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Just when it got good, they had to stop making that sweet Technic car with four wheel steering and a working gearbox.

This is about like being disappointed that no one now makes your favorite sliderule with the fancy new base 2 logarithms built-in. Why would anyone settle for a model of an RC car with a working gearbox?

And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Have you seen what you can do with latest Mindstorms? The technology behind Lego is as far beyond the original Technic as Legos are beyond lincoln logs.

I read your post and thought, that's an awesome idea! So I wrote one. In 5 minutes. Here it is: http://ldd.lego.com/download/

Oh yeah, and I bought the lego.com domain name to make it look "official". Really, I wrote it. Just for you! :)

This may tip the scales to make me buy some of these.

Laser beam not included!
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=7882

A lot of people have caught the obvious, so I will really just summarize.

LEGO NXT & Mindstorms are both great kits to play around in. Especially if you have traditional LEGO bricks and Technic pieces already.

If you are more into Erector style kits, then go with the Vex kits from Radio Shack. They are clearing them out for some reason, so they are cheap. Make sure you get a programming kit though.

If you want more "professional" robots, maybe take a look at Lynxmotion, they have really really cool sets that will come with everything you need to make an arm, or a walker, or what have you.

Of course, you can go pre-made, but simpler, with a Mark III. This basic kit is wonderful to learn programming of a micro controller.

If you want a more capable micro, the OOPic is a good choice.

I have played or own all of the products above, and they are all wonderful ways to get your hands dirty. Of course, also see the book recomendations in this thread, there are excellent selections there too that I highly recomend.

Whats wrong with starting out with something simple like Lego's NXT robotics system?

I know it seems a bit immature, but I've seen some crazy things done with Lego Mindstorms, from building a disk array to a robot that cleans rooms and such. It should provide a good entry level system for you to learn how to at least *think* like a roboticist.

http://mindstorms.lego.com/

If you want to talk about amazing incentive for getting children to program, look no further than Lego. I remember loving Lego Bricks as a child when all they did was fit together. Now you can learn to make actual working robots from them, using a programming language which was designed for children!

Mindstorms are cool, but I was disappointed by the new version because it's still limited to a fixed, relatively small number of sensors and actuators per control module.

Actually they're (not singular "it's") "LEGO bricks", not "LEGOs" or "LEGO." That doesn't keep me from calling them LEGOs, though. It's just that if your going to be a pedantic asshole, you might as well be a correct pedantic asshole.

Uh...I've had two Lego RCXs sitting in my closet for...about 6 years now. What's so new about this thing?
http://mindstorms.lego.com/ it's been around for a while. Hell, my highschool has about 10 of 'em, and has been using them for 5 or 6 years at least.

Like those?

http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/NXTreme.aspx // hdw

These should be quite doable. The NXT brain has nice full-featured Bluetooth. I have no problem connecting via Bluetooth on my PowerBook (no Bluetooth with Intel Macs until the universal binary is released). I was amazed that it paired with my Samsung T509 with absolutely no effort. Now I just need some software on my phone to control the robot. Or collect data.

The flexibility and robustness of the Bluetooth communications seems present, it's just a matter of writing software to send data through the mesh. I'm not sure if the default programming tool has the flexibility (yet) for this kind of logic, but the control of the sensors and motors is very detailed.

I enjoy working with my Mindstorms set, but I've run into a serious limitation. The parts that come with the Mindstorms kit just aren't sufficient for building anything cool. The Technic sets are long gone. The best I could figure is that I'd have to buy a whole lot of Mindstorms to get enough gears, shafts, and standard bricks to build anything really nifty. Obviously cost prohibitive, but at least I'd have a lot of RCX bricks.

Not knowing how acurate the photo is in the article, it appears that they may have started moving even the Mindstorms from the standards of the Technics sets.

I enjoy working with my Mindstorms set, but I've run into a serious limitation. The parts that come with the Mindstorms kit just aren't sufficient for building anything cool. The Technic sets are long gone. The best I could figure is that I'd have to buy a whole lot of Mindstorms to get enough gears, shafts, and standard bricks to build anything really nifty. Obviously cost prohibitive, but at least I'd have a lot of RCX bricks.

Not knowing how acurate the photo is in the article, it appears that they may have started moving even the Mindstorms from the standards of the Technics sets.

Lego online store sells different Technic piece-kits ranging from $6 to $13:

http://shop.lego.com/leaf.asp?cn=47&d=11&t=5

They have a gear kit with 39 gear pieces for $13... axle kit, connector kit, beam kit, wheel and axle kits, and a $30 motor kit.

