tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-319460602011-11-27T17:05:53.187-08:00Bringing you the latest in Mindstorms NXT Robotics.AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-2984757316018754652009-12-25T12:38:00.000-08:002009-12-25T13:10:00.838-08:00

In 1948 Alan Turing described a Logical Computing Machine with the following definition: "An infinite memory capacity obtained in the form of an infinite tape marked out into squares on each of which a symbol could be printed. At any moment there is one symbol in the machine; it is called the scanned symbol. The machine can alter the scanned symbol and its behavior is in part determined by that

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-30561886489037781472008-06-26T17:57:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:03:54.193-08:00

Just a cool little tidbit I picked up on while surfing around, someone has come up with a Mindstorms NXT version of the robot WALL-E from the new upcoming Pixar movie! I can't wait to see the flick and this only makes me want to see it even more!Check it out here.

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-28103898538390672892007-12-19T12:05:00.000-08:002007-12-23T17:52:38.748-08:00

WiigoBotLego Mindstorms NXT SegwaySPC (Self Parking Car)NXT Rubik's cube solver - Final versionDanny's Mindstorms NXT Rubik Cube Solver

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-6077228587581599452007-12-09T12:09:00.000-08:002007-12-09T12:12:30.504-08:00

Here is a cool project I ran across while browsing YouTube. A group of software creators used the NXT system to create a fully functioning warehouse environment.

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-41797918690515287392007-12-05T10:01:00.000-08:002007-12-05T10:19:05.547-08:00

I've seen some really cool robots created over the past few years. Alot of times I try to emulate their creations and make them myself. The problem however is that I just can't seem to nail down exactly how the robot was put together.Recently I stumbled upon a website that has a pretty creative idea of showcasing robots and giving users the exact instructions on how to build them. The website is

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-74683836343739809512007-07-20T15:10:00.000-07:002007-07-21T08:32:25.072-07:00

No, this isn't some awful joke meant to ruin your day, Brickshelf is really back from the dead! The boys at Brickshelf had this to say:"Notice: Brickshelf will not be shutting down!We will be offering "featured" accounts for $5/month shortly. We have received hundreds of supportive emails in the past few days including many who said they would like to contribute financially but did not know how.

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-82236317688775490522007-07-17T19:38:00.000-07:002007-07-17T19:47:55.540-07:00

You may have noticed a bit of news information that is making it's way around the Lego blogosphere in the past couple of days. That is: Brickshelf.com is closing.Brickshelf has posted on the top of their home page in big red letters: "Notice: Brickshelf will be shutting down on 2007/07/31. Please save your files to your computer."While at first the website was taken down with no prior notice, it

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-9620383804710397502007-07-08T08:11:00.000-07:002007-07-08T20:59:24.179-07:00

How many times have you found yourself sitting in front of a pile of Legos with not a single idea of what to build. Well, here are a few tips that can help keep the creative juices flowing and provide you with some inspiration.Possibly the best method of inspiration I have ever heard of is the use of something called a "Morgue File." Originally it started out as a web designer's tool, but in my

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-38721666270098682352007-07-03T20:46:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:03:54.494-08:00

A few months ago in April, the LEGO Mindstorms website sported a brand new feature - building contests. The first two contests included a FLL robot and a quadruped walker. Now for the third challenge, LEGO wants to see you build your best bug bot! Your challenge is to design a NXT Insect or a NXT robot that can fight pesky pests.Your insect creations are judged on a few different aspects

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-67270339906584679882007-07-01T21:52:00.000-07:002007-07-01T22:08:02.873-07:00

Check out this cool find over at the nxtasy blog.Ulli Kortenkamp has used bluetooth technology along with an Apple Macbook's internal gravity sensors to create a gravity controlled robot.Ulli Writes on the You Tube page:"In this video we show how to use the gravity sensor of a Apple MacBook Pro in order to remote control a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot. They connect via bluetooth, and the Interactive

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-7063865118445592502007-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:03:54.657-08:00

HiTechnic has done it again with the introduction of their newest sensor: The NXT IRSeeker. The new sensor does exactly what it is named for: it seeks out infrared light sources. Outfitted with an array of infrared sensors, the IRSeeker has a 135 degree field of vision. With the multiple sensors inside, the IRSeeker can display approximately where and how far away an IR light source is from the

