LEGO Mindstorms - Whats New

The NXTLOG Holiday Building Challenge Winners are in!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

‘Twas the season to be building
Fa la la la la la la la la
Robots to help with holiday gilding
Fa la la la la la la la la
Many posted projects on NXTLOG…
Fa la la la la la la la la
Alas, not one robotic yule log!
Fa la la la la la la la la

Many NXTLOGgers entered the Holiday Building Challenge with robotic creations celebrating Christmas, Veteran’s Day, Diwali, and even Sea Turtle Awareness Day! There are robotic Christmas villages, Santas, reindeer, gift guarding bots, tree decorators, flag raisers, and even ball droppers to see. Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots entered in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200812"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Magic Christmas Tree
Created by: NeXTSTORM

What a gift this robot is to see in action! At first you think this model is a replica of a LEGO Christmas house, but it then a LEGO sun gently sets as the home gracefully opens to reveal a spinning LEGO Christmas tree made out of minifigures! For innovative design, performance, and creativity, we present The Magic Christmas Tree with the Champion's Award! (Also see NeXTSTORM's Robot Perfomance Award winning Summer Sports Challenge entry: 100 meters, The Ultimate Race)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Turkey_Bak!_Bot
Created by: nxtcreator6604

nxtcreator6604's first project on NXTLOG, this Turkey Bot looks and acts like the real thing. (Try catching this bot for your holiday dinner!) It utilizes three motors. Two motors are for the legs and arms, and the third motor is used for the turkey's beak. The turkey also makes a "Bak!" sound when the beak moves. For a very realistic robot, nxtcreator6604 wins the Robot Design Award!

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Stocking Stuffer
Created by: benjamind60

When Santa needs that extra help stuffing the stockings on the hearth, it's benjamind60's stocking stuffer to the rescue. This simple robot glides down the mantle and discharges goodies into stockings hung with care. Two versions of the stocking stuffer bot are posted on NXTLOG. (benjamind60 made improvements in both the design and the programming with the second version.) Video, program, and LDD files are also posted so you can make your own! For benjamind60's dedication to improving robot design and programming, the "Stocking Stuffer" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is benjamind60's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Walter Christmas
Created by: STARMAN71

If you need some entertainment at your holiday dinner, you can invite Walter Christmas. This robot dressed up to look like Santa, can raise its eyes, move its hands, and even say some phrases. STARMAN71 clearly explains how the robot was programmed and constructed, and includes video, program, and LDD files so you can try making your own version of Walter Christmas (just remember to give credit to STARMAN71). By using NXTLOG in a creative way (by repurposing a robot previously submitted to NXTLOG), Walter Christmas is awarded with the Creative Use of NXTLOG Award. (STARMAN71 has 7 projects on NXTLOG and this is STARMAN71's second win in this category.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

New Years Ball Drop
Created by: nicocolt324

Diwali Candle Setter
Created by: abcde13

Alpha ReXmas
Created by: Apologetic

Santa Claus on the sleigh with reindeers
Created by: Zsolo66

The Christmas Surprise
Created by: jayko543

Please pass me the sugar
Created by: MarsDirect

Frosty the Snowman
Created by: Lego_Creator_08
‘Twas the season to be building
Fa la la la la la la la la
Robots to help with holiday gilding
Fa la la la la la la la la
Many posted projects on NXTLOG…
Fa la la la la la la la la
Alas, not one robotic yule log!
Fa la la la la la la la la

Many NXTLOGgers entered the Holiday Building Challenge with robotic creations celebrating Christmas, Veteran’s Day, Diwali, and even Sea Turtle Awareness Day! There are robotic Christmas villages, Santas, reindeer, gift guarding bots, tree decorators, flag raisers, and even ball droppers to see. Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots entered in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200812"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Magic Christmas Tree
Created by: NeXTSTORM

What a gift this robot is to see in action! At first you think this model is a replica of a LEGO Christmas house, but it then a LEGO sun gently sets as the home gracefully opens to reveal a spinning LEGO Christmas tree made out of minifigures! For innovative design, performance, and creativity, we present The Magic Christmas Tree with the Champion's Award! (Also see NeXTSTORM's Robot Perfomance Award winning Summer Sports Challenge entry: 100 meters, The Ultimate Race)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Turkey_Bak!_Bot
Created by: nxtcreator6604

nxtcreator6604's first project on NXTLOG, this Turkey Bot looks and acts like the real thing. (Try catching this bot for your holiday dinner!) It utilizes three motors. Two motors are for the legs and arms, and the third motor is used for the turkey's beak. The turkey also makes a "Bak!" sound when the beak moves. For a very realistic robot, nxtcreator6604 wins the Robot Design Award!

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Stocking Stuffer
Created by: benjamind60

When Santa needs that extra help stuffing the stockings on the hearth, it's benjamind60's stocking stuffer to the rescue. This simple robot glides down the mantle and discharges goodies into stockings hung with care. Two versions of the stocking stuffer bot are posted on NXTLOG. (benjamind60 made improvements in both the design and the programming with the second version.) Video, program, and LDD files are also posted so you can make your own! For benjamind60's dedication to improving robot design and programming, the "Stocking Stuffer" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is benjamind60's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Walter Christmas
Created by: STARMAN71

If you need some entertainment at your holiday dinner, you can invite Walter Christmas. This robot dressed up to look like Santa, can raise its eyes, move its hands, and even say some phrases. STARMAN71 clearly explains how the robot was programmed and constructed, and includes video, program, and LDD files so you can try making your own version of Walter Christmas (just remember to give credit to STARMAN71). By using NXTLOG in a creative way (by repurposing a robot previously submitted to NXTLOG), Walter Christmas is awarded with the Creative Use of NXTLOG Award. (STARMAN71 has 7 projects on NXTLOG and this is STARMAN71's second win in this category.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

New Years Ball Drop
Created by: nicocolt324

Diwali Candle Setter
Created by: abcde13

Alpha ReXmas
Created by: Apologetic

Santa Claus on the sleigh with reindeers
Created by: Zsolo66

The Christmas Surprise
Created by: jayko543

Please pass me the sugar
Created by: MarsDirect

Frosty the Snowman
Created by: Lego_Creator_08

10 years of Robotic Inventions!

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Billund, Denmark:

It is not possible to get an overview of the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS and all the creative explorations users from all over the world have made, and it is not possible to collect all the stories and videos that the press and users have created since LEGO MINDSTORMS was launched the first time in 1998.

But Thursday 20 November a small celebration took place at the LEGO offices in Billund, where some of the stories were told and videos shown, and some of the many models were on display, when employees working with MINDSTORMS held a reception to mark the first 10 years of LEGO’s robotic building system, that has captivated so many children of all ages across the world.

