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Nov 24

Welcome to The NXT Generation Robotics!

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Shea Bunge

This website is about the LEGO Mindstorms NXT robotics system.

If you stumbled upon this site by accident and have absolutely no idea what MINDSTORMS is, check out mindstorms.lego.com or another website on my links page.

If you’re new here, check out the about page to learn more about this Web site and me.

Please feel free to comment on any post that interests you (the more comments the better!) and don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

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Jan 08

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Shea Bunge

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Logo The next installment of the LEGO Mindstorms platform -EV3 – has recently been announced at International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. EV3 is to succeed NXT and continue the LEGO robotics product line.

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3

MINDSTORMS EV3 will enhance the on-brick programming, so it should be possible to build and program robots without using a computer. The highly-hackable Linux firmware will allow robots to be controlled from an iOS or Android mobile phone. The new OS is part of a much versitile system, as the EV3 includes as SD card for storage, and a built-in infrared sensor.

EV3 Intelligent Brick

EV3 Intelligent Brick

LEGO MINDTSORMS EV3 is expected to hit stores mid-2013, the core unit retailing for US$350.

Specs

EV3 Intelligent Brick

  • Stronger and faster ARM9 robotic processor
  • Embedded 16MB FLASH memory
  • 64 MB RAM plus SD expansion slot
  • LINUX operating system, released under open source
  • USB 2.0 interface allows for WiFi connectivity
  • 4 input ports: Connect up to 4 sensors at the same time, including your NXT sensors
  • 4 output ports: Now you can power up to 4 motors (Either Large, Medium or NXT)
  • Up to four intelligent bricks to be connected together (Yes, that’s 16 sensor and 16 motor ports!)
  • Matrix display with loudspeaker
  • Button interface with status indication
  • Enhanced on-brick programming
  • Bluetooth ® v2.1
  • iOS and Android compatible

Hardware

  • 3 Interactive Servo Motors: 2 large and 1 medium
  • 1 Touch Sensor
  • New IR Seeker Sensor measures distance, movements and detects objects, and acts as a receiver for the remote control
  • New IR Beacon remotely controls robot from up to 2 meters (6 feet) away
  • Improved Color Sensor detects 6 colors as well as the brightness of light sources
  • Backwards-compatible with LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: Connect your NXT Sensors and motors to the new EV3 brick.
  • Assortment of 594 LEGO TECHNIC® elements for easy, more stable building with improved functionality and movement capabilities

Programming Software

  • Downloadable software is PC and Mac compatible
  • Icon-based drag and drop environment for “building” programs with new interactive content that helps de-bug programming

Read all about it:

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Aug 01

RoboCupJunior Hobart Regional 2012: Round 1

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Shea Bunge

This round was my worst round for the day. The course was composed of quite a few turn tiles without shortcuts, a ramp tile and of course the chemical spill tile complete with a can-victim.

My robot completed the course fine. When it got to the water tower tile the scan missed the can and the robot drove straight off the board. Back to the start, another faultless run through the course but this time at the can challenge tile the robot saw someone’s foot and thought it was a can. Back to the start again, but by then the timer had gone off. Fortunately the scores from this round were dropped at the end because it was my worst round. At the end of this round I was placed 4th.

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