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-58826619160174269832007-06-16T00:27:00.000-07:002008-12-11T05:03:54.831-08:00

With the addition of the bluetooth technology in the Mindstorms NXT system a whole new area of control was opened. The guys over at LEGO have introduced bluetooth support for the Mindstorms NXT system in the area of bluetooth enabled cell phones.Recently, LEGO has made available their NXT Mobile Application that allows you to control your robot wirelessly via bluetooth technology. According to

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-85134950431383923372007-06-13T08:21:00.000-07:002007-06-13T08:29:16.291-07:00

The NXTLOG is a fully moderated community set up on http://legomindstorms.com where users can share their creations with the rest of the world. The basic idea of the NXTLOG is to share your projects, archive the results, and get inspiration from other people's inventions.The four step process to sharing your creations as described by Lego:Build your project!Document what you did. Take pictures,

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-54586185487246821372007-05-28T20:51:00.000-07:002007-05-28T21:00:52.608-07:00

Here is a list I have compiled of the best selling Lego Mindstorms NXT books to date.Extreme NXT: Extending the LEGO Mindstorms NXT to the Next Level By:Michael GasperiLEGO Mindstorms NXT: The Mayan Adventure by: Jim KellyLEGO Mindstorms NXT Hacker's Guide by: Dave ProchnowBuilding Robots with LEGO Mindstorms NXT by: by Mario Ferrari, Guilio Ferrari,

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-9283532227209863082007-04-11T22:20:00.000-07:002007-04-11T22:28:11.442-07:00

Little late on this one, but the hard working guys over at leJOS have released the leJOS NXJ alpha 0.2.0 build. In case you are not familiar with leJOS, it is an advanced Java programming system for the NXT or RCX. This newest version of leJOS offers Bluetooth, Ultrasonic sesnor, and sound support. Please keep in mind that it is a work in progress, but you can grab it from the download

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1175895209503228492007-04-06T14:18:00.000-07:002007-04-06T14:33:32.766-07:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to wish everyone out there a happy Easter!For your viewing pleasure, here are a few easter related NXT robots:Mike Brandl's Egg PlotterAndreas Dreier's Egg PlotterMatthias Paul Sholz's East BunnyHave a wonderful weekend everyone.

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1175287987937319612007-03-30T14:48:00.000-07:002007-03-30T14:53:08.986-07:00

Ok so I know I haven't posted an article or anything in the longest time. I guess I fell prey to "blogger exhaustion" as they call it. When I was browsing Digg earlier today, I saw something too good not to post.On of the guys over at Battle Bricks has come up with a robot to play the Wii Sports Bowling game. This robot is capable of bowling a perfect 300 every single game!Check out the video:

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1157865729049590562006-09-09T22:08:00.000-07:002006-12-14T12:33:37.340-08:00

I wanted to take some time out today to highlight the NXtasy.org Repository run by Dick Swan.A repository is a central place where data is stored and maintained. The NXTasy Repository fits the description perfectly! The People over at NXTasy.org have put up an archive where users can submit their models, coding examples, schematics, designs, and more...The Repository has great potential if users

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1157516074104971872006-09-05T21:05:00.000-07:002006-09-05T21:15:38.230-07:00

Hey guys! Sorry about my absence, there was a slight issue with a certain lightning strike... Thankfully everything has been fixed now and I'm up and running again.In other news, yesterday John Hanson released the newest beta release of the NeXT Byte Codes programming software. Version 1.0.1.b7 beta adds a new symbol generator feature and addresses a bug in which processing parametrized macros

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1156791662479728562006-08-28T12:00:00.000-07:002007-01-24T03:31:20.443-08:00

Another MDP profile has been added to the Lego Mindstorms website. This time it is software engineer John Hansen.You most likely know John Hansen for his work with BricxCC. A few years ago John took over lead development for the RcxCC project for the popular coding language Not Quite C or NQC for short. He rewrote the code and renamed the project BricxCC and in the process added support for all

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1156745953251560272006-08-27T23:14:00.000-07:002006-08-27T23:19:13.743-07:00

Hey guys I hope you like the new blogger template I have been working this past week. It should make things alot more organized and easier to read! A few little updates here and there... Hope you like it!-Jacool

