ROBOTMAK3RS Blog

ROBOTMAK3RS + LEGO SMART Play = New Play Possibilities

2026-04-04T04:31:00.000+10:00

ROBOTMAK3RS + LEGO SMART Play bricks and tiles resulted in some new play possibilities.

Can SMART Play bricks and tiles be used to enhance LEGO Robotics?

The SMART bricks and tiles, although designed to be used in conjunction with Star Wars sets, have their uses in other models. Inspired by the dueling in set 75427, I decided to recreate the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game using both LEGO robots and SMART Play components. In the classic two-player boxing game, two robots (Red Rocker and Blue Bomber) face off against each other. Human players use joysticks to move their robots and punch until the head falls off. To create a reasonable body shape and size, I used two small SPIKE Essential motors for the arms. I used the distance sensor as the head and utilized its lights to indicate emotion (when the head is hit, only the lower lights will be on). The head is on a hinge, allowing it to tilt back. To be true to the game, I created a manual joystick for turning the bodies of the robot. Two SPIKE force sensors trigger the punching arms. The Hub on the SPIKE displays a sad face when the robot is hit and a happy one when it is ready to punch again. SMART Play bricks and lightsaber tiles are added to each robot. They emit a sound and display lights at each hit for some additional fun.

How easy is it to use SMART PLAY bricks in other Star Wars Sets?

Initially, the SMART Play system seemed restrictive, but I was pleasantly surprised at its versatility. I wanted to see how easy or hard it would be to add these to my original Star Wars sets from the early 2000s (7656 General Grievous Starfighter and 7669 Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter). To my delight, it was very easy to add the bricks in a hidden (yet accessible) spot under my models with no changes to the ships. This allowed me to relive my childhood and have a battle between General Grievous and Anakin Skywalker with lights and sound effects.

Can SMART PLAY bricks be used in a non-Star Wars set?

Although customized for Star Wars sets, I was particularly excited to discover that you can adapt the tiles for use in other sets. My 60321 City Fire Brigade offered a perfect example. I added the SMART Play brick as well as the tile that comes with the repair vehicle in set 75423 to the top of the firetruck. As you ride down the road, the truck makes a nice vehicle noise. In addition, just before you try to shoot some water at a fire, take the blue fire extinguisher on the side of the truck and hold it against the color sensor on the SMART brick. The “fuel” sounds easily becomes water going through the hose.

I also discovered that the SMART brick works even when the tile is 2 studs away. So I took the SMART brick and placed it inside the car in the same set. I placed another tile on the road and now, when you drive over the tile, you have sound effects similar to the Mario Kart sets. I imagine that with the addition of more sounds, you could create a race car game with many “power-ups”.

What are the limitations of SMART Play bricks and tiles?

The new smart bricks are not problem-free. My fully charged brick got stuck in the middle of play, flashing white lights but not reacting to tiles, colors, or minifigures. Placing it back on the charger also had no impact. The brick recovered by itself in 15 minutes, but I imagine that there would be several frustrated children and adults who would abandon their play. Speaking to customer service, the representative told me how to reset the brick: 10 seconds stud down, 10 seconds studs up, 30 seconds stud down. When I asked where this information can be found, he said it is “somewhere on the website.” It is nowhere to be found (at least not easily). I looked at the FAQs for SMART Play in the help section, and this reset procedure was not there. Ideally, it would have been in the Smart Play App that you can install to track your bricks, rename them, and update their firmware.

The biggest disappointment comes from the minifigures. They all sound identical, just with different pitches. The sounds are so odd that they became the source of jokes and laughter in our household. Keep in mind that we play LEGO video games and thoroughly enjoy their wordless communications. It would have been better to just skip these “conversation” sounds entirely, as all they do right now is illustrate how bad the sounds are. The exceptions are the Darth Vader minifig that occasionally makes heavy breathing sounds (more of that and less of the identical “language” would have been appreciated), and the wookie and ewok that have some growling.

I would have liked to hear more of the “theme songs” for each character instead. The Imperial March theme is very nicely done, but it plays from Palpatine’s chair tile no matter who sits in it. For some reason, Luke and Leia minifigures on vehicle tiles play a very short tune (noticeably shorter than the Imperial March theme) that is not either character’s theme. It seems to be the finale theme song from the Empire Strikes Back movie. A different “theme music” for each character (especially since the Star Wars movies have multiple character theme songs) would have been a nice touch instead of being associated with a seat and repeating the theme songs across characters.

The color sensor is nice to have, but I was surprised by its limited actions. Blue only makes a water noise, Green is a hammering noise, and Red is shooting across all models. What would have been nice is some kind of ability to customize based on the set and application. There is already a SMART Play app we had to install. Perhaps LEGO can consider allowing users to customize the sounds we want for each brick to extend the play value.

Final Assessment

Our final assessment is that the Smart Play bricks do add some fun entertainment. The vehicle and ship sound effects are well done (a little on the quiet side even at full volume, though). The best part of SMART Play is the interaction between models; One model can shoot the other and cause a reactionary explosion sound. Sound effects from a crash/flip over are also nice.

As a parent whose children grew up with Star Wars LEGO sets, there is much to be said for a room filled with pew-pew and sounds generated by the children. As a child who created those noises, I also felt a sense of disappointment that the machine made those beloved noises. These new bricks are somewhat fun, but I hope that by guiding the play, they don’t replace the sounds of the children.

We do think there is a place for these Smart Bricks, but only time will tell if they sustain a child’s interests. As we demonstrated above, they can be made use of in LEGO City sets (fire trucks, police cars, helicopters), race cars, and more. Hopefully, LEGO will come up with a line of new tiles to use in other sets and also allow parents to buy just the SMART Play brick or tiles instead of requiring us to buy entire sets. Also, having two SMART bricks is the only way to get to see the best features of the SMART Play system. One brick and having to move it from model to model is very limiting and frustrating. Ideally, LEGO will also give the user the ability to customize the sounds rather than having to acquire new sets and tiles.

ROBOTMAK3R Selected to Display Work in Billund

2025-10-08T23:24:00.000+10:00

Our very own Anika Brandsma has been selected to have her LEGO robotics models displayed at the LEGO Campus in Billund for an entire year. Anika is well-known for embedding LEGO robotics elements inside her animal-shaped models, allowing them to come to life.

This butterfly model was made in collaboration with Harald Vijverberg. You can see it in action here. The shark model uses an EV3 and ultrasonic sensor. The fish have an infrared beacon hidden inside. Watch her interactive EV3 hedgehog pets here.

Visit Anika's YouTube and Facebook channels to see more projects. You can also learn more about Anika here.

ROBOTMAK3RS Review: LEGO River Steamboat

2025-09-06T23:45:00.000+10:00

I thought the LEGO River Steamboat would be an interesting set for a ROBOTMAK3R review for a few reasons. First, the LEGO designer of the model is Marina Stampoli, a long-time collaborator of the late ROBOTMAK3R Vassilis Chryssanthakopoulos. From earlier collaborations with Vassilis, I knew Marina was incredibly talented, with an eye for aesthetics and functionality. Her background in architecture is particularly useful for her relatively new position at LEGO. Her other sets include the Magic of Disney (21352), Message Board (41839), and Red London Telephone Box (21347). Second, watching Marina's reveal video and reading her designer interview made this set even more tempting to build. The gearing mechanisms running through the model gave way to many opportunities for automation using LEGO robotics elements. Since ROBOTMAK3RS is all about adding interactivity and automation to LEGO brick, I thought it would be fun to see where and how LEGO robotics could be added to this set.

The Set:

The cons. Building the set was at times very tedious. The set says its intended audience is for 18+, yet the colors in the instruction book are definitely not geared towards those over 50. For instance, the brown and black elements highlighted by red lines against a grey background are difficult to view, and make placing all the elements challenging at times. I asked a younger person to try it out and they too expressed challenges (albeit somewhat less). LEGO needs to reevaluate its contrast colors in instruction booklets. This is the feedback I have given in the past for many other "adults welcome" sets.

In addition, it felt like not much progress was being made between the bags. Some bags only add decorative tiles, and some bags have very few elements compared to others. For instance, some bags were just building railings for a level, and that got boring quickly. I personally preferred bags of brick to be a bit more even. While the sticker elements are cute, they are not critical to the overall beauty of the boat. e.g., having a "caution" sticker or a sticker of the pump didn't add much. I also didn't understand the need for a "museum" inside the riverboat. While the elements used to create the "Roman steam engine" and the James Watt engine were clever, perhaps they were not critical to this design. The other big issue I found is space. While the model is large overall, the compartments inside are very small. If an element falls off the stove or anything else, it is challenging to put it back into place once the floor has been completed. Hence, the playability level for this set is a bit low. A person will more certainly knock off a pot from the stove or a glass from the table, etc. It is also quite surprising that, given all the detail in the interior of the set, not one minifigure is provided. A pilot and passengers would have been greatly beneficial to this set.

