LEGO Unveils new LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robotics Toolset

[EHaskins]

The NXT will need firmware, but its OPEN SOURCE . look here
I know other OSs existed for the RCX but the source to LEGO's code will be great.

Bluetooth control from cell phone/PDA anyone ?

[Evenstar_342]

The new kits looks very cool. I can't wait until my team gets their hands on it. Hopefully it will massively reduce the problem of imprecise sensors. Does anyone know how FLL is going to block the bluetooth communications?

[prettycolors91]

Originally Posted by Evenstar_342

Does anyone know how FLL is going to block the bluetooth communications?

Thats what I was thinking. But NO MORE STUDS ON THE RCX!! *Tear*. Should make Robofest interesting though if I get my hands on one of these things.

Hehehehehe I get to mentor an FLL team with one of these things....(Must remember to let the kids do the tinkering....Must remember to let the kids do the tinkering...Must...)

[Evenstar_342]

Originally Posted by prettycolors91

Hehehehehe I get to mentor an FLL team with one of these things....(Must remember to let the kids do the tinkering....Must remember to let the kids do the tinkering...Must...)

Yeah, I think its going to be pretty hard to mentor this year and not mess with the team's robot, especially if you're a new mentor (former student). These kits look very cool. Does anyone know when they will be shipped to FLL team who bought new kits as part of the registration package?

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Evenstar_342

Yeah, I think its going to be pretty hard to mentor this year and not mess with the team's robot, especially if you're a new mentor (former student). These kits look very cool. Does anyone know when they will be shipped to FLL team who bought new kits as part of the registration package?

August.
http://www.firstlegoleague.org/default.aspx?pid=21400

[Evenstar_342]

Originally Posted by RoboMom

August.
http://www.firstlegoleague.org/default.aspx?pid=21400

Thanks!

[Astronouth7303]

A little disillusionment and insight. My dad is one of the beta testers, so I've been staring at the brick since February.

The NXT software is a little buggy in terms of block placement and "beam" (execution flow) handling (at least in my version). It's based on Flash and LabVIEW. (Which, in turn, is based on Gecko/Mozilla. Don't believe me? Compare the DLLs in LabVIEW to Firefox.) One of the cooler features is the ability to "wire" parameters from one block to another, so not every piece of data has to be stored in a variable. This is also used to allow you to add arguments to user blocks. There's also the ability to comment programs. Big help for long ones.

The NXT itself has ports for 3 motors and 4 sensors, one of which is "IEC 61158 Type 4/EN 50 170 compliant". (Translation?) The ports are the same size as phone cables, but with 6 leads and the clip off to one side; mirror images of 6-pin DEC/MMJ connectors.

The NXT software allows access to virtually every function, including Bluetooth, buttons, display, "files", sound, on and on. One of the sample images looks like Atari's Super Breakout. (I'm waiting for someone to make it.)

This is an upgrade comparable to the PBASIC/PIC18 upgrade back in 2004.