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1156514609548335032006-08-25T07:02:00.000-07:002006-08-25T07:03:29.880-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen it is that time of year again! Today marks the official start of Brickfest 2006! For the next three days thousands of LEGO enthusiasts will converge on Sheraton Premiere Ballroom located in Washington DC. Models ranging from huge 10+ foot tall skyscrapers to Mindstorms NXT robots will be on display. Also on the menu for Brickfest 2006 is the highlight of the Mindstorms NXT

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1156305854695736482006-08-22T21:03:00.000-07:002006-08-22T21:04:14.976-07:00

The Lego Mindstorms NXT Wiki at http://www.nxt-mindstorms.com needs some help! A wiki is really only as good as it's contributors!The problem with the Mindstorms community is that the information is spread about with bits and pieces everywhere. Each person has their own specialty or area knowledge that they have put somewhere on the web. This Mindstorms NXT Wiki is the perfect place for that

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1156174549531257452006-08-21T08:35:00.000-07:002006-08-21T08:35:49.986-07:00

In a recent article featured on Forbes entitled "The Robots are Coming!" the Lego Mindstorms NXT Robotics system was featured as one of the 7 amazing robots that will change your life. Also in this article, Lego Mindstorms Director Soren Lund describes how the Mindstorms NXT system is, "helping bring what was once considered esoteric engineering into the hands of enthusiasts everywhere in the

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1156115047026881992006-08-20T15:20:00.000-07:002006-08-20T16:04:07.383-07:00

Andrew aka Legoguy over at the Nxtasy Forums has created a Lego Mindstorms NXT robot, equipped with the Vision Command camera, that can be controlled remotely over the Internet. Andrew built the whole setup from scratch using Lego's recently released Bluetooth SDK.He said, "The very moment LEGO released their SDK (mainly the Bluetooth SDK) I was on the case with my Linux box. I had primitive

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155996459689911702006-08-19T06:53:00.000-07:002006-08-20T09:07:45.276-07:00

Over at the Lugnet forums, John Hanson has announced that the newest BrixCC version is available along with an updated version of NBC version 1.0.1.b5. However, the most exciting release of the day is the source code release for NBC. Read what John had to say...I have today made the current test release of BricxCC (with a few minorNBC-related changes) into an official release (version 3.3.7.15).I

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155832237467960332006-08-17T09:21:00.000-07:002006-08-17T09:30:40.680-07:00

I absolutely love YouTube! I could spend hours a day on that website... However, recently when I was looking at video's I noticed that there are a ton of NXT videos! Most of them include personal inventions at work and programming. I've picked some of the best of them and displayed them after the link...NXT ClapperWhy go out and buy the twenty dollar version when you can turn your $250 NXT into a

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155777933903688042006-08-16T18:25:00.000-07:002006-09-06T19:16:16.906-07:00

Imagine a beehive, all of the workers and soldiers working together to benefit the queen bee. Each insect has it's very own unique task to carry out and perform in order to keep the hive in excellent condition. Now Imagine this community concept being practiced by Lego Mindstorms NXT robots.Over at Lugnet Jordan Bradford has brought up the idea of building a swarm of NXT robots to show off at

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155655957827691872006-08-15T08:31:00.000-07:002006-08-15T08:32:38.036-07:00

The LEGO Mindstorms Website is now boasting two new MDP Lego Mindstorm's Developers Profiles. The two new developers are Michael "Mike" Brandl and Andreas Dreier.These two new MDP's profiles boast an interesting challenge: building an egg plotter with the NXT system...This egg plotter challenge was brought up three years ago Michael and Adreas had a chat and decided to build such a robot. Each

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155582174674519392006-08-14T12:02:00.000-07:002006-08-14T12:02:54.900-07:00

Last week LEGO Mindstorms along with National Instruments, creators of the NXT programming system, announced that they would be releasing the NI LabVIEW Kit for the Lego Mindstorms NXT Robotics System. The LabVIEW program opens the possibilities of creating VI's to use with the NXT system along with creating custom blocks of programming for these VI's.The LEGO group's director of the Mindstorms

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155515523868804382006-08-13T16:07:00.000-07:002006-08-13T17:42:09.500-07:00

Along with releasing the schematics and software for the Mindstorms NXT Brick, the LEGO Corp has also decided to release the schematics and configuration specifications for all of the NXT sensors(found here). What this means to the everyday Lego Mindstorms NXT user is that the door has been opened to the possibilities of new advanced sensors.So far two different groups, Hitechnic and Mindsensors,