The pros. If you enjoy long builds, this is a set for you. Progress is made slowly as you build up the boat from the very bottom. There are some interesting building techniques. It is very interesting to see the gearing at the very bottom slowly being built up to the top. The functionalities start to emerge even when you are just working on the early bags of LEGO bricks. In fact, you can roll the boat, and you can turn the gears and enjoy the functions even before you are a quarter of the way through the build. I really appreciated how the instructions indicated how to test the gearing you just built. This helps reduce errors. It's always fun to be able to take parts of the model off to see the different layers in big sets such as this one. As I mentioned earlier, there is not much room to play inside each level, but I do love how the levels come off easily. Overall, I was very impressed with the design and how much detail was included. The overall styling is very true to real steamboats. While the designer interview said that inspiration also came from Nile and Scottish steamboats, etc., I felt it was almost identical to the steamboats in the United States. Below is an image for comparison.

New Elements:

The new 5M connector element introduced in the set is very interesting. LEGO part 6546682/5443 is an axle connector without friction at one end. This new element is the key component to allowing the gearing in the Riverboat set to go through each floor and yet come off easily to separate the levels. As a brand new element in 2025, only two other sets currently use it. When you do take off a level of the riverboat the axle section does sometimes fall off and land in one of the decks which I did not like that much.

Adding LEGO Robotics:

My goal was to see how to add LEGO robotics elements to the set to create some automation. SPIKE Essential became my chosen platform as its hub is small enough to sit on the topmost level of the boat and not distract much. SPIKE Essential has two ports; I decided that one motor could be used to motorize the rudder and the other to control the boat's swinging stages. Unfortunately, the model is very heavy and engineering it to drive is a much bigger challenge with LEGO motors and I did not want to tackle this. However, SPIKE Essential motors have a very small profile, and I was actually able to place one inside the pilot house at the very top to hide it away. In addition, I could fit the entire Hub inside the cabin level below and by taking off some of the system brick, have the motor cables go to the right places. However, if you do not want to change the structure of the boat, keeping the hub and motors outside as in the image on the right works well. A second SPIKE Essential could be used to motorize the paddlewheel, and a color sensor could be added to activate the motors (e.g., when a minifigure pilot is detected, start motors). I did not have a second SPIKE Essential set to try this out. The entire riverboat comes with a stand. While the intended play is to "drive" the boat on a surface and watch the paddlewheel turn, having the model raised allows for LEGO robotics elements to be added to motorize the model.

Overall Rating: 8/10
ROBOTMAK3R Rating: 8/10

Bringing Bricks to Life: Inspiration from JK Brickworks

2025-09-06T23:25:00.001+10:00

Combining a LEGO set with LEGO electronics is the fundamental part of a "ROBOTMAK3R Remix". This blog post focuses on the work of Jason Alleman (aka JK Brickworks), who has a tremendous knack for automating traditional LEGO sets and "bringing bricks to life." We hope this blog and the sample projects discussed serve as an inspiration to readers to try their hand at automating LEGO sets.

Option 1: Adding gears and a crank

Take, for example, the Shark from Deep Sea Creatures (31088). Alleman transforms this simple 3-in-1 Creator Set into a kinetic sculpture. Building instructions are provided here. Another similar remix was made with the Majectic Tiger set (31129) which Alleman use to create a kinetic sculpture koi fish. Adding a motor and hub (PoweredUp or SPIKE Essential) can easily transform these models from crank-based to motorized with LEGO robotics.

Option 2: Adding motors

As you build your sets, think about how you might create movement in them. For instance, using Hedwig (75979) and a Power Functions M-Motor, Alleman does a beautiful job making Hedwig flap its wings. Alleman pays special attention to the details. Notice the wing movements at the joints.

Alleman's Motorized Command Center Base is also a creative alteration of a LEGO Set. Alleman begins with set 40786 and uses Circuit Cubes to motorize the set. While he doesn't use LEGO robotics components, this model might provide some inspiration for builders who want to creatively add LEGO robotics components to their sets.

Image Credits: Jason Allemann

Ghostbusters R.T.V Remix

2025-09-03T14:00:00.006+10:00

Nino Guba is from Torrance, California, USA. He played with LEGO as a kid, but growing up in the Philippines, it wasn’t something he had easy access to. He only got reintroduced to LEGO when he moved to the US and had kids of his own. When his sons were younger, they received LEGO sets as gifts, but as they grew older, the sets got put into storage as their interest faded. Fast forward a few years, he started coming up with his own product ideas and thought about how he could quickly prototype them. That’s when he discovered LEGO MINDSTORMS—and was hooked! He raided his kids’ old collection, got everything organized, and now he's designing and building his own creations, blending his coding skills with LEGO robotics to bring ideas to life.

Tell us about your Ghostbusters Remote Trap Vehicle (R.T.V) project.

This project is a LEGO Technic adaptation of the Ghostbusters R.T.V.—a ghost trap converted into a remote-controlled vehicle. Its companion build is a prop replica of the Futaba radio transmitter that controlled the R.T.V. in the movies. It is powered by a LEGO Control+ hub running a custom Pybricks program, allowing full control with an Xbox controller. It was first displayed at LA Comic-Con 2024 and then featured at LUGOLA events. It was awarded Best Pop Culture at the inaugural Solvang Brick & Builds 2025. You can see the model in action here.

Most recently, I’ve built a custom Mini-Puft MOC which goes perfectly with the R.T.V. My future plans are to embed a LEGO City Train remote controller on my Futaba transmitter MOC so it can actually control the R.T.V. at events. I also want to upgrade to more powerful motors for greater speed and performance.

What inspired you to add LEGO robotics to the set?

I’ve started with the LEGO Technic Audi RS Q e-tron (set #42160) as the base since it is already a remote-controlled vehicle. I added one large motor and had to order a lot more system parts from LEGO.com and Bricklink sellers to complete the build. This set already has the basics – drive and steering – so all I really needed was to figure out how to open and close the ghost trap door.

How do you do a remix and what are the steps to a successful remix?

I look at the box art of the set or the product images on LEGO.com to see what interesting parts and functions the set has, and from there, I start to brainstorm remix ideas. What sparked the Ghostbusters R.T.V. idea was the visibly red tire rims and shocks.

A successful remix starts with the appeal of the original set. The more people have access to it, the more worthwhile your remix becomes. Once you’ve chosen the set, the key is figuring out what combination of parts can be used to create your remix. It's especially satisfying if you can build it using only the parts from the donor set, but that's not always possible. In those cases, you gather the extra pieces you need and begin prototyping the play features and functions.

I usually build the original design first because I enjoy the process and it’s a great way to learn new tricks and techniques. Learning from professional LEGO designers always helps me improve my own building skills and gives me ideas for my own creations. A lot of your inspiration can come from official sets or MOC (My Own Creation) instructions, but there’s always room for discovery through trial and error. It's a fun part of the process—learning new building techniques and applying them to both simple and complex mechanisms.

Once the main features of your build are in place, it’s time to focus on aesthetics and polish. A great remix should not only work well, but it should also look good. If you're like me and want to share your creation with the community, the next step is to build it digitally using Bricklink Stud.io and create easy-to-follow instructions. Finally, take plenty of pictures and videos of your build and share them to inspire others!

What are some challenges that you faced in this project and how did you overcome them?

The main challenge was making the ghost trap door functional. I needed it to open and close quickly, with each door’s motion staying reliably in sync. The final challenge was figuring out the most compact way to build the mechanism, all while integrating the motor to actuate it.

The basic principle involved converting rotational motion into vertical linear motion. I also managed to stack and align all four motors in the midsection of the build, keeping them hidden beneath the ghost trap door. The hub fit nicely in the back section, making it easy to replace the batteries.

How have you grown as a LEGO builder?

I started out primarily building robotic creations using mostly LEGO Technic pieces, but I've since expanded into LEGO System builds and character design.

I’ve definitely grown by trying new things and pursuing more creative ideas. I started with basic builds and quickly got into LEGO Technic and robotics, which taught me a lot about mechanisms and problem-solving. Lately, I’ve been playing with LEGO System creations and character building, which has really opened up my creativity. Every new project has helped me learn more about the different techniques and ways to make my builds better and more functional.

What is one advice you might have for a young person who wants to do projects like yours?

Just keep building! Start by following LEGO instructions to get the hang of it, then have fun deconstructing them and creating your own designs. Always stay curious, keep a learning mindset, and draw inspiration from everything around you.

