Lego Mindstorms

[Ben Mitchell]

Hi.

LEGO Mindstorms (www.legomindstorms.com) are robots you build and program yourself, using legos, an a programming language (there are several)

FIRST does a Lego League competition, kind of a junior robotics session, but I although i'm not currently involved with an FLL team, I find them interesting.

I've made quasi-strafing hal-tracks, tanks, light-seekers/

but the grandest of all is a model of last years team 303 robot.

It uses three motors, has a claw that opens and closes, moves forward and back along a shaft, and has 4 wheel drive, using lego chains.

There is so much you can do with Mindstorms! I got hooked immediatly. they're not cheap (200$) but well worth it. Check it out at the web site. there's a lot to see.

--Ben Mitchell
--team 303