Slashdot Mirror
Lego to Open Mindstorms NXT Firmware
ajdlinux writes "LEGO has officially announced that the firmware for the Mindstorms NXT will be open source. They will be releasing several developer kits and the firmware source during August, the kits containing the NXT driver specs, the schematics for the hardware connection and the Bluetooth protocol used by the NXT. The NXT will be only US$250, which is only slightly more expensive than the Mindstorms RIS2 kit. I certainly can't wait. " We had covered the earlier announcement of this kit.
The link is incorrect.
c e%20Announcement.aspx
You have trimmed the spaces from the name.
correct one is: http://mindstorms.lego.com/press/2057/Open%20Sour
liquidcoooled
liqbase
I think I'm going to have to get one of these soon. I haven't seen any of these nifty Lego toys for adults in any shops in Sweden (for instance) but there are many shops in Europe you can order from online.
:This session reports on continuing work on developing Java(TM) technology for use in university-level robotics. It focuses on the issue of creating cost-effective and easily programmed intelligent robot swarms (n>10). Interesting swarms are composed of heterogeneous robots, but this quickly complicates programming. The presenters previously simplified the heterogeneous programming problem by using I/O tagging and reported on this at the 2005 JavaOneSM conference, in TS-1464. This presentation describes how they have successfully created a swarm of heterogeneous robots, based on Lego mechanical components, sharing a common code base, with a variety of non-Lego sensors.
If you are heading for Java One this year, there is this interesting seminar:
BOF-0503: Java(TM) Technology in an Intelligent Swarm of Heterogeneous Lego Robots
Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die
They are not the only one. Radio Shack is one of the current vendors of the VEX product line of robotics and beginning robotics.
I find the VEX line a bit more fun as it's easier to toss the controller after you get to the more advanced stages and use a 68hc11 or other processor on a dev board for more fun and real brobot action... but then that is a small step away from building one from scratch which makes the VEX a really nice way to ease a child into the world of real robotics wher you fabricate and build most of the machine from parts.
Because the VEX uses standard aircraft servo connectors it's easy to get their sensors and parts to a homebrew processor.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
You can already program these toys with the free editions of the Visual Studio software.4 .html
:-(
http://www.windowsfordevices.com/news/NS412745533
Why, oh why didn't we get to have toys like these in out childhood.
Actually, this was Lego's plan all along. They obtained the help of the most crazed Mindstorms hobbyists to help them design the product line. This wired article is probably the best one that involved the process behind creating the line.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,69946-0.html
Ooo man the floppy drive is broken. No wait. The computer is just upside down.
Forth for Mindstorms was created by Ralph Hempel, one of the select few superusers invited by Lego to participate in the NXT design.
Robot AI Mind.Forth specifically lists the Lego NXT as a candidate platform for installation of the robot AI Mind.
Standards in Artificial Intelligence officially lists the Lego NXT as an accepted standard platform in view of robot AI.
The grandparent poster was probably talking about standard Bluetooth HID. HID should be more than enough to control a robot (since you can basically represent any given joystick as a human interface device.) However, I doubt most phones' limited HID interface would offer nearly enough control for anything serious.
Then again, I thought most of the point of robotics was to make the things able to control themselves with a minimal amount of wetware.
Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
Labview for artificial intelligence is based on the Lego Mindstorms connection.
Standards in Artificial Intelligence treat Labview as just as good for AI as any other language.
The Singularity Timeline counts on AI development in Labview, LISP, Prolog, Java and all other programming languages.
http://www.vexrobotics.com/ this is the url of VEX product line.
about me A - B
Here's the short version.
BSD License: You can do basically anything.
GPL License: You can do basically anything, but you must make your modifications available.
--
Promoting critical thinking since 1994.
There are several ways you can use
Bluetooth with the NXT. It can be used to send commands the NXT directly. It functions as a Bluetooth Serial port. The commands are well documented. One of the MDP's has already started / developed a java app for cell phones that can function like a remote control for the robot. The NXT programming software can use the Bluetooth to communcicate with the NXT(s) so you don't have to have a USB cable attached to it the whole time. So far, the Bluetooth stack that is supported is the Widcomm and MS stacks. There is a growing list of confirmed adapters from all over the world that work with the NXT. I myself am a MDP, and can attest to the ease of use for Bluetooth. Each NXT can have 2 connections. One in, and one out. You can chain these things together to have a series of NXT's all controlling each other if you wished.
B-)
A friend will come and bail you out of jail, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "damn that was fun!"
NXT has USB vs RCX with IR and the IR is better?
One of the major hurdles on the RCX was running it the first time. The firmware had to be downloaded. All downloads went from PC/Mac across a cable (USB/Serial) to an IR Tower and then from that IR Tower to the RCX -- the yellow brick that was the brains of the old Lego robot.
The number of ways to goof up that linkage was too much for a lot of kids. Not to mention that it took 5 minutes to download the firmware when it did work.
With the new NXT system, most kids will open the box to find the firmware already in place -- it's stored in the flash memory. If not, a USB cable is required to download the firmware. The USB link is quick, something like 30 seconds to download the firmware. With firmware in place, you have the option of downloading/uploading by USB or Bluetooth. Bluetooth is so much easier than plugging and unplugging a cable that those that have the choice will choose Bluetooth.
One of the lucky 100.