NXT 2.0 Race Car, Remote Controls

I have posted a new Race Car design for NXT 2.0 and three remote control strategies to go along with it. This project was designed to look like a real car, steer like a car with pivoting front wheels, and go fast. It works best with remote control, but you can't control it with the built-in NXT 2.0 software remote control because of the way the steering works (nor very easily with the "nxt-remote" program), so I also posted three NXT-based remote control stategies: one wired, and two Bluetooth from a second NXT.

Now I know that a remote controlled car is not exactly the most original thing you can do with an NXT set, but at some point you need to do one... This was actually one of the first designs I did with the NXT 2.0 set when it came out because the parts selection was screaming out "car" to me with the new car-like tires, but I am just now getting around to finishing it off and posting it.

The 5 Button Remote Control (Bluetooth) was actually designed by my son. We were playing "Battle Bots" in our Robotics Club, and we kept finding that a LEGO remote control of any complexity when in the hands of a kid in the heat of battle will end up coming apart somehow. So I challanged the kids to come up with a remote design that was sturdy enough to not come apart, but still allowed decent control of driving and a weapon/action at the same time. This "5 button" design is so simple that you can build it under 1 minute, but it is super sturdy, and the controls are positioned so that you can use both the finger and thumb buttons at the same time. My son would also like to point out that it has Wii-style wrist safety straps as well :-)

The Steering Remote Control (Bluetooth) is mechanically similar to my earlier Dial Remote Control but puts the control wheel horizontal so that it feels and acts like a steering wheel, which is good for the Race Car and similar things, and I rearranged the ergonomics a bit. And the control strategy is different.

If you are not a fan of remote control, the Race Car can also do some simple autonomous tasks with the color sensor mounted underneath, although the car-like steering does not allow very tight or precise turning.

Here is a video of the Race Car using all the different control stratgies:

MINDSTORMS Retires!

2023 is the 25th Anniversary of the MINDSTORMS brand. For 25 years, MINDSTORMS has educated and inspired a generation of robot builders, both children and adults. Unfortunately, the LEGO Group decided to end the line on December 2022. Many ROBOTMAK3RS have been passionately involved with the development of MINDSTORMS through the MUP and MCP programs. Even with the newest Robot Inventor line, several ROBOTMAK3RS were invited to submit additional bonus models that were included in the official app. Regardless of the retirement of a major LEGO robotics product line, ROBOTMAK3RS continue to MAKE-SHARE-INSPIRE using all LEGO robotics platforms available to us. Here is the official statement from LEGO. Since its launch in September 1998, LEGO MINDSTORMS has been one of the core ‘Build & Code’ experiences in the company’s portfolio, carrying with it significant brand equity and becoming a stand-out experience for the early days of consumer robotics and leading to current Build & Code

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary. Some of the early history is based on the content shared by Coder Shah in our MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group . Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity. 1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed. 1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo. 1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix Part 1

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we asked ROBOTMAK3RS to combine a LEGO set of their choice with a MINDSTORMS set. Here is what these five ROBOTMAK3RS came up with. MINDSTORMS Chess Assistant by Arvind Seshan Overview: When you are new to chess, it can be a challenge to remember which pieces go where. Now, you can use machine learning and LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor to build a tool to help you learn where all the chess pieces go on the chess board. Sets used: LEGO® Iconic Chess Set (40174) and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (51515) Review: I really like how the chess set base can store all the pieces underneath and that the board neatly splits in half for handy storage. The chess pieces themselves are very sturdy and well built. My only criticism is the building of the box itself. It was quite difficult to see what pieces to use and since the entire box is made mostly of thin plates, it took a lot of time and patience. I would have liked the storage area to be sliding dra

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