LEGO Mindstorms NXT Review (957)

With the Mindstorms NXT 8547, you can realise, make and program your own robot. But that's just the beginning...

As you go more experienced, you'll find out how to go beyond the user's guide, and as is the nature of Lego, you can ignore all the rules and go on to produce anything you want. With time your machines will turn more sophisticated both in the way they appear, and in the way they act - the things they can do. Some of the abilities will easily stun and amaze you.

Your LEGO Mindstorms NXT robot isn't going to be the next iRobot, but the endless programming capabilities can keep you enchanted forever.

It IS kind of pricy for a Christmas toy, however as a present you can go on using again and again into your old age, the Lego Mindstorms NXT completely lives up to the price tag.

Who Is The Mindstorms Set For

The Mindstorms set is good for anyone old enough to not swallow the parts and able to understand the basic functions of a computer. The instructions for constructing and programming your first few robots are really quite easy to follow.

Of course, anyone hearing the world 'programming' is likely to think it's complicated, but it can be as easy as just a few mouse-clicks on your computer.

Younger kids can find numerous fun things to do with their little robots, while on the other hand someone older or more experienced can employ more compound programming to design more advanced robots.

What Do You Get Inside The Package?

The LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547) comes with a total of six hundred and nineteen parts. This consists of a collection of beams, sensors, rods, connectors and wheels.

The Standard Constructing Block

You may be aware that the basic unit is a beam instead of a block as they usually have in LEGO, causing it to look a little like Meccano. But unlike Meccano, you can merely snap the parts together without having to use any instruments.

Thanks to having so many pieces that all look almost alike, you might spend the first few days taking a little longer building those robots, as you'll take some time finding the right pieces you need. But when you've played around with the set for a while you'll start making those robots with amazing efficiency.

3 Servo Motors

These servo motors will be responsible for making your robot move.

The Sensory Units

The sensors enable the robot to gather information regarding its environment so that it can then process it and act accordingly. You'll find the following sensors with the LegoMindstorms…

1. A light sensor, with which your robot can 'see' different levels of light and even 'see' colors so that it can respond when you show it a blue ball for example, and not respond to a yellow one or respond differently.

2. A kinesthetic sensor, which lets the robot respond to touch.

3. A sound sensor, which responds to audio input from the environment.

4. An ultrasonic sensor that utilizes simple echolocation to determine how far away it is from a solid object.

The Intelligent Brick Of NXT

This is your robot’s core, a slender computer that processes info from the 4 unique sensors and according to the programming you give it, instructs one, two or all three of the motors to initiate moving, whether it be by taking a stroll, driving, shifting direction, sorting balls, attacking a tresspasser.... and so on.

User's Manual

The User's Guide for the Mindstorms set is very thorough and quite easy to follow, with simple-to-follow instructions on how to construct four different models of robot.

When you've mastered these four models, you can then go on to try out novel machines of your own choosing. If you think you've exhausted your creativity, you can give your brain a rest and get guides written by experts on how to construct some phenomenal robots.

Be warned though, you may face some frustration from not having enough parts to construct absolutely anything you want. Fortunately the Lego Technique range uses the same unit, and you can always get a Lego Technique set if you need the parts. Lego was designed to go together.

Where Can I Get The Best Deal On The Mindstorms NXT?

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Watch out - Mindstorms NXT is expensive enough as it is, and there's no point in paying more than you have to. Click here find out where you can get it cheapest. Have a look at the following for some more ideas on the perfect Christmas gift... banagrams KidKraft Pink Retro Kitchen and Refrigerator celestron powerseeker 127 eq

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