The guests at the reception were a mix of former employees, who had worked with the development of LEGO MINDSTORMS from the mid-1990’s and on, current employees working in Billund, and not least a big group of fans who came all the way to Denmark to be part of the celebration from Canada, USA, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The owner of the LEGO Group, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, were the first to give a speech about the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS and how it all started, followed by Torben Ballegård Sørensen and Søren Lund, who were part of the strong team around MINDSTORMS developing the RCX generation and the NXT generation.
Senior Marketing Director Søren Lund told the story of how the development team invited adult fans into the research department to help create the NXT product and give invaluable inputs to the process. The first four adult fans to be involved were called the MUP, short for MINDSTORMS User Panel, and the nickname for a member naturally became ‘MUPpet’.

Two of the first four MUPpets came to the reception, Ralph Hempel from Canada, and David Schilling from USA. David gave a speech about his experience with being part of the MUP and the ongoing cooperation with LEGO since 2005.

Eight persons were recognized as having been influential on the development of LEGO MINDSTORMS and received a special reminder; a golden RCX, the programmable microcomputer that was launched in 1998 (and which is still actively used in homes and schools!). The eight persons are Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Torben Ballegård Sørensen, Søren Lund, Tormod Askildsen, Linda Dalton, Robert Rasmussen, Mitch Resnick,, and Mike Dooley.

After the reception guests visited a brand new exhibition showing the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS from the early years before the first launch until today. On display were all the products launched from 1998 and on, among them the RCX-based set Robotics Invention System, the Robotics Discovery Set featuring the Scout and the Star Wars™ products, Droid Developer Kit and Dark Side Developer Kit, as well as the NXT set, complete with models from the sets.

Everybody at LEGO working with and around LEGO MINDSTORMS extends a special thanks to all the fans around the world, who have helped and are still helping making LEGO MINDSTORMS the great success it is!

Thanks for making our robots rock!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS Team
Billund, Denmark:

It is not possible to get an overview of the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS and all the creative explorations users from all over the world have made, and it is not possible to collect all the stories and videos that the press and users have created since LEGO MINDSTORMS was launched the first time in 1998.

But Thursday 20 November a small celebration took place at the LEGO offices in Billund, where some of the stories were told and videos shown, and some of the many models were on display, when employees working with MINDSTORMS held a reception to mark the first 10 years of LEGO’s robotic building system, that has captivated so many children of all ages across the world.

The guests at the reception were a mix of former employees, who had worked with the development of LEGO MINDSTORMS from the mid-1990’s and on, current employees working in Billund, and not least a big group of fans who came all the way to Denmark to be part of the celebration from Canada, USA, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The owner of the LEGO Group, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, were the first to give a speech about the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS and how it all started, followed by Torben Ballegård Sørensen and Søren Lund, who were part of the strong team around MINDSTORMS developing the RCX generation and the NXT generation.
Senior Marketing Director Søren Lund told the story of how the development team invited adult fans into the research department to help create the NXT product and give invaluable inputs to the process. The first four adult fans to be involved were called the MUP, short for MINDSTORMS User Panel, and the nickname for a member naturally became ‘MUPpet’.

Two of the first four MUPpets came to the reception, Ralph Hempel from Canada, and David Schilling from USA. David gave a speech about his experience with being part of the MUP and the ongoing cooperation with LEGO since 2005.

Eight persons were recognized as having been influential on the development of LEGO MINDSTORMS and received a special reminder; a golden RCX, the programmable microcomputer that was launched in 1998 (and which is still actively used in homes and schools!). The eight persons are Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Torben Ballegård Sørensen, Søren Lund, Tormod Askildsen, Linda Dalton, Robert Rasmussen, Mitch Resnick,, and Mike Dooley.

After the reception guests visited a brand new exhibition showing the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS from the early years before the first launch until today. On display were all the products launched from 1998 and on, among them the RCX-based set Robotics Invention System, the Robotics Discovery Set featuring the Scout and the Star Wars™ products, Droid Developer Kit and Dark Side Developer Kit, as well as the NXT set, complete with models from the sets.

Everybody at LEGO working with and around LEGO MINDSTORMS extends a special thanks to all the fans around the world, who have helped and are still helping making LEGO MINDSTORMS the great success it is!

Thanks for making our robots rock!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS Team

Not your dad’s train set… MINDSTORMS NXT controls LEGO R/C Trains with HiTechnic IR Link!

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:00:00 GMT
The HiTechnic IR Link (IR stands for InfraRed) has been available for a little over a year now. If you have the MINDSTORMS RCX brick, motors and sensors, LEGO TECHNIC sets with Power Function Motors, or even LEGO R/C Trains, the IR Link from HiTechnic can enable you to control them with the NXT.

The folks from HiTechnic created a LEGO R/C Trains project that uses the MINDSTORMS NXT and a HiTechnic IR Link to control the trains.

In this project a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor and a Light Sensor are used to detect the location of the trains. An NXT program monitors the location of each train and sends commands (using the IR Link) to each of the trains to control when to start, and then to stop once they have reached their destination.

The NXT can control up to three trains at a time, and can select and set their speed and direction of each.

What a great project for the holidays, MINDSTORMS NXT controlled LEGO Trains under your Christmas tree!

To see video of these trains in action and to download a program file, check out the HiTechnic LEGO R/C Train project on NXTLOG.

The IR link from HiTechnic is available online at LEGO Shop at Home: IR (Infrared) Link Sensor

The LEGO R/C train is also available from Shop at Home: LEGO R/C Train Sets

The IR Link sensor NXT-G blocks are available from the downloads page at the HiTechnic website:
HiTechnic
The HiTechnic IR Link (IR stands for InfraRed) has been available for a little over a year now. If you have the MINDSTORMS RCX brick, motors and sensors, LEGO TECHNIC sets with Power Function Motors, or even LEGO R/C Trains, the IR Link from HiTechnic can enable you to control them with the NXT.

The folks from HiTechnic created a LEGO R/C Trains project that uses the MINDSTORMS NXT and a HiTechnic IR Link to control the trains.

In this project a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor and a Light Sensor are used to detect the location of the trains. An NXT program monitors the location of each train and sends commands (using the IR Link) to each of the trains to control when to start, and then to stop once they have reached their destination.

The NXT can control up to three trains at a time, and can select and set their speed and direction of each.

What a great project for the holidays, MINDSTORMS NXT controlled LEGO Trains under your Christmas tree!

To see video of these trains in action and to download a program file, check out the HiTechnic LEGO R/C Train project on NXTLOG.

The IR link from HiTechnic is available online at LEGO Shop at Home: IR (Infrared) Link Sensor

The LEGO R/C train is also available from Shop at Home: LEGO R/C Train Sets

The IR Link sensor NXT-G blocks are available from the downloads page at the HiTechnic website:
HiTechnic

Learning about games and playing through LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Twice a year a course, held by the youth organisation FDF, for approximately 300 young kids in the age span of 14-19 is held at The Outdoor Center Sletten near the city of Silkeborg, Denmark. All these 300 are sorted into groups according to their desire for learning about the world, philosophy or themselves. Each group is run by volunteers, called instructors for this purpose, who all love to pass on the knowledge they themselves have been taught or learned throughout the years.