Learn More

You can check out Nino's other creations on Rebrickable, Instagram, YouTube, and LEGO Ideas.

Diary of a ROBOTMAKR3

2025-08-27T21:40:00.007+10:00

By Lee Magpili

26August.

Your Mocs have been registered!

So I'm going to LEGO fan weekend in Skaerbaek Fan Weekend this year and we have to register MOCs by 1st August, long before I would build them.

So I'm going for two. One is the Converted Mario Kart, we've seen that already. Cool thing for me is to build a cool-looking controller so it's fun to drive around from the table. Check out this inspiration that I found in my YouTube/Instagram algorithm!

The second is a spaceship, the program. Basically, a 100-stud shiptember (look it up) with its tie to the ROBOTMAK3RS in that I'm making it in the shape of a Scratch block. I've had the idea for a long time, actually, so I have sketches from some time ago, and now just trying to flesh it out. Check out some sketches and ideas, one was that it could have some smaller ships also in the same design that could attach to it. Also thinking about landing gear and other functions.

At least this is my current process, with just finding ideas and sketching with a pencil. I'm hoping I can start this weekend with a digital pass through some of the structure. I already have a Mario Kart donated from the designer, so now I need time to convert it.

Let's see what's the next progress.

6 September

For the Mario Kart, I'm digging right in. First deconstruction and then a basic differential and trying to mount motors where they should be on the real thing. At this point just trying to keep the proportions right while adding all the motors. Sudden conversion to Technic then back to system for the front- I mean I could redesign the whole front too. Hopefully, I can finish this one sooner than later. All that's left is reassembly and strengthening. Programming? Let's see if I'm not just doing that right when I bring it to Skaerbaek.

The spaceship is taking shape. It's weird to do it digitally, to be honest, but I think you guys will appreciate the progress and where it is. I'm thinking of really detailing it inside and out. My current thoughts are of the landing gear and ports for moving from ship to ship from the top and bottom. At least with the current dimensions, it wouldn't be too hard to mount a spike unit inside with motors to make animatronics for landing gears, etc. If I get far enough digitally, I believe I can build it in a day, but that's really wishful thinking.

ROBOTMAK3RS at Nerdland Festival

2025-08-26T22:55:00.007+10:00

What Was the Nerdland Festival 2025 All About?

Nerdland Festival 2025 is the premier science and technology festival in the Benelux. The event was held between June 6 and 9, 20025 in Provinciaal Domein Puyenbroeck, Wachtebeke (East Flanders, Belgium). The event had a record attendance of between 25,000 and 30,000 attendees across the four days.

It is Belgium's largest open-air science festival featuring fun, interactive, and educational attractions. It was co-created by Hetty Helsmoortel and Lieven Scheire, and offered a lively blend of entertainment, educational talks, hands-on experiments, and shows.

The live shows featured Erik Van Looy, Daphne Agten, Kobe Ilsen, Alex Agnew, Andries Beckers, and more De Zondag. “Ner
d icons” such as Jeroen Baert and Peter Berx, served as experts. There were presentations on niche, curiosity-driven research such as sessions on medieval “value of dung,” ocean science, and beyond De Zondag. In addition, organizations like imec, VIB, Flanders Make, and VITO curated an on-site “festivallab” packed with futuristic, hands-on tech experiences—talks on microchips, AI, drones, batteries, remote sensing, and more

What Was the Goal of the Festival?

The festival's mission is to make science accessible, entertaining, and inclusive for all ages. It combined educational content with festival flair—live shows, food, drinks, interactive talks, and hands-on experiences in a relaxed, fun environment. The festival encouraged exploration and curiosity, balancing programming for diehard science geeks and newcomers alike. It truly aimed to reveal that "there’s more nerd in each of us than we think". In short, the goal was to demystify science, spark wonder, and unite curiosity with a festive spirit across demographics and disciplines.

What sort of LEGO Robots did you display?

I built a series of LEGO robots to demonstrate some of the scientific research currently being carried out at our university college. The focus is on the use of AI in food processing and food quality control, with one research program in particular exploring how sound can be used to measure the crispness (and therefore quality) of food products. My robots provide an engaging introduction to the real research projects showcased further inside our exhibition stand. The robots are designed to simulate a complete food processing flow, giving the audience a hands-on experience with these technologies. I used LEGO SPIKE Prime robots for these models. The AI programming was done with the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor App and the graphs were done with the LEGO SPIKE Prime App. You can watch the process in action here.

1. Cookie Distributor Robot

Participants first program a LEGO conveyor belt so that it delivers exactly one cookie. This introduces them to basic automation and control.

2. Cookie Inspection Robot

The second robot features a conveyor belt with a camera above it. Using machine learning (AI), it checks whether the cookie is in the correct position. If the cookie is upside down, the conveyor flips it and re-checks. Once correctly positioned, the cookie is passed on to the participant.

3. Texture Analyzer Robot

Next, participants place the cookie into a robot that breaks it while measuring the force and sound during the process. These measurements are displayed as a graph on a computer screen, showing at what force the cookie breaks and the sound pattern it produces. Example graphs of “good” (crispy) and “bad” (less crispy) cookies are available for comparison, so participants can judge the quality of their own cookie.

4. Recycling Robot Arm

Finally, participants can choose whether to eat the cookie. If not, they place the cookie and packaging on a pick-up point for a six-axis robotic arm, which places the items onto a (non-LEGO) conveyor belt. Here, machine learning is used again to decide whether the waste goes to the plastic bin or the chicken feed bin.

Article by Dimitri Dekyvere

Motorized Mario Kart

2025-08-18T10:35:00.001+10:00

Motorized Mario Kart by Anika Vuurzoon

Anika Vuurzoon is a Mechanical Engineer from Eindhoven, The Netherlands, by day. In her spare time, she designs robots out of LEGO. She started this hobby as a child and never stopped. In the past, she used to build robots with her father. Nowadays, she builds LEGO models with her boyfriend. Anika specializes in games and animals that react to their environment. For her, building a robot is not only about function but also about aesthetics. Hence, her projects have an element of realism to them.

Has your building style or project interests changed over the years? How have you grown as a LEGO builder?

My first robots were not really strong; they would easily fall apart at an event. Over the years, I learned different building techniques to improve the strength of a robot. Also, my software skills improved, making it possible to also make more complex robots.

Which sets did you use for your Mario Kart project?

I used set 72037 as the base of the creation. In order to make it move, I added a large Technic motor in the back of Mario which uses a differential to rotate the back wheels. A small SPIKE motor was added in the front of the Kart to enable steering. A SPIKE Essential hub was also added to the Kart and programmed to react using the city train remote.

What inspired you to add LEGO robotics to the Mario Kart set?

I have always loved playing Mario Kart. When I saw the Mario Kart set, I was disappointed that it couldn't drive. But I quickly decided I could try to add this function myself.

How do you do a remix? What are the steps to a successful remix?

For this remix, the challenge was to keep the remix as close to the original set as possible. I wanted the look to stay the same despite adding the motors and hub. I started by building the base set using the instructions. The original set already had a steering function, and so I only needed to add a motor to it. As there was some room left in between Mario's feet, I decided to add the steering motor there. The next step was to add the driving motor. As the set is quite heavy, I started with a large motor. First, I installed a differential between the two axles of the back wheels. I removed all bricks that were in the way and added the large motor to it. Then, I started to rebuild the back of the Kart with alternative bricks where needed while trying to keep the model as close to the original set. Next, I added the SPIKE Essential hub. When the hardware was finished, I programmed the Essential hub using PyBricks. Then it was time to race! and play Mario Kart in my living room.

Do you always build the base set first before trying to add the electronics? If yes, what are your thoughts on the set itself?

Yes, first I built the set using the original instructions. This is a good way to get a feel for how the model is made and to get a feel for where there is space to potentially place motors. I really like building the set. I found this especially true of the Mario figure, which had some nice building techniques.

What are some challenges that you faced in this project? How do you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was to place the big motor inside the model without losing the overall look of the set. As the back of the seat and the back of Mario are not really visible, I decided that those could be removed in order to make room for the motor.

What is one advice you might have for a young person who wants to do projects like yours?

Divide your project into subtasks. Start with the easiest function/feature of your project and add more one by one. Also, just try things out. Maybe you will fail the first time, but this will give you insights and knowledge for your next attempt. In the end, you will get there.

Visit Anika's YouTube and Facebook channels to see more projects. You can also learn more about Anika here.

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 3

2023-11-08T10:46:00.011+10:00

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these Fall and Winter remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with.

