Lego Mindstorms NXT > Reviews > Lego NXT Mania

Author's product rating:   

Age Group	9 or over
Wear and Tear	Very tough
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Its very educational and fun for kids and adults too
Disadvantages:	Its a bit complex for those not into Lego, bluethooth problems

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Lego Mindstorms NXT

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This was bought on eBay, the UK site. The item was new and unused. All of the bags were unopened. It cost £110 which was a considerable saving on the high street price. I have to say that for me this was the only way it would really be afforded. I am a regular eBayer and so I was more than happy with this type of purchase.

The item was bough for my little boy who is just six. He had been looking at it for a long time, he is really into lego and robotics. The item is actually for an older age group 10+. But he is able to work away on the instructions with supervision. Building the robots is fine for him but he has some problems with the programming language. This is an age cognitive thing and he will pick it up. We have built two stock designs and they have worked well. We are working on our own design of a truck, and progressing, but have had to go back to the drawing board a couple of times, things just don't reach or stretch, but we will get there.

The language can be programmed in with pictures or in hard code. The software that comes with it is fine for this, and it also has designs on it which are so easy to follow.

I bought a Bluetooth dongle for it, but can't get them working right yet. They are handshaking just not working as yet. Also I bought some extra round ended beams from eBay. This is an excelletn idea as it will let you develop even more new ideas. You dont have to get the rounded ones the ordinary lego technic works just as well.

Specifications
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32-bit AT91SAM7S256 main microprocessor (256 KB flash memory, 64 KB RAM)
8-bit ATmega48 microcontroller @ 4 MHz (4 KB flash memory, 512 Bytes RAM)
100×64 pixel LCD matrix display
Can be programmed using Windows or Mac OS (NBC/NXC supports Linux as well)
Users create a program with new software, powered by LabVIEW from National Instruments
A single USB 2.0 port
Bluetooth (Class II) wireless connectivity, to transfer programs to the NXT wirelessly or offer ways to control robots remotely (through mobile phones and possibly by PDA's)
4 input ports, 6-wire cable digital platform (One port includes a IEC 61158 Fieldbus Type 4/EN 50 170 (P-NET) compliant expansion port for future use)
3 output ports, 6-wire cable digital platform
Digital Wire Interface, allowing for third-party development of external devices
Other software can also be used.

Firmware and developer kits
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Lego has released the firmware for the NXT Intelligent Brick as Open Source.
Several developer kits are available that contain documentation for the NXT:
Software Developer Kit (SDK), includes information on host USB drivers, executable file format, and bytecode reference
Hardware Developer Kit (HDK), includes documentation and schematics for the NXT brick and sensors
Bluetooth Developer Kit (BDK), documents the protocols used for Bluetooth communications

Parts
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Included in the base kit:
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519 LEGO Technic parts (and Bionicle parts, including Visorak pincers)
NXT Intelligent Brick
Three servo motors
Ultrasonic distance and movement sensor
Sound sensor, with sound pattern
Light sensor, detecting light intensity
Touch sensor (press/release/bump detection)
Included in the education base set:
431 LEGO Technic parts including:
NXT Intelligent Brick
Rechargeable lithium battery and charger
3 servo motors
1 ultrasonic distance and movement sensor
1 sound sensor, with sound pattern
1 light sensor, detecting light intensity
2 touch sensors (press/release/bump detection)
3 converter cables, for using Mindstorms RIS 2.0 sensors and motors with the NXT brick (each 39cm)
7 connector cables (one 20cm, four 35cm, two 50cm)
3 lamps

Extras
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Well that's pretty much the whole Lego spectrum of products. In particular I would go to ebay and get extra axels & pins.

There are a number of specialist sites providing extra sensors for the brain, see the links section next. These include;
Compass sensor
Color sensor
Accelerometer sensor
Infrared seeker
Gyroscopic sensor
Infrared link sensor

You can also get a number of really good books from amazon. I got the Mayan adventure and da vinci inventions. Have not started them but will be soon.

Links
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http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/
http://www.extremenxt.com/lego.htm

http://www.vernier.com/choosecountry.html?path=/nxt/
http://www.philohome .com/nxt.htm
http://www.hitechnic.com/
http://firsthandtechnology.org.uk/ blogs/ukfll/archive/2007/07/11/new-lego-catalogue-shows-new-nxt-sensors.asp x

Overall
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This is much more than just a toy. As a toy it is one with endless possibilities that provide new options every time the box is opened. Its easily expanded and is hours of fun. For children its really educational and completely adicitive. It is a little pricey but lives up to Lego quality. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I think this is one of the best toys that I have ever got for my son (well its probably for us both)

Copyright 2008, Bigfatdogs, Greg Smyth