We had a group of 19 young men and women who had decided they wanted to learn more about the essentials of games and playing (theory and practice). Therefore it was with great fondness we had thought of LEGO when we decided to implement it into our schedule on the course in the fall of 2008. Normal LEGO, however, would not do for a, to some degree, serious course. Also we feared traditional LEGO would not catch the attention of the group we had in mind. Consequently we stumbled upon LEGO Mindstorms NXT. It had all the things we were looking for, the basics of LEGO where you assemble the pieces in an easy to understand way. It had the looks to appeal our group and required the imaginative and ingenuity we hoped to inspire the group with. Unfortunately, the prize was slightly out of our reach, considering we would need around 10 complete sets to make sure everybody would be able to get their hands on this cool machinery. Luckily, a request was posted to the right people, and we were allowed to borrow 10 complete sets of LEGO for the benefits of learning and understanding it in practice.

There had been set several days aside, computers had been borrowed from friends, families and other instructors to run the LEGO Mindstorms NXT programs, to make downloading and creating programs as quick as possible. Then the day finally dawned, and my fellow instructors and I looked at each other nervously. Had we missed our mark? Would this even appeal in the slightest to this group of teenagers? A generation, infamous for its towering standards and from time to time unreasonable criticism of things earlier generations had no problem with. Had LEGO simply been a fad that we had loved and was now lost in the abyss of older generations? With great anxiety we waited for them to arrive, and most of all their reaction.

We were not disappointed. The group was overly ecstatic to learn what we had planned for them. Boys and girls alike were only not racing towards the big grey boxes placed alongside the computers out of politeness as we finished our introduction. When we allowed them, they actually ran to each box to delve into the mysteries of LEGO Mindstorms NXT. The girls were fascinated with the robot’s ability to recognize colour, and the boys were awestruck by the possibility to build humanoid robots.

After the first day with LEGO Mindstorms NXT, about eight hours of intensive work with the robots, we realized that we would not have enough time to learn them perfectly, as the possibilities and options seemed to expand rapidly as we learned more and more. In the end, the teenagers who had come to Sletten to learn about games and playing went home with so much more, thanks to LEGO Mindstorms NXT and the generosity of The LEGO Company.
Twice a year a course, held by the youth organisation FDF, for approximately 300 young kids in the age span of 14-19 is held at The Outdoor Center Sletten near the city of Silkeborg, Denmark. All these 300 are sorted into groups according to their desire for learning about the world, philosophy or themselves. Each group is run by volunteers, called instructors for this purpose, who all love to pass on the knowledge they themselves have been taught or learned throughout the years.

We had a group of 19 young men and women who had decided they wanted to learn more about the essentials of games and playing (theory and practice). Therefore it was with great fondness we had thought of LEGO when we decided to implement it into our schedule on the course in the fall of 2008. Normal LEGO, however, would not do for a, to some degree, serious course. Also we feared traditional LEGO would not catch the attention of the group we had in mind. Consequently we stumbled upon LEGO Mindstorms NXT. It had all the things we were looking for, the basics of LEGO where you assemble the pieces in an easy to understand way. It had the looks to appeal our group and required the imaginative and ingenuity we hoped to inspire the group with. Unfortunately, the prize was slightly out of our reach, considering we would need around 10 complete sets to make sure everybody would be able to get their hands on this cool machinery. Luckily, a request was posted to the right people, and we were allowed to borrow 10 complete sets of LEGO for the benefits of learning and understanding it in practice.

There had been set several days aside, computers had been borrowed from friends, families and other instructors to run the LEGO Mindstorms NXT programs, to make downloading and creating programs as quick as possible. Then the day finally dawned, and my fellow instructors and I looked at each other nervously. Had we missed our mark? Would this even appeal in the slightest to this group of teenagers? A generation, infamous for its towering standards and from time to time unreasonable criticism of things earlier generations had no problem with. Had LEGO simply been a fad that we had loved and was now lost in the abyss of older generations? With great anxiety we waited for them to arrive, and most of all their reaction.

We were not disappointed. The group was overly ecstatic to learn what we had planned for them. Boys and girls alike were only not racing towards the big grey boxes placed alongside the computers out of politeness as we finished our introduction. When we allowed them, they actually ran to each box to delve into the mysteries of LEGO Mindstorms NXT. The girls were fascinated with the robot’s ability to recognize colour, and the boys were awestruck by the possibility to build humanoid robots.

After the first day with LEGO Mindstorms NXT, about eight hours of intensive work with the robots, we realized that we would not have enough time to learn them perfectly, as the possibilities and options seemed to expand rapidly as we learned more and more. In the end, the teenagers who had come to Sletten to learn about games and playing went home with so much more, thanks to LEGO Mindstorms NXT and the generosity of The LEGO Company.

NXTLOG Holiday Building Challenge

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT
'Tis the season to be building
Fa la la la la la la la la
Robots to help with holiday gilding
Fa la la la la la la la la
Put your project up on NXTLOG…
Fa la la la la la la la la
Wow! A cool robotic yule log
Fa la la la la la la la la

The holiday season is here and we want you to design a Holiday NXTbot! Your robot must represent a seasonal holiday. (Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, Eid-el-Fitr, Diwali, and more…).

You can make a NXT Turkey, a timely ornament, a Kwanzaa kinara, a dreidel, or even a robotic gift wrapper. The ideas are endless so use your creative imagination to make a fun holiday bot!

There's no limit on amount of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors, motors, NXT programmable bricks, HiTechnic sensors, or Bluetooth communication you can use on your MINDSTORMS NXT Holiday Bot.

You have until Friday December 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See this NXTLOG to enter Holiday Building Challenge

Happy Building!
'Tis the season to be building
Fa la la la la la la la la
Robots to help with holiday gilding
Fa la la la la la la la la
Put your project up on NXTLOG…
Fa la la la la la la la la
Wow! A cool robotic yule log
Fa la la la la la la la la

The holiday season is here and we want you to design a Holiday NXTbot! Your robot must represent a seasonal holiday. (Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, Eid-el-Fitr, Diwali, and more…).

You can make a NXT Turkey, a timely ornament, a Kwanzaa kinara, a dreidel, or even a robotic gift wrapper. The ideas are endless so use your creative imagination to make a fun holiday bot!

There's no limit on amount of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors, motors, NXT programmable bricks, HiTechnic sensors, or Bluetooth communication you can use on your MINDSTORMS NXT Holiday Bot.

You have until Friday December 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See this NXTLOG to enter Holiday Building Challenge

Happy Building!

