crosswords and Sudoku, get yourself an NXT kit and exercise those brain cells. And I'll tell you a secret, your grandchildren will think you are coolest grandparent ever when you pull out your kit and invite them to build with you. If your grandchildren have a technical bent, you'll find them teaching you things---which is a wonderful way for both of you to learn and to build on your relationship!

MINDSTORMS NXT Camera Bot Building Challenge Winners

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:00:00 GMT
100's of NXTLOGgers entered the Camera Bot Building Challenge. We saw entries ranging from NXT photo booths to automatic panoramic robotic cameras. Visit and comment on all the robots in this competition by entering the tag "nxt200802"

Here are the winners (cue cameras):

CHAMPION'S AWARD
OPTICKS (or MODEL O3)
Created by: NeXTSTORM

OPTICKS is capable of rotating an embedded camera on both a vertical and horizontal axis, making it possible to take detailed panoramic 360 photos, including a sky-view. OPTICKS can be triggered automatically (motion, sound, light) or manually (touch). This robot is equipped with three motors (A, B, C), four sensors (Light , Sound, Touch, and Ultrasonic), a single NXT brick and one digital photo camera. For an innovative concept, design, construction, and programming we award the OPTICKS the Champion's Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 3rd project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
PanoBot
Created by: GuzanPT

PanoBot is a panoramic camera as it can take pictures in 360º in the horizontal plane and about 60º in the vertical plane. The bot has a manual mode and an automatic mode. In manual mode you control the rotation, tilt, and the trigger. In automatic mode (depending on the variables) you can take a panorama picture with your desired horizontal and vertical degrees. GuzanPT beased the design off a robot arm bot found on the internet. Many adjustments were made to construct the automatic trigger. Congrats GuzanPT on your excellence in Robot Design. (This is GuzanPT's 3rd NXTLOG project.)

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Photo Laboratory
Created by: Giorgis

This multifunction camera bot can take photos with a digital camera, but it can also be used to snap photos of intruders. What is most ingenious obout this robot is its program. You can select "clap control" (the robot takes photo when you clap your hands) or "timer control" (the robot waits 15 or 20 seconds before it takes the photo). But the best is the alarm mode! It has two selections: light alarm (the robot takes a photo when somebody turns on the light in your room) or the ultrasonic alarm (the robot takes a photo when somebody comes 2 meters close to it). For ingenious programming, The Photo Laboratory is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is Giorgis's 12th NXTLOG project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
PhotoBoothBot
Created by: TB0Y

TB0Y designed a PhotoBoothBot. A cardboard box is used for the booth, and the robot uses the Ultrasonic Sensor to detect when someone enters or leaves the booth. When someone enters, it says "Hello," and after waiting a few seconds it says, "Push button to start." After the touch sensor is pushed, it waits a couple seconds for the person to pose and then says "3-2-1-smile." The button pusher arm comes down and pushes the button on the camera and the picture is taken. A total of 3 pictures are taken then it says "Please exit," and after the person exits, it says "Thank you. Have a nice day." Congrats TB0Y on the Creative Use of NXTLOG award! (TB0Y has 2 projects on NXTLOG.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Here are some more Camera Bots worth exploring...

Nadar 1.0 *Judges Entry*
Created by: brdavis42 (MCP Brian Davis)

DSC-F717 Cambot V1
Created by: Krystman

Nature Camera
Created by: Inglebert45

360/180 VR Panorama Camera
Created by: 2ndclemens

TrafficBot
Created by: Netwreck

PanoraBot
Created by: Exile-NXT

Camerabot Search & Destroy
Created by: NIKOLAS3220

Proffesional Photobot 1
Created by: Rakite
100's of NXTLOGgers entered the Camera Bot Building Challenge. We saw entries ranging from NXT photo booths to automatic panoramic robotic cameras. Visit and comment on all the robots in this competition by entering the tag "nxt200802"

Here are the winners (cue cameras):

CHAMPION'S AWARD
OPTICKS (or MODEL O3)
Created by: NeXTSTORM

OPTICKS is capable of rotating an embedded camera on both a vertical and horizontal axis, making it possible to take detailed panoramic 360 photos, including a sky-view. OPTICKS can be triggered automatically (motion, sound, light) or manually (touch). This robot is equipped with three motors (A, B, C), four sensors (Light , Sound, Touch, and Ultrasonic), a single NXT brick and one digital photo camera. For an innovative concept, design, construction, and programming we award the OPTICKS the Champion's Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 3rd project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
PanoBot
Created by: GuzanPT

PanoBot is a panoramic camera as it can take pictures in 360º in the horizontal plane and about 60º in the vertical plane. The bot has a manual mode and an automatic mode. In manual mode you control the rotation, tilt, and the trigger. In automatic mode (depending on the variables) you can take a panorama picture with your desired horizontal and vertical degrees. GuzanPT beased the design off a robot arm bot found on the internet. Many adjustments were made to construct the automatic trigger. Congrats GuzanPT on your excellence in Robot Design. (This is GuzanPT's 3rd NXTLOG project.)

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Photo Laboratory
Created by: Giorgis

This multifunction camera bot can take photos with a digital camera, but it can also be used to snap photos of intruders. What is most ingenious obout this robot is its program. You can select "clap control" (the robot takes photo when you clap your hands) or "timer control" (the robot waits 15 or 20 seconds before it takes the photo). But the best is the alarm mode! It has two selections: light alarm (the robot takes a photo when somebody turns on the light in your room) or the ultrasonic alarm (the robot takes a photo when somebody comes 2 meters close to it). For ingenious programming, The Photo Laboratory is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is Giorgis's 12th NXTLOG project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
PhotoBoothBot
Created by: TB0Y

TB0Y designed a PhotoBoothBot. A cardboard box is used for the booth, and the robot uses the Ultrasonic Sensor to detect when someone enters or leaves the booth. When someone enters, it says "Hello," and after waiting a few seconds it says, "Push button to start." After the touch sensor is pushed, it waits a couple seconds for the person to pose and then says "3-2-1-smile." The button pusher arm comes down and pushes the button on the camera and the picture is taken. A total of 3 pictures are taken then it says "Please exit," and after the person exits, it says "Thank you. Have a nice day." Congrats TB0Y on the Creative Use of NXTLOG award! (TB0Y has 2 projects on NXTLOG.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Here are some more Camera Bots worth exploring...

Nadar 1.0 *Judges Entry*
Created by: brdavis42 (MCP Brian Davis)

DSC-F717 Cambot V1
Created by: Krystman

Nature Camera
Created by: Inglebert45

360/180 VR Panorama Camera
Created by: 2ndclemens

TrafficBot
Created by: Netwreck

PanoraBot
Created by: Exile-NXT

Camerabot Search & Destroy
Created by: NIKOLAS3220

Proffesional Photobot 1
Created by: Rakite