Braill3 by Jerry Nicholls

Braill3 is an EV3-based LEGO Braille bricks reader. This robot uses its fingertip, made from three touch switches, to read messages written using the LEGO Braille bricks and will speak out what it detected. If it sees a simple maths problem it will attempt to solve it and give the answer as well. To learn more about the process of creating this machine, read Jerry's blog. Braill3 can be viewed here.

Set Review: The Braille Bricks set is well thought out. The ratios of the letters is suitable for general use and the addition of some punctuation and arithmetic operators is excellent. There is a card showing what bricks there are and their quantities, but no form of sorting tray, so it can be a bit of a search to find the brick you're after. The choice of colours for the bricks doesn't appear to have any logic behind them. All the punctuation and maths bricks are white but so are a couple of the letter bricks. It seems that it would have made more sense to have all white for punctuation only, the vowels in one colour etc. There was no indication as to what some of the Braille bricks were, i.e. ⠐ (dot-5) and ⠿ (dot-123456). I had to find out that they represented a Braille contraction and the word 'for' respectively. The choice of the word 'for' compared to some of the other options seems a little odd. The associated online information is very comprehensive but too much for a generally interested person, e.g. a parent thinking that learning some Braille would be good for their child. I feel that a simpler "get you going" or basic Braille online document would be good, e.g. to say how the dot-5 brick should be used.

LEGO Megayacht by Dave Parker

"LEGO Megayacht" is a motorized boat in the style of a megayacht that can float in a pool and be controlled by remote control or autonomously with gyro and ultrasonic sensors. For this model, Dave used LEGO City 60368 Arctic Explorer Ship and 51515 MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor. See the boat float and move here.

Set Review: This is a very nice boat model based on a very capable hull with lots of flotation. The mini auxiliary builds are cute and great for family building. Nice design for overall strength. Although it looks like a good deal of work was put into making the submersible crane strong enough to play with, the result is too stiff in its actions to effectively play with, and the suggested knot in the string is extremely hard to tie.

Perseverance by Anton Vanhoucke

For this project, Anton converted the LEGO Technic Perseverance set into a fully programmable rover using MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor electronics. He spent a significant amount of him on the programming aspect of this project. He started with the official LEGO Technic Perseverance set, marveling at the intricate details and design but wanted it to explore his living room like the real Perseverance explores Mars. See this remix in action. You can access build instructions and code for his project here.

Set Review: This project was more than building and coding. It was a deep dive into the engineering marvel that is the Mars Perseverance Rover. By reconstructing and modifying this LEGO model, I gained a profound appreciation for the real rover’s design and capabilities. The original LEGO model was less solid than other Technic models. The wheels tended fall off the model when lifting it. The rocker-bogie construction bends when the model is standing and can barely hold the model's weight.

Fairy Tale Remix by Asha Seshan

This remix combines the Tranquil Garden Set No. 10315 with MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (31313). The objective of the model is to help Little Red Riding Hood get to the Tranquil Garden. The small red ball must get past the dark forest, the witch’s house, and the raging river, before falling into the tranquil garden. The game can be played in daylight or in the dark! Using the buttons on the hub, a player can control the angle of the golfer. Different colored blocks and a color sensor are used to control the swing (slow, medium, fast). Motors control the trees and the witch in the forest. A 3X3 light matrix illuminates the witch’s house. You can see the remix in action here.

Set Review: The Tranquil Garden set was a very satisfying build. As an adult, I especially liked that the instructions were not printed on a solid black background. Some sections were a bit challenging to see nevertheless (e.g. the roof of the house). A lot of the build required great attention to detail and patience (e.g. placing water, fish, rocks, etc in the right location). This was somewhat a challenge, but the end result was worth it. I would have preferred to place the elements under the black stand earlier (ie. not having to flip over after a significant amount was built on top). The trees were especially creative. I also appreciated the curved elements of the shrine. While the overall model was designed to be a peaceful Asian-themed garden, the elements lend themselves to other uses and worked very well in my reimagined Fairy Tale Remix project.

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 2

2023-09-12T22:57:00.007+10:00

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these summer and fall remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with.

Remote controlled material handler by Jozua van Ravenhorst (aka Mr Jo)

This remix combines the LEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) with MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313) It uses the power of pneumatic cylinders to move objects around. By using a bluetooth remote control, very precise movements can be made with this model. Touch sensors in the base chassis prevent the turret twisting the cables that go through the turntable to much. The program has several protections to prevent over pressurizing the system for each of the 3 individual pumps and valves that control the 2 booms and claws. The real version of this machine is mostly used in waste material sites to bring the material to machines that sort and recycle the scrap material. This LEGO version can bring mixed Technic pins to a hopper so an other machine can sort these pieces for a circular economy. You can see the remix in action here.

Set Review: The Material Handler set was something I really enjoyed to build. I like pneumatic and complex mechanical machines, as I build/service big industrial machines for my work as well. This set met my expectations to be able to motorize it, although it was a fairly small machine with little space. The difficult part was putting the MINDSTORMS brick inside the build, as it is so big compared to the chassis. But eventually I managed to get 4 motors inside with 3 individual pumps/valves for smooth control over this great design. It offers a great playability, and I will take it to many LEGO shows so children will be able to control it and feed the other machines. I hope I can keep expanding my growing size of machines, and make them all work together, for material handling/sorting/storage and distribution.

MINDSTORMS Cake Stand by Anika Vuurzoon

In this remix, Anika combines LEGO Disney The Little Mermaid Royal Clamshell 43225 and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 51515. She reimagines the Disney set into a cake stand that rotates a 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS cake. Based on what color is shown, the stand rotates such that you can cut the desired number of cake pieces (6, 8, or 12). In addition, the cake topper (made up of two miniature models from the 51515 set) also rotate.

Set Review: The shell shape was really inventive. It was nice to see how this shape was designed and is very inspirational. You can watch the video of this model here.

LEGO Hockey by Guilherme Lima

This remix combines Robot Inventor set 51515 and LEGO set 42154. Gui's idea was based on an existing hockey game that is playable using xbox controllers. He wanted to use the panels in the LEGO set as the shooters and ball launchers.

Set Review: As a medium-sized car, it uses interesting techniques to integrate the chassis to the wheels, a new "hand of God" mechanism, good shock absorbers, and many others. Aesthetically, the white stripes have recreated the car shapes. Personally, I think that step 220 is a bit strange as it could be done with different pieces, but overall, it looks good. The new panels were really well used creating the curves and shapes that we could not do before, which is one of my favorite things in this set. As a grown-up, the car looks amazing in my room, and as a kid, I loved to play with it and see all the features this set has provided. You can learn more about this remix project here.

Blue Beetle by Nino Guba

Nino combines the LEGO Technic Ford GT (42154) and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (51515) set in this model. In addition, he adds two elements from the Concrete Mixer Truck 42112 as the beetle's shell. Powered by MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor, this beetle can sense when something is close, extends its wings to fly, and then crawls using its six legs to safety. Once at ease and at rest, it closes its hard wing cases back.

Set Review: The Ford GT set is a very technical and detailed build packed in relatively smaller scale than the usual Technic sports and hyper cars. A lot of the pieces are in dark blue and is very much a nice treat for those wanting to design MOCs in this color! There are also some new interesting parts on this set that surely will prove useful. Once the set is built, satisfaction is almost guaranteed for any car-enthused Technic fans. You can see a video of its features here.

Playing Catch By Nard Strijbosch

Nard uses two LEGO MINDSTORMS robots to play catch with the water pieces from the LEGO Technic Firefighter Aircraft 42152. Set Review: The mechanism to rotate the propellors of the Firefighter aircraft is very original and is a great functionality. This makes the set a must have from the Technic line up. The size is quite impressive. Moreover the large number of pieces in the common red en yellow colors make it a great addition to my collection to build new robots. You can watch the robot playing catch here.

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Arvind Seshan

2023-07-22T03:03:00.001+10:00

ROBOTMAK3R Profile

Arvind Seshan is a college student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He began building with MINDSTORMS at the age of six and has won numerous accolades for his work including winning the Champion’s Award at FIRST World Championships and having his robots displayed at events all around the world. He has taught over a million students how to build and program with LEGO MINDSTORMS and SPIKE Prime. When not working with LEGO, he is usually working on his science research which has also won international-level awards. Sometimes the two areas collide and Arvind uses MINDSTORMS in his research or uses the knowledge from his research in his MINDSTORMS projects. Arvind enjoys teaching and mentoring other students. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he hopes to collaborate with the Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten group where MINDSTORMS and Scratch were born.

How did you get started playing with LEGO MINDSTORMS?