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1155002229989058972006-08-07T18:32:00.000-07:002006-08-11T14:55:34.546-07:00

One of the most advanced features on the new Mindstorms NXT system is its ability to control and communicate via Bluetooth technology. Inside of the NXT Brick, controlling all Bluetooth communications, is a CSR Blue Core™ 4 chip. This one chip allows the NXT to be connected wirelessly to 3 different sources at the same time. This Bluetooth wireless technology opens the door for thousands of new

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154888607070933652006-08-06T10:29:00.000-07:002006-08-07T22:44:56.333-07:00

Daniele Benedettelli, a member of LEGO's MDP (Mindstorms Developer Program), has designed and built an NXT version of Johnny5 from the 1986 movie Short Circuit. Check out more pictures and a link to his MDP page...Danny is one of a few select builders that have been chosen to take part in a Mindstorms Developer Program. His MDP page can be found at http://mindstorms.lego.com/MeetMDP/DannyB.aspx.

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154784797992398012006-08-05T06:14:00.000-07:002006-08-05T13:46:45.060-07:00

Are you a programmer looking for a more functional and structured code for the NXT? Well, look no longer because NBC (Next Byte Codes) is the language for you! The NBC code is based on the wildly popular NQC (Not Quite C) for the RCX. That means those who have coded before in NQC can now easily learn NBC...Quoting the developers of NBC, "NBC (Next Byte Codes) is a programming language for the

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154750325511484262006-08-04T20:11:00.000-07:002006-08-07T22:47:16.380-07:00

Today is part three of Whats inside the NXT Brick series. Today's article will focus on the sensor ports, how they work, and the three different types of sensors.The NXT features four sensor ports. Thats one extra port compared to the RCX's three input ports. These ports are based on the same six pin/wire design as the motor ports. However, the use of the wires is a little different...Sensor Port

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154664759582698382006-08-03T20:39:00.000-07:002006-08-07T22:48:26.756-07:00

This is part two of Whats inside the NXT Brick series. Yesterday we took a look at the hardware specs and what makes the tick! In this article we will look at how the new motor ports and wiring system work...The NXT Brick has three output motor ports on top of the brick for controlling the newly designed servo motors. To connect the servo to the NXT a 6-wire interface is used. This new six wire

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154568489641643102006-08-02T18:25:00.000-07:002006-08-02T18:28:09.773-07:00

Just a quick update, I've added a bunch of buttons to add our blog feed to your favorite rss aggregators. Hope this helps out in adding your feeds!

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154568258497865192006-08-02T16:59:00.000-07:002006-08-02T18:30:36.633-07:00

This is the first in a series of mini articles that will take a look at the internals of the new Lego Mindstorms NXT Intelligent brick. In these articles I will take a look inside the NXT Brick what it is, how it works, and what makes it run. Check out part one of this series about the hardware inside of the NXT Intelligent Brick.The full hardware specs as released by LEGO are as follows:Main

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154481087536727062006-08-01T17:34:00.000-07:002006-08-07T22:53:05.186-07:00

Contained in the new Lego Mindstorms NXT kit are three newly designed servo motors. Compared to the old 9v square motors contained in the original Robotics Invention System the NXT motors are much slower, but make up for their speed in the amout of power they hold...The servo under no load runs at 170 rpm compared to the old style motor which ran at 360 rpm. The difference however is in the

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154405941805592042006-07-31T21:13:00.000-07:002006-12-21T10:21:11.536-08:00

A little known Mindstorms NXT video is hidden on the front page of the Lego Mindstorms official home page. Check it out and how to find it...The NXT video is hidden in plain sight directly on the Mindstorms home page located here. To access the video first find the "What is NXT?" block near the bottom of the page. Next click on the exclamation mark at the end of the description.By following this

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31946060.post-1154356457350964432006-07-31T06:54:00.000-07:002006-08-01T18:10:13.126-07:00

In 1998 the Lego Corporation™ launched a brand new concept in home robotics. This release was called the Lego Mindstorms Robotic Invention System (RIS). Little did they know that their new release would soon turn into an instant success.Despite the overwhelming success and popularity generated by the Lego Mindstorms project, for some unknown reason (some say it was finances) the Mindstorms line

AceZero1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674001669639421651noreply@blogger.com0