The NXTLOG Cool Creature Building Challenge Winners are in!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Lots of brave NXTLOGgers entered the Cool Creature Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble creatures of all kids. Three of the winners are first time NXTLOGgers! From insects to slimy snails, all the bots entered in this challenge are worth building and playing with. Visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by the gaggle, flock, or swarm of robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200810"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Robby, the Elephant
Created by: Robby-Hood

Robby-Hood created Robby, the Elephant because, “We always thought Elephant was a really cool, majestic, and friendly creature.” This NXT Elephant moves its trunk up and down and ears back and forth as it is walking, and it grunts as well! This project uses just one NXT brick, 3 motors, and its body is 100% constructed out of LEGO Pieces. Robby-Hood clearly describes how he construced and programmed the robot and provides an LDD and program file so you can build one too! For a very cool creature, we award Robby, the Elephant the Champion’s Award! (This is Robby-Hood’s first project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Slime the Snail
Created by: jayko543

Slime the Snail was created as a “happy accident.” First Jayko543 tried making a little biped, but when it tried to walk, it fell over and flopped all over the table. “I thought it sort of looked like a slug or snail. So thats when I created it. . . ewwww.” But Slime the Snail is not all that gross, it has some fun and innovative design elements. The motors are used as CAMs (the motors are offset on the robot) to make it move, and when the robots eyes are touched or when something makes a loud noise it will pull them into its shell. Jayko543 provides program files, an LDD file, and video of Slime the Snail in action! For creative and unique robot, we award Slime the Snail the Robot Design Award. (This is Jayko543’s fourteenth project on NXTLOG and the second contest award - sneezebot ("achoo") won the CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD in the Winter Wonderland Challenge).

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Norton the NXT-Rex
Created by: Elmo9701

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. That’s what Elmo9701 did with the Norton the NXT-Rex project. It is now a robotic dinosaur. It started as a worm, then evolved to a dragon, and finally transformed to Norton the NXT-Rex. Elmo9701’s NXTLOG is well organized into steps that describe the robot’s Design, the Challenges and Solutions to building the project and a highly detailed step related to The Program. Norton is programmed to interact with its user via the sound sensor, touch sensor, ultrasonic sensor, motors, and NXT buttons, display screen, and speaker. He talks to the user, walks on the floor, adds simple numbers, and tells the user the distance to objects that are in front of him. Elmo9701 annotated the program files and gives credit to NXTLOGgers LegoManIAm94 and NXTGeek2 whose projects inspired the programming. For excellence in robotic programming (and NXTLOG team effort) we award Norton the NXT-Rex the Robot Performance Award! (This is Elmo9701’s first NXTLOG Project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
A PANDA!!
Created by: chocolatelover2014

A very creative Cool Creature Challenge entry, A PANDA!! is narrated by 3 minifig reporters from the LNN (LEGO News Network), Samantha, Daniel, and Adam. The three are working on an epic mission to rescue a Panda from danger in the mountains to the LEGOLAND Zoo. When they rescue the Panda they discover it is lonely so they build a NXT Panda to keep it company. The robotic Panda is programmed to walk on a quest for bamboo, and it will back up if it sees dark, and will stop when its tail is hit. For a very original NXTLOG, we award A PANDA!! the creative use of NXTLOG award. (This is chocolatelover2014’s first entry on NXTLOG).

HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Some robots listed in the Honerable Mention section were not considered for awards due to (1) a missing program file, (2) a missing .lxf (LEGO Digital Designer File), or (3) both.

Walkingthunder-The Dragon
Created by: NatoNX

Roboworm, 1-legged walker
Created by: Luis007006

Bumble bee
Created by: rammjet

Turtle bot
Created by: spacedude1234567

Snail
Created by: alemaster123

Mawchaw the gineapiglet
Created by: rammjet

The Waddling Penguin
Created by: toothpaste35

Robo-Girrafe
Created by: doddy345

monkey
Created by: duncydunc

Jumping insects with moving feelers
Created by: Zsolo66
Lots of brave NXTLOGgers entered the Cool Creature Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble creatures of all kids. Three of the winners are first time NXTLOGgers! From insects to slimy snails, all the bots entered in this challenge are worth building and playing with. Visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by the gaggle, flock, or swarm of robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200810"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
Robby, the Elephant
Created by: Robby-Hood

Robby-Hood created Robby, the Elephant because, “We always thought Elephant was a really cool, majestic, and friendly creature.” This NXT Elephant moves its trunk up and down and ears back and forth as it is walking, and it grunts as well! This project uses just one NXT brick, 3 motors, and its body is 100% constructed out of LEGO Pieces. Robby-Hood clearly describes how he construced and programmed the robot and provides an LDD and program file so you can build one too! For a very cool creature, we award Robby, the Elephant the Champion’s Award! (This is Robby-Hood’s first project on NXTLOG.)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Slime the Snail
Created by: jayko543

Slime the Snail was created as a “happy accident.” First Jayko543 tried making a little biped, but when it tried to walk, it fell over and flopped all over the table. “I thought it sort of looked like a slug or snail. So thats when I created it. . . ewwww.” But Slime the Snail is not all that gross, it has some fun and innovative design elements. The motors are used as CAMs (the motors are offset on the robot) to make it move, and when the robots eyes are touched or when something makes a loud noise it will pull them into its shell. Jayko543 provides program files, an LDD file, and video of Slime the Snail in action! For creative and unique robot, we award Slime the Snail the Robot Design Award. (This is Jayko543’s fourteenth project on NXTLOG and the second contest award - sneezebot ("achoo") won the CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD in the Winter Wonderland Challenge).

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
Norton the NXT-Rex
Created by: Elmo9701

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. That’s what Elmo9701 did with the Norton the NXT-Rex project. It is now a robotic dinosaur. It started as a worm, then evolved to a dragon, and finally transformed to Norton the NXT-Rex. Elmo9701’s NXTLOG is well organized into steps that describe the robot’s Design, the Challenges and Solutions to building the project and a highly detailed step related to The Program. Norton is programmed to interact with its user via the sound sensor, touch sensor, ultrasonic sensor, motors, and NXT buttons, display screen, and speaker. He talks to the user, walks on the floor, adds simple numbers, and tells the user the distance to objects that are in front of him. Elmo9701 annotated the program files and gives credit to NXTLOGgers LegoManIAm94 and NXTGeek2 whose projects inspired the programming. For excellence in robotic programming (and NXTLOG team effort) we award Norton the NXT-Rex the Robot Performance Award! (This is Elmo9701’s first NXTLOG Project.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
A PANDA!!
Created by: chocolatelover2014

A very creative Cool Creature Challenge entry, A PANDA!! is narrated by 3 minifig reporters from the LNN (LEGO News Network), Samantha, Daniel, and Adam. The three are working on an epic mission to rescue a Panda from danger in the mountains to the LEGOLAND Zoo. When they rescue the Panda they discover it is lonely so they build a NXT Panda to keep it company. The robotic Panda is programmed to walk on a quest for bamboo, and it will back up if it sees dark, and will stop when its tail is hit. For a very original NXTLOG, we award A PANDA!! the creative use of NXTLOG award. (This is chocolatelover2014’s first entry on NXTLOG).

HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Some robots listed in the Honerable Mention section were not considered for awards due to (1) a missing program file, (2) a missing .lxf (LEGO Digital Designer File), or (3) both.

Walkingthunder-The Dragon
Created by: NatoNX

Roboworm, 1-legged walker
Created by: Luis007006

Bumble bee
Created by: rammjet

Turtle bot
Created by: spacedude1234567

Snail
Created by: alemaster123

Mawchaw the gineapiglet
Created by: rammjet

The Waddling Penguin
Created by: toothpaste35

Robo-Girrafe
Created by: doddy345

monkey
Created by: duncydunc

Jumping insects with moving feelers
Created by: Zsolo66

Robotics Club at Spastics Society of Karnataka

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT
The Spastics Society of Karnataka [1] (SSK) is a school in Bangalore, India dedicated to the welfare of the disabled children suffering from various Neuro-Muscular disorders.

The Robotics club at SSK got initiated when two volunteers from school decided to enroll the students of the school to participate in the First LEGO League contest in 2007 conducted by SAP in India. From the time the students got hold of the LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit, everyone has been fascinated by the fun-filled aspects building the models and programming the robot to do tasks. Initially, everyone was apprehensive about programming, thinking that it was a complicated task. But when got introduced to the LEGO Mindstorms Programming Environment, it was a wonderful realization to students that programming could be such a simple and an enjoyable activity.

As Nivedita, a student from the school would put it, "When I was given a chance to build something of my imagination, I came up with an idea to build a super truck, which can be used for construction purpose. It took me nearly 3 or 4 days to build this rare truck. After I built it I did some basic programming using the Mindstorms NXT-G. I tested it and it worked perfectly. I was thrilled the way it worked as per my program."

The Robotics club was formed by the students from various different classes and having different capabilities and talents. The whole idea was when working as a team, each student would be able complement another one's capability.

So, we have Kartik, Avinash and Padmini in the club, who are wheelchair bound, with limited motor skills, but very good at logic, programming, research and "Theoretical Robotics". Complementing their skills and with an equally good imagination is Nivedita, Leo, Hema, Shivu and John. They engage in building the robot using the kit and programming the kit.

Leo has been a find of the club, who was able to realize his potential with the help of LEGO Kits. He was enrolled to this school only a year ago, after being diagnosed as dyslexic and unable to cope with students in the normal school.When given the LEGO kit, he was able to recognize his natural ability to architect models and build things. People wonder at his innate ability to build the robotics model quickly. Have a look at Robby the Elephant for a example, which Leo created within a day.

The robotics club and Mindstorms kit has helped the students and volunteers alike in expanding their quest for science and robotics. And winning the second prize in India level contest of FLL has greatly boosted the confidence of students. More importantly, the robotics club and NXT kit has given the students, parents, teachers and volunteers to engage themselves in an exciting activity every week, working and sharing the fun together as team.

Have a look at The Spastic Society of Karnataka's website hereThe Spastics Society of Karnataka [1] (SSK) is a school in Bangalore, India dedicated to the welfare of the disabled children suffering from various Neuro-Muscular disorders.

The Robotics club at SSK got initiated when two volunteers from school decided to enroll the students of the school to participate in the First LEGO League contest in 2007 conducted by SAP in India. From the time the students got hold of the LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit, everyone has been fascinated by the fun-filled aspects building the models and programming the robot to do tasks. Initially, everyone was apprehensive about programming, thinking that it was a complicated task. But when got introduced to the LEGO Mindstorms Programming Environment, it was a wonderful realization to students that programming could be such a simple and an enjoyable activity.

As Nivedita, a student from the school would put it, "When I was given a chance to build something of my imagination, I came up with an idea to build a super truck, which can be used for construction purpose. It took me nearly 3 or 4 days to build this rare truck. After I built it I did some basic programming using the Mindstorms NXT-G. I tested it and it worked perfectly. I was thrilled the way it worked as per my program."

The Robotics club was formed by the students from various different classes and having different capabilities and talents. The whole idea was when working as a team, each student would be able complement another one's capability.

So, we have Kartik, Avinash and Padmini in the club, who are wheelchair bound, with limited motor skills, but very good at logic, programming, research and "Theoretical Robotics". Complementing their skills and with an equally good imagination is Nivedita, Leo, Hema, Shivu and John. They engage in building the robot using the kit and programming the kit.

Leo has been a find of the club, who was able to realize his potential with the help of LEGO Kits. He was enrolled to this school only a year ago, after being diagnosed as dyslexic and unable to cope with students in the normal school.When given the LEGO kit, he was able to recognize his natural ability to architect models and build things. People wonder at his innate ability to build the robotics model quickly. Have a look at Robby the Elephant for a example, which Leo created within a day.

The robotics club and Mindstorms kit has helped the students and volunteers alike in expanding their quest for science and robotics. And winning the second prize in India level contest of FLL has greatly boosted the confidence of students. More importantly, the robotics club and NXT kit has given the students, parents, teachers and volunteers to engage themselves in an exciting activity every week, working and sharing the fun together as team.

Have a look at The Spastic Society of Karnataka's website here

New questions answered in the "Ask the NXTperts" section

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Take a look at the "Ask the NXTperts" section and see what our NXTperts are answering to interesting questions like:

How can I give the NXT servo motors more torque? What is a gear ratio?

When I tell my robot to turn 90 degrees, it does not turn 90 degrees. Why?

The section is located hereTake a look at the "Ask the NXTperts" section and see what our NXTperts are answering to interesting questions like:

How can I give the NXT servo motors more torque? What is a gear ratio?

When I tell my robot to turn 90 degrees, it does not turn 90 degrees. Why?

The section is located here

Humorous NXT vs. RCX videos poke fun at LEGO MINDSTORMS

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:00:00 GMT
MINDSTORMS is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Many remember MINDSTORMS as only being the yellow RCX brick, and some newcomers to LEGO MINDSTORMS are only familiar with the white and gray NXT.

Jake Ingman and Brandon Newendorp co-chairs of the Iowa FLL Planning Team were getting a lot of questions from teams on the differences between the RCX and NXT kits. They came up with the idea to create a series of fun videos to help educate teams on the differences between the two. These humorous videos ponder the pros and cons of each MINDSTORMS platform using Apple's ® Mac vs. PC TV ads as their muse.

"All of the video was shot in one evening in front of a green screen. Jake played RCX while I played NXT. I have to say, we have a lot of video of us making it about halfway through a scene before we start laughing! Once the video was shot, I did the effects and editing in Apple's Final Cut Pro" says Brandon.

The videos "premiered" at the Iowa FLL Championship in January 2007 and they've also had some viral popularity online. "At the last FLL World Festival a number of people recognized me as "NXT" and wanted to take a picture with me" says Brandon.