I owned a few small LEGO Star Wars sets such as Anakin’s Starfigher when I was younger, but what got me really interested in LEGO was the programmable aspect of MINDSTORMS. I received an NXT set when I was six years old. A few months later, I was part of a FIRST LEGO League team where I was not only building with the NXT, but programming it to solve different challenges. I continued in the FIRST LEGO League program for seven years. I also started creating my own designs outside of competitions in 2015 after meeting several adult MINDSTORMS Community Partners (MCPs) at World Maker Faire in New York. Many years later, I was invited to become an MCP!

What impact have LEGO robots had on you?

LEGO robotics has been a great way for me to explore engineering and programming skills. I attribute my interests in computer science and mechanical engineering to playing with MINDSTORMS starting at a young age. MINDSTORMS and SPIKE Prime have also been a creative outlet for me. In addition to writing lessons, I spend my spare time working on many fun projects including Tic-Tac-Toe machines, games like Connect 4, 3D Printers, and more. My goal is always to design a model that not only functions as intended, but is also aesthetically pleasing. I want to create something that others will be inspired by in the same way that MCPs once inspired me.

You can bring so many ideas to life with LEGO bricks and a bit of code.

What inspired you to create the models in the Robot Inventor App?

My brother (Sanjay) and I have collaborated on many projects throughout the years. We have three models in the App. I will discuss two of them.

The original Melody Maker was one of our early EV3 demonstration robots that we took to a school near Pittsburgh. Children like music and color and this project was a nice combination of the two. The EV3 version was very different but the concept of playing musical notes based on colors was the same. Melody Maker is deliberately designed to use a minimal number of bricks to capture a child’s curiosity and demonstrate the capabilities of the Robot Inventor. There is a special hidden feature in the model. If you would like to color your own musical notes on a strip of paper, you can easily adjust the height of the color sensor to have it drive over paper instead of LEGO brick.

Color Catcher was inspired by a large multi-player game that my brother and I built many years ago to take to the MINDSTORMS booth at FIRST World Championships and World Robot Olympiad. In addition, it was taken to LEGOWORLD where it was played by the owner of the LEGO Group, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Since it was so much fun to play, we wanted to make a two-player version of the game that made use of the hub-to-hub feature on Robot Inventor. Color Catcher makes use of the hub for a competitive but fun game. We use the center button light on the hub to indicate what color to go to. The left and right buttons on the hub let you change direction, and tapping on the hub itself makes the robot move forward. This makes the entire model very interactive.

What are your tips for young robot builders?

When talking to young children, I find that they are comfortable when building with instructions but find it challenging to build on their own. Building the robots in the set is a great way to start learning how to build and program. Once you are comfortable with how the pieces fit together, try to build your own designs. You can start by simply modifying an existing build into something you want. Next, think about what type of project you want to make. A printer? A bipedal robot? A swing? A dancer? Think about what type of mechanism you might need to have. Try to prototype that mechanism first. I found that books by Yoshihito Isogawa have nuggets of inspiration in them. A lot of the mechanism can be used in other models. Remember that it might take several prototypes before you come up with the final design. My most important piece of advice is not to give up.

Whether it is science research or making something with LEGO, persistence and enjoying what you work on have been the key to success.

I have built a handful of robots from the MINDSTORMS sets but my real passion only came from using the bricks to create my own models including games and machines. It might seem like a challenge at first to not have any building instructions, but the best part of working with LEGO as your creative medium is being able to take it apart to start all over again or to improve the model. I became a better builder and programmer with each project.

Since it is the 25th anniversary of MINDSTORMS, what is your favorite MINDSTORMS project or memory?

My favorite project would be the 4ft X 6ft Pac-Bot game that my brother and I built. It was tricky from both a mechanical and programming standpoint. On the programming side, we had to have 13 or so EV3s all networked together and displaying scores to a Raspberry Pi screen. On the mechanical side, this large board had to be modular so that it could be packed and taken to events around the world. We also wanted to make the whole system reusable for future projects. My favorite moment is playing Pac-Bot with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen in Denmark.

Where can we learn more?

Visit PrimeLessons.org, EV3Lessons.com, and FLLTutorials.com for programming and FIRST LEGO League-specific lessons. Visit the Seshan Brothers YouTube to see videos of some of the projects I have worked on over the years.

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Anna Opsahl

2023-06-24T06:57:00.003+10:00

Anna Hui Opsahl is an engineering student from Norway. She is known for reverse engineering complicated LEGO models and for her MINDSTORMS droids. Anna likes to make LEGO robots from movies and television that are recognizable by kids and adults. She often builds digital models in Studio.io before she makes a physical version because this gives her a good idea of all the parts needed. When she is building them in Studio, she makes a rough instruction for herself that she can refer back to when she starts the physical build. Anna was a competitor in the first season of LEGO Masters Norway in 2021. She has won several awards at Norwegian LEGO conventions for her MINDSTORMS droids. Most recently, she was nominated in the category "Best Mechanical Creation" and won in the category "Best Star Wars" at Brickworld Chicago.

How did you get started playing with LEGO MINDSTORMS/LEGO Robots?

I have always been fascinated by LEGO robots and robotics. I love that you can build anything that you can imagine with LEGO and make it move by using motors, pneumatics, and mechanical mechanism. I think that the movement of a model gives the creation an extra dimension that I am really into.

How has MINDSTORMS/LEGO Robots impacted you?

It has challenged me to learn new things and made me want to pursue a career in robotics.

What is you favorite project?

My favorite project until now is Star Wars Rebels Chopper. Chopper is my favorite because it has a lot of different functions and because it was my first big MINDSTORMS project.

Chopper is a 70cm tall build that can drive around on two and three legs. His body tilts when the third leg comes down. He has an arm at the body that moves and the head can spin around and wiggle a little bit from side to side. He has two arms in his head that can move in and out, together or separate from each other. Chopper also has an antenna that moves and he makes sounds. He can also be remote controlled via Bluetooth.

You can see Chopper in action here.

What are your tips for young robot builders?

My tip is to keep playing and explore the possibilities of what is possible.

What is a fun/significant LEGO-related story you would like to share?

My most significant LEGO-related story is when I got to be a part of the first season of LEGO Masters Norway. (Photo Credit: BrickNerd) The most exciting aspect of being part of LEGO Masters was to be a part of the whole production, and to meet the crew and the other competitors. The coolest thing I created on the show was probably the model where we made our creations blow up, and the one where we made different apartments that stacked on top of each other to form a giant penthouse. The most challenging part of LEGO Masters was that we had to build within the time limit. The single most challenging project was the one where we got a half guitar and make the other half such that it would tell a story.

Where can we see more of your work?

Visit Flickr or Instagram.

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix Part 1

2023-06-19T23:02:00.013+10:00

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we asked ROBOTMAK3RS to combine a LEGO set of their choice with a MINDSTORMS set. Here is what these five ROBOTMAK3RS came up with.

MINDSTORMS Chess Assistant by Arvind Seshan

Overview: When you are new to chess, it can be a challenge to remember which pieces go where. Now, you can use machine learning and LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor to build a tool to help you learn where all the chess pieces go on the chess board.

Sets used: LEGO® Iconic Chess Set (40174) and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (51515)

Review: I really like how the chess set base can store all the pieces underneath and that the board neatly splits in half for handy storage. The chess pieces themselves are very sturdy and well built. My only criticism is the building of the box itself. It was quite difficult to see what pieces to use and since the entire box is made mostly of thin plates, it took a lot of time and patience. I would have liked the storage area to be sliding drawers rather than having to lift the top off. However, all-in-all, it is a great set and functional. I really enjoyed mixing MINDSTORMS with the chess set for some additional playability.

The Great Pyramid of Giza Revealed by Dave Parker

Overview: A fun narrative about the what lies hidden under the Great Pyramid of Giza. Find out who really built this ancient pyramid as Dave uses Robot Inventor to animate and reveal hidden features.

Sets used: LEGO Architecture Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (51515).

Review: The standard build was a little repetitive, but that's expected from Architecture. The removable pyramid facade is very cool, but under I would rather have seen removable layers of hidden tombs and treasure rooms rather than a construction scene. Watched the linked video to see this robot in action.

Grabber Machine by Anton Vanhoucke.

Overview: You probably remember having fun at the fairground trying to manipulate a claw machine to get your favorite item. Now you can grab prizes exactly like you would at the fairground with this LEGO remix! Anton combines an EV3 with the set's box to create this clever grabber.

Sets Used: Material Handler (42144) and MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313)

Review: The Material Handler was more fun than I expected. Lots of inspiring parts in the box. With the Grabber Machine remix, I am especially proud of the grabber. It does two actions with one motor: up and down + open and close. This was hard because it had to be open going down, then close going up. But once it was back to the release point, it needed to open again, while being up.