The new Mindstorms NXT also sells the NXT brick and the sensors and motors seperately, although if you bought all the sensors and motors separately, it would be $25 more than the NXT kit itself and wouldn't include any of the beams/connectors.

FAQ

FAQ

"The Technic sets are long gone."

What are you talking about? They're right here.

Actually, as I had mentioned, there is a way to use Java to program your RCX brick...
Furthermore, Lego has recently resurrected the Mindstorm group of products with NXT
Mindstorms 2.0 continued to be available to education accounts but was discontinued for consumers...

Then they could go back in time to a year before the first iPod was released and sue the makers of the ePods handheld computer. Too bad they're not in business anymore or they could sue Apple, since the ePod was a WinCE device capable of playing MP3s (among other things).

http://cache.lego.com/images/shop/prod/3351-0000-X X-13-1.jpg

"but there's still a lack of basic parts on the shelves."

The Lego stores near me have a wall full of sorted brick bins in the back of the store. Give them $6 and they give you a bucket to fill up.

Or, if you don't have a lego store near you, you could always do this:
http://shop.lego.com/department.asp?d=37&t=5

The Lego stores are fantastic places, though. What other store can you go into with your child and walk out with a real quality toy for just $4 these days? They tend to have great sales, too.

...Lego, which treats every individual piece with reverence

Seriously? Maybe with the Mindstorm series, but they certain have no standards when it comes to their core line up. Have you seen some of the bizarre stuff from them lately? Like Dino Attack, where it's a bunch of assault vehicles battling mean dinosaurs. Half the crap looks like it comes practically preassembled, the pieces are so big. What happened to the era of smaller, or geometrically more simple pieces that actually required some imagination to use? I hardly think Lego puts so much thought into every piece.

but there's still a lack of basic parts on the shelves.

That really depends where you shop I guess. Around here it doesn't seem to be a problem.
The ToysRus, Walmart, and Zellers all have a stack of these on the shelves:

Start with a couple of these:
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=4496 - 805 basic pieces in a variety of colors

Add in one of these for doors and windows:
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=5482&cn=44&t=5& d=11

And maybe this to get you some wheels and propellers, and other funky parts
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=10159

Sub in a few star wars space craft to for my classic space stuff.

And I can pretty much recreate my childhood.

All the linked sets are readily available in stores around here, at least.

----------------

the other issue is almost the other extreme with mindstorms. They need better pieces in order to make more useful models. Once you get past a certian size.. about 12" in any direction they "techinic" models become fragile and unweildly to PLAY with. /shrug

This one is a non-issue to me. Lego has a scale limitation for most projects. All you can do is get over it. A lego car can only be so big (and be playable) - the available choices for wheels alone are a limiting factor. For motorized creations, yeah the scale limitations are more insurmountable because now you are limited by batteries, motor torque, and so on, not just lego's structural limitations... but so what?

Suppose you *could* make a working lawnmower out of lego... it would be too dangerous to sell to kids. ;)

but there's still a lack of basic parts on the shelves.

That really depends where you shop I guess. Around here it doesn't seem to be a problem.
The ToysRus, Walmart, and Zellers all have a stack of these on the shelves:

Start with a couple of these:
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=4496 - 805 basic pieces in a variety of colors

Add in one of these for doors and windows:
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=5482&cn=44&t=5& d=11

And maybe this to get you some wheels and propellers, and other funky parts
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=10159

Sub in a few star wars space craft to for my classic space stuff.

And I can pretty much recreate my childhood.

All the linked sets are readily available in stores around here, at least.

----------------

the other issue is almost the other extreme with mindstorms. They need better pieces in order to make more useful models. Once you get past a certian size.. about 12" in any direction they "techinic" models become fragile and unweildly to PLAY with. /shrug

This one is a non-issue to me. Lego has a scale limitation for most projects. All you can do is get over it. A lego car can only be so big (and be playable) - the available choices for wheels alone are a limiting factor. For motorized creations, yeah the scale limitations are more insurmountable because now you are limited by batteries, motor torque, and so on, not just lego's structural limitations... but so what?

Suppose you *could* make a working lawnmower out of lego... it would be too dangerous to sell to kids. ;)

but there's still a lack of basic parts on the shelves.

That really depends where you shop I guess. Around here it doesn't seem to be a problem.
The ToysRus, Walmart, and Zellers all have a stack of these on the shelves:

Start with a couple of these:
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=4496 - 805 basic pieces in a variety of colors

Add in one of these for doors and windows:
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=5482&cn=44&t=5& d=11

And maybe this to get you some wheels and propellers, and other funky parts
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=10159

Sub in a few star wars space craft to for my classic space stuff.

