Welcome to nxtbot.com, a new blog dedicated to providing news, interviews, features and commentary on the fast-changing world of consumer robotics. This blog is sponsored by the LEGO Company, which helped develop the consumer robotics category in 1998 with the original release of the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System (RIS).
While I’ll be taking a closer look at the upcoming Mindstorms NXT in the near future, nxtbot.com isn’t just about LEGO Mindstorms. The field of robotics has seen amazing growth over the last few years, ranging from the success of iRobot’s Roomba robot vacuum to the stalwart autonomous robotic vehicles that crossed the finish line at the DARPA Grand Challenge in 2005. We’ll touch on many facets of the consumer robotics industry here at nxtbot.com, and we’d also like to hear your observations and commentary as well.
So what’s next? Over the next day or so I’ll be prowling the halls of the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here in Las Vegas, snapping photos of new robotics products and trying to snag as much free exhibitor food as possible.
- Jeff
Entries (RSS)
Welcome!!!
It’s absolutely fantastic to hear that Lego Mindstorms is not only still alive and well, it’s going to the NXT level!
I’ve been a huge fan of Mindstorms since they first came out, and love prototyping with them. NXT looks great. I can hardly wait to get a set, and to review it for my robotics blog. A large percentage of my readers are also Mindstorms fans and have shared great stories about how they were first introduced to robot building using Mindstorms.
Great news this new NXT, I was waiting for some time to find new MindStorm information, sets and especially new sensors.
Please tell us all about this new exiting product!
Best regards, Pettrie
hi,
i’m very courious about your new mindstorms. what would intrest me is: which kind of processor do you use in your ntx-brik?
-stephan
I’m glad LEGO has learnd from the past and decided to create an open system. I hope the new sensors are really as good as described in the product introduction.
There are really so many wishes, that have been satisfied in the new product, for example the servo motors or the Bluetooth communication.
Also this blog shows, that LEGO wants to stay in close contact with his consumers.
I’m looking forward to the future
Franz
http://www.roboshow.de
Sweet! I’m really looking forward to getting more information about the NXT. As many technical details as possible would be very nice
LEGO Mindstorms NXT revealed…
My dreams have come true, LEGO revealed a NeXT generation of Mindstorms robotics invention system at the CES2006. Here follows a shortened version of the press release. Be sure to visit the mindstorms site for all the pictures and juicy details.
I wi…
OH MY GOD! IS THIS REAL??? I CANT BELIEVE THIS!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH LEGO.
Jeff – I just became familiar with the NXT robots through the Wired article. I find the concept fascinating, and I am anxious to see just how integrated to the PC the NXT bots can become using the Bluetooth interface (I’m thinking of a PC status reporting, command & control interface system using the robot).
I’m adding your blog to my links, I look forward to your updates. Thanks!
–Rob
Looking forward to hear more …
As the manager of a Lego Mindstorms Center at a science center and a volunteer at FIRST LEGO League, I can’t wait to see what the NXT sets are capable of! I work with Mindstorms everyday and I hope the NXT is a durable as the original Mindstorms: we have robots that have been working consistently everyday under intense use for the last three years! Good luck and I’ll be checking this site out frequently!
rss feed seems to be throwing BAD XML errors….
not sure what gives,
— MikeE
The Irobot Romba can be extended using the Hacker, http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=198 which makes it even more ‘interesting’. Functionality is built-in post Oct 2005 models, or available through an add-on on pre Oct 2005 models.
Can’t wait for the nxt, to go with the 2 ris kits I already have.
more news please
Here’s hoping that you can circumvent that tired old saw about what happens in Vegas! Let’s have something that doesn’t stay in Vegas!
“Good morning star-shine, the Earth says ‘hello!’”
Great to finally see Mac-support! You really got me this time
I look forward to seeing the CES reports
I already can’t wait for this to be released.
Hi, Jeff. Please check the RSS-enabling of your blog. Thanks!
Hey, Great.
Looking forward to this.