Succulent Sorter by Damien Kee.

Overview: Whether you are a botanist or a just a lover of plants, you can keep your garden neat and organized with this machine that sorts your succulents using a color sensor.

Sets Used: LEGO Botanicals, Succulent (10309) and Mindstorms EV3 (45544)

Review: The succulents are just beautiful to look at, very well designed and I love the style of the black pots that you use to assemble them all together. It was fun to have them sliding around everywhere, but some of the bigger ones that extend out past the pot as well as the tall ones didn't fare so well and so were left out of the final project.

Pneumatic Sort3r by Christian Becker

Overview: Color sorters are always a cool build! But have you ever seen one that uses pneumatics? Christian uses pneumatics to operate the crane mechanism to sort his LEGO bricks.

Sets used: LEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) and MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313)

Review: I really liked the build and the pneumatics of the material handler. It's really smartly designed and has a good use for the pneumatics (without overusing it). But I think that there could have been a few more non-pneumatic functions (e.g. 2 or 3 gears to turn the crane) and the claw often doesn't work as expected because the pneumatic cylinder is stuckLEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) and MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313).

Image Credit: LEGO.com, Antons MINDSTORMS, Arvind Seshan

Youth LEGO Robotics Competitions

2023-04-30T23:17:00.003+10:00

There are several competitions for young people that specifically focus on the use of LEGO robots. The objective of all these competitions is to give children the opportunity to learn mechanical design and programming skills. This article provides an overview of a few of the well-know competitions. Click on the links and learn more about each competition.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge is for students aged 9-14 in North America and 9-16 elsewhere. There are no age-based divisions in general, although some regions do offer divisions for regional contests. The challenge details are released around August 1 of each year. Teams of 2-10 students must design a robot that completes approximately 15 missions on a themed game table made up of LEGO-based missions. For example, the 2022 theme was called SUPERPOWERED and all the missions were related to the production, storage, and transport of energy. When you register a team, you will be allowed to purchase a Challenge kit that includes all the LEGO you need for the missions and a Challenge mat. This is shipped from LEGO.

Robots can be built with SPIKE Prime/Essential, Robot Inventor, or any past MINDSTORMS set. Students decide which missions they want to tackle and how they want to solve them in the 2.5 minute time limit. In FIRST LEGO League Challenge, the robot can return to a "Home" area where students can touch the robot and change out its actuators/attachments. Students are also judged on the quality of the robot and their engineering design process. In addition to the score they obtain on the missions, students must also complete an Innovation Project and a Core Values component. The season runs from August to December/January in most areas. Teams who qualify for advancement may participate in World Festival in April of each year in the USA or one of the International Opens in May or June. You can visit this page to see past seasons and winning teams, including the winners of the Virtual Open Invitational held during COVID, an event that was organized by several ROBOTMAK3RS.

FIRST LEGO League Explore (formerly known as FLL Jr) is a program for children ages 6-10. Students research topics in the given theme (same theme as Challenge) and program a model to activate using SPIKE Essential or WeDo. At an Explore Celebration event, students will explain their project and model to reviewers (not judges). Explore is not a competitive program and every team wins a prize. In 2022, Explore did pilot a new version of the program that involved an autonomous robot solving missions on a smaller mat.

World Robot Olympiad is an international competition for students from Elementary through High School (ages 8-19). Students compete in divisions based on age groups in groups of 2-3. Students complete the missions on a challenge table in the allotted time. Many teams will compete all the tasks successfully and will differentiate themselves based on speed. There is an annual theme to the contest similar to FIRST LEGO League. However, the missions on the table tend to be more abstract designs built easily from a standard kit of parts that gets reused each year. The challenge mat provided also tends to have simpler graphics with lines at right angles going to important areas that all teams make use of. Regions also print/sell their own mats (for example, the US organizer provided the mat design as a PDF in past years). Another difference is that the robot is not handled once it is launched. In addition, students must build their robot at the event in 150 minutes. There is also a Surprise Rule introduced that requires the students to re-program their robot at the event. Students can elect to compete in a more project-oriented component of WRO called Future Innovators rather than the robot component. Here, students will have to research a problem and create a solution. Students are also required to create a model/prototype using LEGO robotics in some way. The international finals are held every fall in a different country. You can visit this page to learn more and see where all the previous finals were held. The final event has a very international feel to it as teams qualify through a national tournament. In contrast, in FIRST LEGO League, majority of teams at an international event tend to be from the United States because the country is split into various regions/states to begin with and each region can send a winner to Worlds. ROBOTMAK3RS have been invited to run Expert Zones at past international final events.

RoboCup Junior offers competitions for students up to age 19 with both regional and international opportunities. There are several different categories you can compete in including line following and completing a maze. Teams of 2-4 students compete and there are no age-based divisions. Although it may sound simple, even the task of following a line can have challenges as there are obstacles (broken lines, elevations, etc.). Robot can be constructed from any robotics kit but must be primarily the work of the students (not a commercially produced robot).

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

2023-02-02T04:32:00.091+10:00

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary.

Some of the early history is based on the content shared by Coder Shah in our MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group. Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity.

1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed.

1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo.

1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT began to explore the concept of an intelligent brick, which could be programmed and operate independently of a computer. One of the steps along the way was the Technic Control Center sets. This allowed you to "program" the robots you built by recording a sequence of actions, which could be replayed later.

1992 - As electronics became smaller, lighter and cheaper, Seymour Papert and Mitch Resnick (from MIT) envisioned an “intelligent brick”, which could be programmed, thus robots no longer needed to be connected to computers. The first prototype, the Grey Brick, was developed in 1990, which was followed by the Red Brick in 1992.

"The MIT approach is in sharp contrast to traditional uses of computers in education, where the emphasis is on desktop machines that "deliver" information to children." - MIT Press Release

1998 - The culmination of years of research and development between LEGO and MIT, the first LEGO MINDSTORMS set, 9719 Robotics Invention System, is launched in 1998. The name MINDSTORMS was derived from the title of Seymour Papert's book. In the linked video, Gaute Munch and Erik Hansen talk about the creation of LEGO MINDSTORMS. The first LEGO MINDSTORMS advertisements were seen.

1998 - LEGO 9730 Robo Sports was one of the two expansion sets available for the initial release of LEGO MINDSTORMS. It contained parts and instructions to build sports themed robots. LEGO 9732 Extreme Creatures was the second of the two expansion sets available for the initial release of LEGO MINDSTORMS. It contained parts and instructions to build animal and creature themed robots.

1998 - A pilot of FIRST LEGO League is created. By 2023, more than 40,000 teams would have participated in the program.

1999 - LEGO released LEGO MINDSTORMS RIS 1.5 (set 9747). This set featured improvements to the programming environment and documentation and added a few new pieces. LEGO also released an upgrade kit, (set 3803), so that owners of the original LEGO Mindstorms RIS could obtain the software, manuals and parts of 9747 without having to buy a new set.

LEGO MINDSTORMS (set 9735), Robotics Discovery set was also released this year. It included a blue programmable brick named the Scout, with an integrated IR sensor, two motors, and two touch sensors. You program it by changing settings on the brick, no computer required!

1999 - MIT organized Mindfest this year. This was the first ever gathering of MINDSTORMS fans. The first Star Wars LEGO MINDSTORMS Set 9748 Droid Developer Kit was released. It came with the Micro Scout, which had a motor and a light sensor, with 7 programs built in.

2000 - LEGO released (set 9731) Vision Command. You needed a computer to use the camera.

2000 - LEGO released the final expansion set for the RIS, LEGO (Set 9736) Exploration Mars.

2000 - LEGO released the Dark Side Developer Kit, (set 9754). It used the same Micro Scout found in the earlier Set 9748 combined with new parts to build vehicles such as the Destroyer Droid, the AT-AT, and the Droid Starfighter.

2001 - LEGO released the final version of the RCX-based LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System 2.0 (Set 3804). Of note are the Pro Challenges in the bundled software, showcasing some amazing models.

2001 - LEGO released the final expansion set for the RCX-based MINDSTORMS sets, the Ultimate Builders set (Set 3800).

2003 - World Robot Olympiad was formally organized. In subsequent years, ROBOTMAK3RS were invited to run Expert Zone booths at WRO international finals. Talking to and inspiring students from around the world at WRO events in Qatar, Indonesia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Canada, etc. has been a highlight for the ROBOTMAK3RS.

2004 - LEGO started development of the next generation LEGO MINDSTORMS, the NXT, involving LEGO fans for the first time. A tight-knit group of secret master builders formed the MINDSTORMS User Panel (MUP) and LEGO also recruited 100 users for the MINDSTORMS Developer Program (MDP).