And I can pretty much recreate my childhood.

All the linked sets are readily available in stores around here, at least.

----------------

the other issue is almost the other extreme with mindstorms. They need better pieces in order to make more useful models. Once you get past a certian size.. about 12" in any direction they "techinic" models become fragile and unweildly to PLAY with. /shrug

This one is a non-issue to me. Lego has a scale limitation for most projects. All you can do is get over it. A lego car can only be so big (and be playable) - the available choices for wheels alone are a limiting factor. For motorized creations, yeah the scale limitations are more insurmountable because now you are limited by batteries, motor torque, and so on, not just lego's structural limitations... but so what?

Suppose you *could* make a working lawnmower out of lego... it would be too dangerous to sell to kids. ;)

If you just want bricks, there's a $19.99 building tub set that contains 805 pieces.

It's a selection of the core basic bricks. If you were trying to build a star wars base you'll have to use all sorts of colors - but it's otherwise a baragin at about 2 cents per brick. Add a couple of baseplates and you're set for epic construction adventures.

If you don't want that set, you're lying about your needs (ie: you really *do* want expensive specialised bricks, and you don't want the basics).

I agree that LEGO has been trying too hard to look like any other toy out there - coming up with custom bricks too often (and even making toys without bricks altogether) - in the end leaving too little to the imagination. I remember when I was a kid we only had basic square bricks (trying hard not sound like an old fart here) and likewise I remember the blocky c64 graphics. Both where adequate to create worlds I could sink into for hours on end. And today LEGO and computer game graphics have become overly articulate - they just don't activate your brain in the same way. (I'm not saying it's all bad.)

I wish LEGO would focus on their basic bricks and stimulating imagination. Just look at some of these fan-made robots - mindblowing stuff:

http://www1.linkclub.or.jp/~zizy/ROBO/work2/ ... and LEGO actually made some really nice bits a while back for LEGO starwars (though not really fitting into the product line):

http://www.lego.com/starwars/minis/mini_main.asp

-phloe

Not a good chance considering it's not LEGO's software. It's a form of National Instruments LabVIEW graphical programming language. Link to LEGO's site about it here.

When I was a kid UI was able to build an entire rebel base for my star wars figures with a blanket and lego bricks but today I have to buy a $75 kit. Todays sets appear to be more of a model kit than a creative toy.

$75? Yeah there are sets you can buy for that little. Check out Lego shop-at-home and you will see that lego sets can run up to $249 for the Mindstorms NXT. There are probably pricier sets I am not thinking of.

Inasmuch as I can get 5 new release video games or 12 older games for that money, no wonder Lego is having a hard time competing.

Unrelated, but it's worth noting that the Seattle Nordic Heritage Museum has some fabulous Lego displays, all made before Lego came out with the Viking series.

Lego is starting to realize that.

My undergraduate cs department purchases some Lego Mindstorms off eBay and used them in the intro courses. They don't cost much (couple hundred max), so our tuition didn't go up anything. You got to write programs for them in Java. It was very exciting and sparked lots of interest (everybody wanted to take the class). Although it's not as cool as each student getting an individual robot, it is as close as some of the smaller campuses can get, and it's a great idea!

I was speaking of the latter ... selling actual items for people, like one of those places where you drop off your items, and they sell it

does your linux box do it all by it's self, or do you have spends weeks setting up auctions
no ... although I have written Java code to run Lego Mindstorms ... I have not written anything that actually does it all for me :-) ... and from my personal experience, it doesn't take much time to set up a good auction site, especially if you have a template in place already.

Indeed.

I emailed bigdaddy sometime ago to let them know the link was broken, but it looks like someone's asleep at the wheel.

Here's my link to the press release

Linky if that's the press release the intro was referring to!

The link is incorrect.

You have trimmed the spaces from the name.

correct one is: http://mindstorms.lego.com/press/2057/Open%20Sourc e%20Announcement.aspx

liquidcoooled

think "tiles" in lego-terminology, not building blocks, which have studs on top. "tiles" are one-third height pieces with smooth tops.

Shares of Lego, Inc. go through the roof as hudreds of thousands of biochemists rush to buy Lego products. The question is, which theme will help their research more? The pirate sets or the Star Wars sets? My money's on Star Wars.

P.S. http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=fair play says:

"Proper Use of the LEGO Trademark on a Web Site
If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs"... "

P.S. http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=fair play says:

"Proper Use of the LEGO Trademark on a Web Site
If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs"... "

There's a LITTLE more to it than that. For instance, he used to race through beggar's canyon in his T-16 back home. (Having done this in one of the games, I have a little more respect for Luke, even in his whiny bitch phase...) And he shot womp-rats while flying it. Clearly we can make 100 episodes out of this.

