Mindstorms Developer Program (MDP) Participants Announced
Posted by Jeff in Mindstorms NXT
Early this morning the LEGO Group announced that it had selected 100 finalists — out of an applicant pool of more than 9600 people — for the Mindstorms Developer Program (MDP).
As part of the community-based development process that LEGO announced a few months ago (and was mentioned in a recent WIRED cover story) these lucky folks will get a few months to tinker with the NXT before the product is released at retail.
The MDP will be chaired by Mitch Resnick of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, who also contributed to the design and development of the first Mindstorms in 1998. MDP developers will be divided into three groups, each dealing with a separate area of interest: software/hardware, inventions and creations/community. Access to a MDP web forum will be included, while participants will be encouraged to swap ideas, suggestions and other bits to help the community shape NXT development.
Here’s a quote from the news release by Soren Lund, NXT Marketing Director:
“Because we are in the business of making a robotics toolset, as opposed to pre-designed or pre-programmed robots, we feel that inviting pioneers from the community broadly enhances the new product and experience for all MINDSTORMS users in ways that will exceed expectations at both the building and programming levels. Additionally, the diverse backgrounds, talents, interests and livelihoods of these 100 participants confirms the appeal and versatility of the platform we are bringing to market for tinkerers, enthusiasts and roboticists of all ages.”
The 100 developers selected for the MDP will be allowed to purchase early NXT sets, as well as pre-release NXT software, for a discounted price of USD $149.99. Once the program ends MDP participants will receive final software and other elements. The program will run from March 1st to June 15th.We’ll have more on the MDP program in the near future, and you can also check out the official Mindstorms NXT site for info as well.
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hi there
so have the lucky people been informed yet that they have been selected ?
Alas, it wasn’t mean to be. I think the LEGO people must have gotten lost trying to find me… what other explanation can there be for my not making the beta?
Anyone else make the beta?
How about othere?
How about those who started the NXT blog and followed the blog faithfully.. did you guys get it ?
Hi,
yes, I got in! We are now busy working on *** (sry, I’m not allowed to tell about).
In this group there are very many known names, but also those, who haven’t ever worked with Mindstorms. A really good choice from all groups (hardware, software, building, …) was made.
Look forward to Mai, then we may present first results.
I hope, that all, not having been chosen, are not too disappointed.
Franz
Hmm, so it wasn’t meant to be me either, I guess. (They could have at least sent a mail, telling me so!) What a pity… wanted to integrate in a paper at university, apply it to “AI and concept recognition”. Well, that’s life. Hope that none of the not-chosen gets cranky about this fine Danish company! (On other thought: I might draw a caricature on them!
)
“Hope that none of the not-chosen gets cranky about this fine Danish company!”
I am ‘cranky’ about them, not because I didn’t get into the beta but because the kit will cost over £35 more in the UK than in the US! I know we aren’t alone in the UK with being charged more since Canada seems to get a higher price too, but I find it very odd since we are much closer to Denmark than the US is.
I am in. And the NXT is great! And I am not allowed to say even that. But trust me. it is worth the wait!
Vision Command for NXT
To those who are in. Please recommend to Lego to provide a new Vision Command add on kit. The original Vision Command for RIS was a good start but ultimately too limited. The problem is that the camera had a cord that had remain attached to the computer. When you added the camera the RIS robot had to remain tethered to the PC by the 15 foot USB cable. This limited use of the technology. They need to make the next Vision Command wireless. I want to program my NXT creation to take a picture of anything that moves, or any object that is blue, or in the direction of any sound it detects, or when it bumps into something.
Also I want a good wheel kit. Tank treads would be even better!
Well, due to the complexity of most of the sensors, I think that a camera may not be needed as much, after all the RCX only got colors out of the cameras and the NXT’s light sensor can sense color. I also imagine that they could write a add-on bit of the firmware that allows it to talk to bluetooth cameras and use their own lens as a camera, or at least scan pictures on the cameras for usage. But in response to the vision command idea, Lego always could sell their own lego bluetooth directly controllable camera for the NXT. That way the NXT vision command would be completely wireless with the NXT. What I mean by “directly controllable” is that the NXT would be able to point the lens of the lego camera where it wants based on data it’s getting from the camera via the bluetooth port on the NXT.
I’d love to be an MDP, but I wasn’t 18! I’ve turned 18 since the MDP applications were due though