"As for a favorite kit," continues Newendorp, "it's tough to say. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both kits, which we tried to demonstrate in the videos. Both kits offer FLL teams a different set of engineering challenges to overcome. Personally, I like the more capable programming, motors and sensors of the NXT, but I'm still a fan of the traditional LEGO bricks used to build RCX robots. "We've been thinking about making another set of the videos this season, continuing the NXT vs. RCX idea. We'll see what comes out of it!"

We can't wait to see what this creative duo comes up with NXT!
To view the NXT vs. RCX videos visit the ISEK Website:

ISEK NXT vs. RCXMINDSTORMS is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Many remember MINDSTORMS as only being the yellow RCX brick, and some newcomers to LEGO MINDSTORMS are only familiar with the white and gray NXT.

Jake Ingman and Brandon Newendorp co-chairs of the Iowa FLL Planning Team were getting a lot of questions from teams on the differences between the RCX and NXT kits. They came up with the idea to create a series of fun videos to help educate teams on the differences between the two. These humorous videos ponder the pros and cons of each MINDSTORMS platform using Apple's ® Mac vs. PC TV ads as their muse.

"All of the video was shot in one evening in front of a green screen. Jake played RCX while I played NXT. I have to say, we have a lot of video of us making it about halfway through a scene before we start laughing! Once the video was shot, I did the effects and editing in Apple's Final Cut Pro" says Brandon.

The videos "premiered" at the Iowa FLL Championship in January 2007 and they've also had some viral popularity online. "At the last FLL World Festival a number of people recognized me as "NXT" and wanted to take a picture with me" says Brandon.

"As for a favorite kit," continues Newendorp, "it's tough to say. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both kits, which we tried to demonstrate in the videos. Both kits offer FLL teams a different set of engineering challenges to overcome. Personally, I like the more capable programming, motors and sensors of the NXT, but I'm still a fan of the traditional LEGO bricks used to build RCX robots. "We've been thinking about making another set of the videos this season, continuing the NXT vs. RCX idea. We'll see what comes out of it!"

We can't wait to see what this creative duo comes up with NXT!
To view the NXT vs. RCX videos visit the ISEK Website:

ISEK NXT vs. RCX

New resource for FIRST LEGO League Coaches

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:00:00 GMT
The 2008-09 FIRST LEGO League season is underway and a new resource has recently come on the market that can help rookie and experienced FLL coaches alike.

FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide co authored by James Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin (both from http://thenextstep.blogspot.com) explores over a dozen topics related to facilitating an FLL team to help run a successful FLL season.

MINDSTORMS.com recently talked to Jim and Jonathan about the book:

How did the idea for the book come about?

Jim: Jonathan and I were both hearing the same concern about the lack of training materials for FLL. Much of the information available for coaches and team members is scattered among various web sites and discussion forums and we believed a book could be used to provide a head-start for new teams and more help for veteran teams. We approached No Starch (publisher of the Idea Book that we both contributed robots to) and they were interested and helped us formulate the topics that would be covered.

Is the book really useful to both rookie and experienced teams?

Jonathan: Absolutely! We wrote this book to cover both basic and advanced material. Some of the basic material includes discussion about how the FLL competition works, how to form a new team, and other things that rookie teams or teams-to-be can benefit from. More advanced topics include fundraising and how to do well in tournament judging sessions. Our building and programming tips also range from basic to advanced.

What topics does the book cover?

Jim: We decided to use the book to cover everything from the start of the FLL season to the day after the final competition (whether local, regional, or international). Topics include a history of FIRST and FLL and how to examine the rules for each new season. We provide details on forming a team, organizing, and managing a group. A few chapters cover the basics of building and programming and we hope we've provided some solid background and theory that can be used by all teams to focus their experiments and testing. We also felt it was important to cover those aspects of competition that don't always get as much attention as the Robot competition - the Project and Presentation aspects as well as various judging roles that all competitors should understand. We end the book with some wrap-up discussion on the season and suggestions on reviewing the season and finding the high-points to celebrate - it's all about the experiences you have during the season and using what you've learned to help you not only next year but in all areas of your education.

Was it difficult writing a book with two authors not living in the same place?

Jonathan: Not really; e-mails and phone calls worked out fine for us. After deciding what material we wanted to cover in the book, we split up the chapters between us. We'd each work on our chapters mostly by ourselves. When one of us finished a chapter, the other author would review and edit it before passing it on to the publisher.

What is the book's overall goal?

Jim: We wanted to provide an A-to-Z guide for all things related to FLL. While it's impossible to include everything, our goal quickly became to make certain there was enough information in the book for a new coach or parent to register a team, organize a team, and give them a reasonable chance to compete against experienced teams - this included giving enough information on all aspects of FLL and not just the Robot Game. We also wanted to give experienced teams some possible new ways of looking at the competition and maybe some new ways to attack the missions. One of our main purposes for the book was to provide something that could be read, cover-to-cover, and give anyone a solid understanding of FLL.

Our last question is for Jonathan. How do you like being a published author at age 16?
Jonathan: It's really exciting... and a lot of work! Since we were trying to get the book out quickly in time for the next FLL season, and since we were writing most of it during the school year, it was definitely one of the busiest times of my life. It's been a great experience, though, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.The 2008-09 FIRST LEGO League season is underway and a new resource has recently come on the market that can help rookie and experienced FLL coaches alike.

FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide co authored by James Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin (both from http://thenextstep.blogspot.com) explores over a dozen topics related to facilitating an FLL team to help run a successful FLL season.

MINDSTORMS.com recently talked to Jim and Jonathan about the book:

How did the idea for the book come about?

Jim: Jonathan and I were both hearing the same concern about the lack of training materials for FLL. Much of the information available for coaches and team members is scattered among various web sites and discussion forums and we believed a book could be used to provide a head-start for new teams and more help for veteran teams. We approached No Starch (publisher of the Idea Book that we both contributed robots to) and they were interested and helped us formulate the topics that would be covered.

Is the book really useful to both rookie and experienced teams?

Jonathan: Absolutely! We wrote this book to cover both basic and advanced material. Some of the basic material includes discussion about how the FLL competition works, how to form a new team, and other things that rookie teams or teams-to-be can benefit from. More advanced topics include fundraising and how to do well in tournament judging sessions. Our building and programming tips also range from basic to advanced.

What topics does the book cover?

Jim: We decided to use the book to cover everything from the start of the FLL season to the day after the final competition (whether local, regional, or international). Topics include a history of FIRST and FLL and how to examine the rules for each new season. We provide details on forming a team, organizing, and managing a group. A few chapters cover the basics of building and programming and we hope we've provided some solid background and theory that can be used by all teams to focus their experiments and testing. We also felt it was important to cover those aspects of competition that don't always get as much attention as the Robot competition - the Project and Presentation aspects as well as various judging roles that all competitors should understand. We end the book with some wrap-up discussion on the season and suggestions on reviewing the season and finding the high-points to celebrate - it's all about the experiences you have during the season and using what you've learned to help you not only next year but in all areas of your education.