We have done a good job (IMHO) of keeping our nuclear power plants relatively safe, but that's mainly because the kid down the street can't build a nuclear power plant. But he can build a robot.

And imagine the robot you could build now with the resources of a rogue state. Or even a "good" state worried about it's security. Now imagine what they'll be able to build in 20 years. I could easily imagine Taiwan thinking that a deployable, independant (not remotely controlled) infantry killing robot might make a lot of sense for them in a conflict with China. And Taiwan's clearly got the ability to build state of the art stuff.

I'm not a Luddite, I'm not even saying don't make killer robots. I'm just saying that just as the guys working on The Manhatten Project were incredibly careful -- In fact alot of their genius is in the fact they did NOT accidentally blow themselves up. Programmers working on the next generation devices need to realize that there is a very credible threat that mankind could build a machine that could malfunction and kill millions.

There is no doubt in my mind that within 20 years, the U.S. Military will deploy robots with the ability to kill in places that infantry used to go. Robots would seem very likely to be incredibly effective as fighter pilots as well. Given these things as inevitable, isn't it prudent to be talking NOW about what steps are going to be taken to make sure that we don't unleash a terminator? I personally don't trust governments to be good about this either -- I'd like to make sure that the programmers are at least THINKING about these issues.

That might be true, if Vonage was doomed to offer exactly the same service they do today, for the entire life of the company.

Fortunately, Vonage also has a bunch of employees, and (hopefully) are working on other projects.

Joel Spolsky says "the goal is not to solve some specific problem, but to be able to convert money to code through programmers". Paul Graham says "What matters is not ideas, but the people who have them. Good people can fix bad ideas, but good ideas can't save bad people." One of the Zope people described the decision to open-source Zope by saying "This is not the last innovation we'll make".

If you're judging a company by its initial product, you're not judging the company, you're judging the product. Look at the first products of many of today's companies. Few are in business with their first product, or even an updated version of it. (Would you have invested in Ole Kirk's wooden toys?)

If VOIP does take off, there's plenty more than just those two services that they can provide. As a really simple example, suppose you're president of BigCo, and decide that switching to a VOIP phone on 120,000 desks will save you money. Where are you going to find a decent-sized group of engineers with VOIP expertise to pull it off? I can think of a place...

But that's simply a direct application of their skills. Google took a great search engine, and built webmail, a chat system, and great 3d mapping tool. Who'd have guessed?

If you knew their people, you might have. All it takes is people. Their existing technology is just a red herring.

I think the LEGO company might have a few things to say about someone else naming a product X-Pod.

and as the parent of young 'uns, I've (or rather my oldest son (7)) been discovering how much there is out there in terms of kids flash based games. and not just the old yahoo! type space invaders games of yore, full blown stuff a while back you would have had to pay for. one of my oldest's favorite site lately appears to be this: http://club.lego.com/eng/games/ , there many more (pbs kids, kids wb, tvo kids, etc...) mind you, I have noticed that flash on safari here (osx on a g4 with a gig of ram) really can bring the system to a crawl (haven't used firefox on osx much, though extensively on other platforms)

* The LEGO brand name should always be written in capital letters.
* LEGO must never be used as a generic term or in the plural or as a possessive pronoun, e.g. "LEGO's".
* When the LEGO brand name is used as part of a noun, it must never appear on its own. It should always be accompanied by a noun. For example, LEGO set, LEGO products, LEGO Group, LEGO play materials, LEGO bricks, LEGO universe, etc.

For me, I don't care what you call them, but I'd appreciate it if LEGO tried to out-do Mega Bloks' space shuttle .

4 inputs, 3 outputs - all 6-wire digital. There is, in fact, no apparent reason why any of them would be of different types, and it looks like they might all be bidirectional. The new motors are pretty much what we could wish from a servo, with degree precision rotation tracking (possibly absolute) and full revolving, rather more than your typical hobby servos. People signing up for the early developer posts are asked if they want to develop interfaces or extra accessories, so you're quite right that they will exist, this time with encouragement.
http://www.lego.com/eng/service/faqs.asp?section=C onsumerService-FAQ-Products&catid=E8D0CD47-16B8-4B 2F-900C-8FC40C163598&faqid=17262#17262

The LEGO image libarary has pics of the UI. It looks much better.

http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=imag es&catID=20AD14B4-A565-461E-B15A-3C4D31C39130&item Id=17239