Thanks,
Bruce
A big thanks for making such product accessible to us, simple mortals!
I’ve applied to the developer program and I hope I will have granted a license.
That’s certainly the NXT big bot thing for 2006, and with creative extensions it will put smiles upon people’s face.
im so excited with this news!!! im particularly interested on how this product will affect the FLL. here’s to much more exciting competitions ahead!!!
One of the best things about the original Mindstorms kit was the way that Lego embraced (or at least did not squash) the hacker community. I remember my Mindstorms kit getting a new lease of life when I installed the leJOS Java OS on it. PLEASE tell me that Lego will let hackers ‘play’ with the NXT brick too!!
The rss feed isn’t valid for some reason – possibly because there’s a blank line at the start of the document. Just fyi
Sounds great. Any screenshots or info on what the modified labview software looks like? Hopefully not TOO simple. Any news on if a robolab-like software will be available?
I think I’m having problems posting comments.
I’ve seen this blog on the LEGO’s press release and so far the blog looks pretty good.
I’m an electrical and computer engeniering student in Portugal, and I like robotic football (soccer for you, I guess).
You should all go to Robocup 2006. ;P
I have had the privaledge of being a mentor for the Weatherly Robotics Club for the past two years. We use the Mindstorms kits as the basic first step for our kids. In looking at the new version of the kit, I can’t help but feel a tingle of excitement run down my spine. This is what we’ve been waiting for, a chance to step away from the “Toy” robots and walk into a sophisticated evironment where real robotics work can be done. Great job!
Thanks for all of the feedback and comments, everyone! I’ll look into the RSS feed issues and tweak a few other things about the blog over the next few days. Most of the glitches are due to my noobishness with the blog software I’m using, so you can witness my learning curve first-hand.
Why is it called NXT ? Does it have anything to do with the UK company NXT’s flat-panel speaker technology ? Anyone know ?
Hi, since i was 5 years old i´ve been playing with lego, but now that i´m 27 i enjoy more and more whith lego and this new line of robotics.
Thanks Lego.
Great! I am looking forward for the release of this new Lego product.´
I think that Lego has taking the next big step into the world of toy-programming!
All sounds great…just bought a RCX 2.0 set for my son and having loads of fun with it. My ultimate goal is to be able to control a lego Bot remotely via the internet….anyone done this kind of thing?
Chas, have a look at http://lego.marshall.edu/ for a remotely controlled RCX-based bot
I’m looking forward to NXT too. I would like to see Lego come up with a wireless web cam and a way to control the robot using r/c instead of IR.
Exelente he venido trabajando con los ladrillos Lego por 3 años y aunque en mi entidad es muy pequeña es muy entusiasta y espero pronto llegue a mi pais, que bueno que ahora dispone de sensores ultrasonicos y servomecanismo.
Good news…could have been great…sorry. Why does the nxt have to be so incompatable with rcx sensors and motors and the remote?
One of the problems with the original MindStorms is that the robots were made largely of parts that were never designed to move. Designing a robot required more effort figuring out how to make them move the way you wanted — and not falling apart when they did move — than it did working through the logic of the robot’s interaction with the rest of the world. LEGO’s decision to switch to Technics parts should make it a lot easier to build “practical” robots quickly.
Well, I saw the a lego NXT that looks like Jonny 5 … hmm.. I just thinking of setting that up. looks stylish cool, my nephew will certainly like it
I am very interested in the Ultrasound sensor. What exactly is it capable of?
It can measure distance, see movement etc etc… How good is it? How far can it “see”, at what viewing angle? What feedback does it give to enable a program to process movement? I cant wait to hear more about it.
Laura from Orlando here. Is it possible to subscribe to this blogs rss?
Great to see MINDSTORMS has evolved! LEGO created this category and should be the ones to take it to the next level.
Jeff, can we e-mail you directly with comments or questions?
Hey Jeff -
Sure — just drop me an email at jeff [@] nxtbot.com -
- Jeff