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Lego to Open Mindstorms NXT Firmware

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the arise-from-your-grave-oh-plastic-brick dept.

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.

3 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Bluetooth? by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Interesting
    The Bluetooth Developer Kit will detail the Bluetooth protocol embedded in the NXT microprocessor, allowing users to create applications for any Bluetooth device that [????] them to communicate with MINDSTORMS robots.
    So does this mean LEGO is or isn't using 'normal' Bluetooth commands?

    By default, would I be able to control the sucker from my cellphone? Or is that something they have to specifically program into the control software?
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    [Fuck Beta]
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  2. What license? by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I can see no mention of the actual license in the press release (or anywhere on the mindstorm site for that matter).

    Lego saying its Open Source is all well & good, but that means nothing. It may not be an OSI approved license - but even if it is, the differences between BSD - style "open source" licenses and gpl style "open source" licenses is huge.

    Anyone know what the license actually is?

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    There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
  3. If only... by VorpalRodent · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I haven't played with legos for years, but I've heard of these things.

    Just look at that robot on that homepage. Imagine all the things that it can do. Why, if Lego scaled up all its parts, I bet it could take on ASIMO easily.

    But seriously, if more work were put into developing things like this - toys such that everyday people with some ingenuity and some creativity could program their own robots, I believe that we would have a lot more ideas as far as where to take robots.

    Right now, major robotic undertakings seem to be limited to those with the research capital and funding to make them happen. If this were the thing that was researched, I would think that we would be seeing a lot more cool stuff developed as a result.

    Especially with the release of the firmware as open source. Lego is just inviting people of all capabilities to work with it.

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