2005 - The very first FIRST LEGO League World Championship is held in Atlanta, GA.

2006 - LEGO released MINDSTORMS NXT Set 8527. Here are some advertisements from 2006.

2008 - LEGO MINDSTORMS was inducted into the Carnegie Mellon Robot Hall of Fame. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of MINDSTORMS,
were given out.

2009 - LEGO released an updated MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Set 8547. The set introduced a new color sensor.

2009 - To mark the 10th anniversary of LEGO MINDSTORMS, LEGO released a limited-edition black NXT brick along with build instructions for five fan models by Martyn Boogarts, Daniele Benedettelli, Laurens Valk, Fay Rhodes, and Mike Brandl . Only 1998 were made! "Why black? Because it is cool!"

2013 - 15th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS. The third generation (or evolution) of LEGO MINDSTORMS (EV3) was launched. The Home Edition EV3 (Set 31313) had five base models. An additional 12 bonus models created by 11 community members were added. An alternative Education edition set (45544) was also launched for the education and competition markets. Many third-party sensors were created for the EV3. In addition, you could use NXT sensors and motors with the EV3. The EV3 was also capable of running alternative operating systems via a microSD card.

2018 - ROBOTMAK3RS Recognized Online Community was founded as a place for former MINDSTORMS Community Partners (MCPs) and other robotics enthusiasts to come together. It was originally going to be named the acronym MINT but the name was abandoned because in German it meant "STEM" and deemed to be not as accurate a descriptor as the term "robot maker".

2018 - The 20th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS. A handful of ROBOTMAKRS were invited to exhibit robots at the LEGO House in Billund, Denmark and were featured in a documentary.

2018 - ROBOTMAK3RS gathered at LEGOWORLD Copenhagen to share their MINDSTORMS projects with thousands of attendees. MCP and ROBOTMAK3R, Vassilis Chryssanthakopoulos, passed away unexpectedly on the last day.

2019 - ROBOTMAK3RS were reunited at LEGOWORLD Copengagen to highlight their work with MINDSTORMS. One memorable moment was demonstrating their robots to the owner of the LEGO Group, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.

2019 - The original launch date for SPIKE Prime Set 45678. After some delays, it was eventually launched in January 2021. SPIKE Prime was the educational version of the soon-to-be-released MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Set. A small group of ROBOTMAK3RS (known as the "First Five") were invited to provide feedback during the development stage of the product.

2020 - Robot Inventor (LEGO Set 51515) was launched, featuring 5 main models with multiple extension activities. The electronics was not backwards compatible with previous generations of MINDSTORMS. Robot Inventor was similar to SPIKE Prime, but offered unique features including remote control blocks. Later, hub-to-hub communication and machine learning were added. LEGO collaborated with a small group of community members (Anika Brandsma, Laurens Valk, Arvind Seshan, Sanjay Seshan, Marc-Andre Bazergui, and Anton Vanhoucke) to add 8 bonus models to the MINDSTORMS App

2021 - MINDSTORMS EV3 reaches end-of-life and is officially retired.

2021 - Hub-to-hub communication was added to MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor, enabling multi-hub projects. LEGO collaborated with additional community members to add several new bonus models to their App, taking the total to 21 models.

2022 - Machine Learning was added to MINDSTORMS. In December 2022, LEGO made the decision to retire the MINDSTORMS product line including the new Robot Inventor set.

Articles about MINDSTORMS and its History:

LEGO MINDSTORMS: The Structure of an Engineering (R)evolution (MIT Article)

The Seeds that Seymour Sowed (MIT Media Lab)

LEGO MINDSTORMS: A History of Educational Robots (Hack Education)

MINDSTORMS Over Matter (Brothers Brick)

How LEGO and MIT came together to give us LEGO robots (Gizmodo)

How LEGO is Constructing the Next Generation of Engineers (Smithsonian)

Geeks in Toyland (WIRED)

MINDSTORMS: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas (Papert)

Brick-by-Brick: How LEGO Reworte the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry

Image Credit: BrickNerd, MIT Media Lab, BrickLink, the LEGO Group, FIRST LEGO League

MINDSTORMS Retires!

2023-01-02T02:24:00.007+10:00

2023 is the 25th Anniversary of the MINDSTORMS brand. For 25 years, MINDSTORMS has educated and inspired a generation of robot builders, both children and adults. Unfortunately, the LEGO Group decided to end the line on December 2022. Many ROBOTMAK3RS have been passionately involved with the development of MINDSTORMS through the MUP and MCP programs. Even with the newest Robot Inventor line, several ROBOTMAK3RS were invited to submit additional bonus models that were included in the official app. Regardless of the retirement of a major LEGO robotics product line, ROBOTMAK3RS continue to MAKE-SHARE-INSPIRE using all LEGO robotics platforms available to us.

Here is the official statement from LEGO.

Since its launch in September 1998, LEGO MINDSTORMS has been one of the core ‘Build & Code’ experiences in the company’s portfolio, carrying with it significant brand equity and becoming a stand-out experience for the early days of consumer robotics and leading to current Build & Code experiences such as SPIKE Prime, from LEGO Education’s LEGO Learning System.

However, now having a number of priorities in LEGO Education and other Build & Code experiences, we have decided to focus our resources and future plans by redirecting our MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor team and their expertise into different areas of the business.

This means the physical MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor product (51515) and its related elements (88016 and 88018) are to exit our portfolio from the end of 2022, whilst digital platforms – such as the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor App – will remain live until at least the end of 2024.

We still have strong belief in the Build & Code proposition and will continue to support it through platforms such as SPIKE Prime, and we are continuing to hold on to the trademark for the MINDSTORMS brand and assessing our future plans together with LEGO Education.

MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Books

2022-08-28T23:31:00.007+10:00

Getting Started with LEGO MINDSTORMS and Mastering LEGO MINDSTORMS by Barbara Bratzel and Rob Torok were published in Fall 2022. [Update: Unfortunately, LEGO decided to retire the Robot Inventor in December 2022.] ROBOTMAK3RS reached out to the authors to ask them about their work.

About the Authors:

Barbara Bratzel is a teacher at Shady Hill School, a PreK-8th grade independent school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was first introduced to LEGO robotics by Professor Chris Rogers at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach at Tufts University. For the past 25 years, she has used LEGO robotics in the classroom to teach science, math, engineering, and programming. Currently, she runs a makerspace and teaches science and coding at the Shady Hill School.

Rob Torok is a secondary school teacher in Tasmania, Australia. He was introduced to LEGO MINDSTORMS more than 20 years ago when he purchased the original LEGO MINDSTORMS set (9719 Robotics Invention System). He has mentored teams in RoboCup Junior, FIRST LEGO League, and the FIRST Robotics Competition. In 2015, he founded a community-led robotics group, called Devil Robotics that runs after school programs for children aged 10-18 and hosts a regional FIRST LEGO League tournament. Currently, Rob teaches Computer Science, Mathematics and Engineering Design at his school.

What is your motivation for writing these books and who is the intended audience?

Both of us are K-12 STEM teachers. As teachers, we’re constantly inspired by our students—their ingenuity, their inventiveness, and their ability to take what they’ve learned and soar! With basic coding and building skills, they can move way beyond relying on building instructions and canned programs. We wrote these books to help our readers design and build original LEGO creations, too, by providing that foundational knowledge to get them stared. We envision the books being of interest to a wide variety of readers, from children with brand-new robotics sets, to experienced LEGO builders wanting to expand their coding skills, to teachers and parents helping others learn robotics and programming. 

Why did you choose to write a book with Robot Inventor and not SPIKE Prime? 

Our initial idea was to write a SPIKE Prime book. The publisher convinced us to focus on Robot Inventor instead because it is a more widely used platform. However, we wanted to make sure that the books were useful for SPIKE Prime users as well. In fact, we have special boxes in the books to explain features that are unique to SPIKE Prime such as the force sensor.

Why did you decide to write two books at the same time? 

Actually, we didn’t. We initially wrote one comprehensive book, which ended up being so big that the publisher split it in two. That said, we think the two volumes work well, one for beginners who need the basics without too much extra detail, and one for experienced users who are eager to tackle more advanced programming and building.

There are many ways of learning coding, python, etc. What do you think the benefits are of using LEGO MINDSTORMS? 

Programming robots is a great way to learn to code. First, programming lights, motors, sounds, and sensors is generally more compelling for beginning coders than writing a program to print “Hello World.” Second, programming the robot provides immediate physical feedback about the program—you expected your robot to stop at the black line and it didn’t—in a way that encourages the programmer to re-examine the code and troubleshoot.

The models in your books are generally simple/quick builds. Can you tell us what the motivation is behind this? 