Was it difficult writing a book with two authors not living in the same place?

Jonathan: Not really; e-mails and phone calls worked out fine for us. After deciding what material we wanted to cover in the book, we split up the chapters between us. We'd each work on our chapters mostly by ourselves. When one of us finished a chapter, the other author would review and edit it before passing it on to the publisher.

What is the book's overall goal?

Jim: We wanted to provide an A-to-Z guide for all things related to FLL. While it's impossible to include everything, our goal quickly became to make certain there was enough information in the book for a new coach or parent to register a team, organize a team, and give them a reasonable chance to compete against experienced teams - this included giving enough information on all aspects of FLL and not just the Robot Game. We also wanted to give experienced teams some possible new ways of looking at the competition and maybe some new ways to attack the missions. One of our main purposes for the book was to provide something that could be read, cover-to-cover, and give anyone a solid understanding of FLL.

Our last question is for Jonathan. How do you like being a published author at age 16?
Jonathan: It's really exciting... and a lot of work! Since we were trying to get the book out quickly in time for the next FLL season, and since we were writing most of it during the school year, it was definitely one of the busiest times of my life. It's been a great experience, though, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.

MINDSTORMS NXT Cool Creature Building Challenge

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:00:00 GMT
What can be more fun than a barrel full of monkeys? A barrel full of NXT monkeys! We've had Biped, Quadruped, and even Bug Bot challenges on NXTLOG, but now we want you to have lots of fun and build the coolest creature on the planet.

"Creature" for this contest means animals of any sort. So go out and build the most creative robotic animal you can imagine. Spike can't be the only NXT creature around.

You have until Friday October 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See the Cool Creature Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.

Happy Building!
What can be more fun than a barrel full of monkeys? A barrel full of NXT monkeys! We've had Biped, Quadruped, and even Bug Bot challenges on NXTLOG, but now we want you to have lots of fun and build the coolest creature on the planet.

"Creature" for this contest means animals of any sort. So go out and build the most creative robotic animal you can imagine. Spike can't be the only NXT creature around.

You have until Friday October 31, 2008 to enter your robot.

See the Cool Creature Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.

Happy Building!

The NXTLOG Summer Sports Challenge Winners are in!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:00:00 GMT
Over 90 NXTLOGgers entered the Summer Sports Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble real-life athletes in competition. We saw robotic gymnasts, boxers, ball players, runners, swimmers, and many other robots playing summer sports - but only a few can win the gold! Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200808"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
NXT Gymnast
Created by: LeoBello

The NXT Gymnast created by LeoBello is a robot that can compete in the Uneven Bars competition. There are 2 motors for the arms and 2 for the legs (but the NXT has only 3 ports so only one leg is powered). The movie that LeoBello includes with this project shows the robot performing an Uneven Bar routine with great skill and grace. We award the NXT Gymnast a 10.0! (Also see LeoBello's 2nd Summer Sports Challenge entry: NXT Basketball Player)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Equestrian Mark 2
Created by: _Dragongirl_

_Dragongirl_ entered 2 robots in the Summer Sports Challenge, and Equestrian Mark 2 is an improved version of _Dragongirl_'s first Equestrian robot design. _Dragongirl_ got some help from her dad (adimitrov) to create a robotic horse that can compete in an Equestrian competition. Her first robot had one motor and a detached NXT, while this version sports 2 motors (one is just for show), an onboard NXT, and a creative use of wire as a "bridle." A video of the robot in action shows that this horse can gallop! We appreciate _Dragongirl_'s detailed NXTLOG documentation and dedication in improving her robot. _Dragongirl_ wins the gold in Robot Design!

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
100 meters, The Ultimate Race
Created by: NeXTSTORM

Under the bright light of the Olympic flame, the greatest runners of the world are ready for a drag race from the gun shot to the tape. NeXTSTORM designed the "Ultimate Race" where one NXT powers a number of minifig runners racing down a LEGO track in a LEGO stadium powered by intelligent programming so you never know who is going to win! The "Ultimate Race" ends with a fiesta of great LEGO fireworks bursting in sky. For NeXTSTORM's awesome design and programming, the "Ultimate Race" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Dexter does the Olympics.
Created by: STARMAN71

STARMAN71 uses NXTLOG in a creative way by repurposing a robot previously submitted for the Biped Challenge. This biped, "Dexter," is desgned to enter the Power Walking competition. Power Walking is a fast walk over great distances where the walker has to have one foot on the floor at all times, a task that Dexter does very well. STARMAN71 made Dexter walk faster by changing the gears in the legs and altering the program. STARMAN71 also uses a Power Point presentation to count down the starting sequence for Dexter to "Go." (STARMAN71 has 5 projects on NXTLOG and 3 projects entered in the Summer Sports Challenge.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Kayaker-Bot
Created by: Geo526468

John the Gymnast
Created by: STARMAN71

swimmer
Created by: artificialintelligence

Baskebot
Created by: alemaster123

swimming robot
Created by: dragonk1997

Rapier 2.0 "CHARGE!"
Created by: bry5

JudgeBot
Created by: abcde13

The Brickbusters(with the boxing bot)
Created by: RrangerRick
Over 90 NXTLOGgers entered the Summer Sports Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble real-life athletes in competition. We saw robotic gymnasts, boxers, ball players, runners, swimmers, and many other robots playing summer sports - but only a few can win the gold! Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200808"

Here are the winners:

CHAMPION'S AWARD
NXT Gymnast
Created by: LeoBello

The NXT Gymnast created by LeoBello is a robot that can compete in the Uneven Bars competition. There are 2 motors for the arms and 2 for the legs (but the NXT has only 3 ports so only one leg is powered). The movie that LeoBello includes with this project shows the robot performing an Uneven Bar routine with great skill and grace. We award the NXT Gymnast a 10.0! (Also see LeoBello's 2nd Summer Sports Challenge entry: NXT Basketball Player)

ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Equestrian Mark 2
Created by: _Dragongirl_

_Dragongirl_ entered 2 robots in the Summer Sports Challenge, and Equestrian Mark 2 is an improved version of _Dragongirl_'s first Equestrian robot design. _Dragongirl_ got some help from her dad (adimitrov) to create a robotic horse that can compete in an Equestrian competition. Her first robot had one motor and a detached NXT, while this version sports 2 motors (one is just for show), an onboard NXT, and a creative use of wire as a "bridle." A video of the robot in action shows that this horse can gallop! We appreciate _Dragongirl_'s detailed NXTLOG documentation and dedication in improving her robot. _Dragongirl_ wins the gold in Robot Design!

ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
100 meters, The Ultimate Race
Created by: NeXTSTORM

Under the bright light of the Olympic flame, the greatest runners of the world are ready for a drag race from the gun shot to the tape. NeXTSTORM designed the "Ultimate Race" where one NXT powers a number of minifig runners racing down a LEGO track in a LEGO stadium powered by intelligent programming so you never know who is going to win! The "Ultimate Race" ends with a fiesta of great LEGO fireworks bursting in sky. For NeXTSTORM's awesome design and programming, the "Ultimate Race" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 9th project on NXTLOG.)

CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Dexter does the Olympics.
Created by: STARMAN71

STARMAN71 uses NXTLOG in a creative way by repurposing a robot previously submitted for the Biped Challenge. This biped, "Dexter," is desgned to enter the Power Walking competition. Power Walking is a fast walk over great distances where the walker has to have one foot on the floor at all times, a task that Dexter does very well. STARMAN71 made Dexter walk faster by changing the gears in the legs and altering the program. STARMAN71 also uses a Power Point presentation to count down the starting sequence for Dexter to "Go." (STARMAN71 has 5 projects on NXTLOG and 3 projects entered in the Summer Sports Challenge.)

HONORABLE MENTION(S)

Kayaker-Bot
Created by: Geo526468

John the Gymnast
Created by: STARMAN71

swimmer
Created by: artificialintelligence

Baskebot
Created by: alemaster123

swimming robot
Created by: dragonk1997

Rapier 2.0 "CHARGE!"
Created by: bry5

JudgeBot
Created by: abcde13

The Brickbusters(with the boxing bot)
Created by: RrangerRick

MINDSTORMS NXT and yellow marshmallow treats in near space?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:00:00 GMT
What happens when you send yellow marshmallow treats into near space? And what would happen when they land in the hot Nevada desert? That’s what some 4th grade students from Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA wished to investigate as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) project last week in Reno, Nevada.

Under the leadership of Shady Hill science teachers Barbara Bratzel and Jeanne McDermott as well as Chris Rogers and Susan Tse from Tufts University, the 4th grade students used the yellow marshmallows to measure temperature and pressure during the mission.

“We ran some tests on Earth with the students--putting the yellow marshmallow treats in a small vacuum chamber, a freezer, and a solar oven--to simulate the conditions they would be exposed to in space and after landing. The kids then made sketches and wrote predictions of what they thought the yellow marshmallow treats would look like when they returned,” says Bratzel.

The students’ payload carried an off the shelf pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, as well as a "marshmallow-o-meter" where a yellow marshmallow is anchored in a LEGO cage with a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor to measure its expansion. The "marshmallow-o-meter" was designed and built by high school student and Shady Hill School alumni Eric Mukherjee. A NXT brick was also used to record the data. The payload was contained in a styrofoam container for insulation and cushioning.

The yellow marshmallows traveled up to 99,570 feet last Tuesday before being recovered in the Nevada desert. The NXT and marshmallow payload is now on its way (via snail mail) back to the students at Shady Hill School. The fourth graders (who will now be fifth graders) will examine the temperature and pressure data and present their findings to their school.

The students are curious to see what happens to their treats. Some students think that the marshmallows will swell up when the pressure is low but shrink back to their original size upon returning to Earth. Some of the students think that they will become wrinkled or that some of the yellow sugar will fall off. Some students think (hope!) that the marshmallows will explode when the pressure is very low.

The students aren’t going to eat any of the yellow marshmallow treats that went into space when they are returned to them, but they enjoyed eating them during their experimentation before the H.A.L.E. launch!

You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/What happens when you send yellow marshmallow treats into near space? And what would happen when they land in the hot Nevada desert? That’s what some 4th grade students from Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA wished to investigate as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) project last week in Reno, Nevada.

Under the leadership of Shady Hill science teachers Barbara Bratzel and Jeanne McDermott as well as Chris Rogers and Susan Tse from Tufts University, the 4th grade students used the yellow marshmallows to measure temperature and pressure during the mission.

“We ran some tests on Earth with the students--putting the yellow marshmallow treats in a small vacuum chamber, a freezer, and a solar oven--to simulate the conditions they would be exposed to in space and after landing. The kids then made sketches and wrote predictions of what they thought the yellow marshmallow treats would look like when they returned,” says Bratzel.

The students’ payload carried an off the shelf pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, as well as a "marshmallow-o-meter" where a yellow marshmallow is anchored in a LEGO cage with a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor to measure its expansion. The "marshmallow-o-meter" was designed and built by high school student and Shady Hill School alumni Eric Mukherjee. A NXT brick was also used to record the data. The payload was contained in a styrofoam container for insulation and cushioning.

The yellow marshmallows traveled up to 99,570 feet last Tuesday before being recovered in the Nevada desert. The NXT and marshmallow payload is now on its way (via snail mail) back to the students at Shady Hill School. The fourth graders (who will now be fifth graders) will examine the temperature and pressure data and present their findings to their school.

The students are curious to see what happens to their treats. Some students think that the marshmallows will swell up when the pressure is low but shrink back to their original size upon returning to Earth. Some of the students think that they will become wrinkled or that some of the yellow sugar will fall off. Some students think (hope!) that the marshmallows will explode when the pressure is very low.

The students aren’t going to eat any of the yellow marshmallow treats that went into space when they are returned to them, but they enjoyed eating them during their experimentation before the H.A.L.E. launch!

You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/

Winners of the LEGO Club Magazine MINDSTORMS drawing contest

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:00:00 GMT
This year it is 10 years ago LEGO MINDSTORMS was first launched, so we want to celebrate the anniversary. As part of the celebration we have run a drawing competition in the March issue of LEGO Club Magazine: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT “Visions of the Future”, where you should draw your MINDSTORMS robot of the future - how would LEGO robots look like in the future?

We have received well over 3000 fantastic drawings from users from age 6 to early 20's, so it has been very hard to choose the 10 winners! Thanks to all of you who entered a drawing for this contest.

Here are the lucky ones who will receive a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set (#8527).

Congratulations, winners, and thank you for your drawings of future LEGO MINDSTORMS robots!!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

Note: all winners will be notified by regular US mail.
This year it is 10 years ago LEGO MINDSTORMS was first launched, so we want to celebrate the anniversary. As part of the celebration we have run a drawing competition in the March issue of LEGO Club Magazine: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT “Visions of the Future”, where you should draw your MINDSTORMS robot of the future - how would LEGO robots look like in the future?

We have received well over 3000 fantastic drawings from users from age 6 to early 20's, so it has been very hard to choose the 10 winners! Thanks to all of you who entered a drawing for this contest.

Here are the lucky ones who will receive a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set (#8527).

Congratulations, winners, and thank you for your drawings of future LEGO MINDSTORMS robots!!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

Note: all winners will be notified by regular US mail.

Winners of the LEGO Club Magazine MINDSTORMS drawing contest (#6 to #10)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:00:00 GMT
Here are #6 to #10.

A big congratulations!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team

Here are #6 to #10.

A big congratulations!

The LEGO MINDSTORMS team