There are so many step-by-step building instructions for beautiful and complex models available. Those models are wonderful, but they can also be intimidating. Users think, “I could never design something like that myself.” We want to help budding designers get started, both with simple models they could build in a few minutes, like the simple cars at the beginning of the first book, and with building principles they could apply to create their own effective and sturdy designs.

What is your favorite project in each of your books and why? 

[Barbara] This is a little like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. There are so many projects that I like. In general, my favorites are the most open-ended ones that encourage creative solutions. For example, the last two fairy tales in the first book, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, invite the reader to choose which client to help and to then engineer a device to aid them, either one based on the suggested solutions or one from their own imagination.  Similarly, the three art projects in the second book’s Ultimate Challenges chapter let the reader use the skills they learned in the book to express themselves in new and creative ways. 

[Rob] The first chapter of Getting Started has a project called “Moving Without Wheels”. I’ve been using variations of this challenge with students and teachers for years. I love how much fun you can have with such a simple idea and, and in this book, it’s a great demonstration of what you can do without writing any code. In Mastering LEGO MINDSTORMS, there’s a chapter that shows you how to make games that you can play on the Hub, including a Cookie Clicker-type game, a reaction timer, and a memory game. I love making robotic games for people to play and hope that this chapter inspires and supports the reader to make their own amazing creations.

What was your inspiration for the fairy tale chapter in the Getting Started book?

[Barbara] In my classes, I have been basing projects on fairy tales and fables for many years. I find they are engaging for all different ages of students (and teachers, when I run workshops for educators). These stories are usually familiar to students; presenting them as engineering challenges makes the students look at them in a new way. They go from passive consumers of the stories to active participants in them. Their inventions can change the course of the story! Plus, the students build empathy by putting themselves in the characters’ shoes.  

The Mastering LEGO MINDSTORMS book jumps to “building better robots” and python. How do you see readers using this book compared to the Getting Started book?

Mastering LEGO MINDSTORMS goes beyond the entry-level programming and building techniques introduced in Getting Started. It will help readers to create better robots by showing them ways to combine what they’ve previously learned into more sophisticated and complex robots. Examples are provided in Word Blocks and Python. This book is not only for anyone who has enjoyed Getting Started and wants to continue their journey, but also for anyone who is already familiar with basic Word Blocks programming and is ready for some new challenges.

LEGO updates their software often. How do you plan to tackle these updates given you have a printed book? 

Updates are an issue! In fact, we ended up redoing most of the figures in the books at the last moment because LEGO issued a software update that included a new font. Though LEGO will make changes to the software after the books are published, we are confident that our books, which concentrate on the basics, will remain a valuable resource.

All images used with permission of authors. Book cover images from No Starch Press.

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Anika Vuurzoon

2022-08-18T03:26:00.001+10:00

Anika Vuurzoon is a graduate student undertaking Mechanical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. She is well-known for her robotic animals as well as for bringing LEGO Friends and LEGO Elves sets to life with the incorporation of LEGO MINDSTORMS. Anika shares her creations all around the world including at the World Robot Olympiad. Anika’s entire family enjoys building with LEGO. They have a strong passion for nature & technology. Anika was one of the top prize winners of the Alexa-MINDSTORMS contest.

How did you get started building with LEGO bricks?I started building with LEGO bricks as a child, and simply never stopped with it. My entire family (Mom, Dad, Ganddad, Sister) build with LEGO, and we build a lot together.

Which project or projects are you the most proud of? Why?
The Elves Treasure Chest. With this project kids have to solve a small puzzle, but it’s also a nice robot to just watch in case there are more kids than puzzles. The project also contains a lot of details which refer to the story of the LEGO elves. The LEGO designers loved my chest so much that they asked me to make a copy of it which is now in Billund.

Where do you find inspiration for new projects?Everywhere! New LEGO sets, games, animals, kids playing with my robots at events…

How many iterations do you typically go through when you create your projects?I start with an idea and a brainstorm session, for this I discuss a lot with my Dad who also builds with LEGO. After that, I look for more details to the subject, in case of the treasure chest I had to read the story behind the LEGO Elves. When building the Shark or the Duck I looked on the Internet for information about the look and behavior of these animals.

The next step is to make a prototype. Often I don’t have enough bricks to build the entire project, so I make a prototype with the bricks I have, which results in a multicolor duck for example. When the prototype is finished I order the right bricks, to make the duck white instead of all kind different colors. When the brick arrive I finish the project.

“Often I don’t have enough bricks to build the entire project, so I make a prototype with the bricks I have…”

Do you document your creative process? If so, how and why?I don’t document the process of my project, only the end result. For every project I make a YouTube video which you can find on my channel.

What role does failure have in your creative process?
Failure happens with every project and can be really annoying. But it makes you think longer about the project, which often results in a better solution for the problem.

How do you evaluate your success?I often do an evaluation of my project with my Dad, mostly when I’m still working on the project. Someone else’s opinion really helps you to keep thinking about solutions, which makes the robot work better and look nicer. When a robot is finished I show them at events to kids and their parents. Their opinions show me how nice it is to play with the robot and how good the robot looks.

For students who are ready to go beyond the basics, what project would you recommend to get them motivated, without overwhelming them?
Try to make a robot that behaves like an animal. Start with a robot that avoid obstacles. And then add functions as random speed, making turns/sounds at random moments. Let the robot react on people, for instance with the touch sensor.

What’s your favourite building technique?I like to combine Technic bricks with normal LEGO bricks. I use the Technic bricks for the movements and use the regular LEGO bricks for making the robot look nice.

You can view Anika’s creations on her family’s YouTube channel.

[Original article written in LEGO Engineering. Reposted here with author's permission.]

Hub-to-Hub Communication Brings New Possibilities

2022-08-01T23:54:00.004+10:00

Hub-to-Hub Communication Brings New Possibilities to MINDSTORMS

MINDSTORMS recently added a new feature to the Robot Inventor that allows creators to connect two or more hubs together. These new programming blocks allow for new and creative multi-hub projects where one hub can communicate with another. Hub-to-hub communication opens up endless possibilities for creating remote control applications, dance companions, games, and complex animals.

Below are some inspirational projects that use two or more hubs that are created by the ROBOTMAK3RS, a global community of robot experts. You can find most of these projects in the official the MINDSTORMS App in the Community section. Both building instructions and code available for you to try out.

Get ready for a competitive, fast-paced multi-player game. Sanjay and Arvind Seshan (USA) create a quick-to-build multiplayer racing game called Color Catcher. This game allows two players to race to the color that is displayed on the hub. Players navigate their robot by using the buttons on the hub to pick a direction and then tap on the hub itself to make their robot move in that direction. The first player to successfully “catch” the color scores a point.

Dimitri Dekyvere (Belgium) and Laurens Valk (the Netherlands) use two hubs to create an engaging balancing robot with an accompanying remote control. Using the joystick, you can control the Balancing Bot with your second hub.

Always dreamed of training to become an astronaut? With the Shuttle Simulator by Nard Strijbosch (the Netherlands) you can start your journey! Nard uses two hubs to create a Shuttle Simulator that is sure to test your piloting skills. One hub serves as a shuttle and the other as the controller. The player can fly the shuttle using the controller.

You may have thought that Charlie is an excellent drummer. It turns out Charlie is also an excellent dance instructor! This fun and interactive project is sure to bring a lot of smiles. Anika Brandsma (the Netherlands) recreates a Dance Class using two hubs. The human dancer holds a hub in one hand and imitates Charlie’s movements.

If you have more than two MINDSTORMS sets, you might enjoy creating this amazing snake by Anton Vanhoucke (the Netherlands). The snake avoids obstacles and can even follow lines using a color sensor. Adding additional segments is extremely easy. Anton has put in much effort to ensure that the movement of the snake is as realistic as possible. You are sure to enjoy watching your Robot Inventor Snake slithering across the floor. This model is available for purchase directly from Anton.

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Jason Alleman

2022-07-21T03:23:00.000+10:00

Jason Alleman is well known for his LEGO kinetic sculptures and unique MINDSTORMS models. He has a degree in Engineering, and enjoy building models that have some kind of interesting motion. He is an inspiration to other LEGO builders, not only in terms of his amazing creations, but also in how he shares his creative process. His YouTube channel has over 500,000 subscribers. Most recently, he won the grand prize for the Alexa-MINDSTORMS contest.

He is an avid rock climber, and can often be found at the top of a mountain. Jason once spent a year and a half traveling through North America living out of a car, camping, rock climbing, and hiking.

How did you get started building with LEGO bricks?

I’ve been building on and off since I was a child. I didn’t have a large collection growing up – a few Technic sets, some basic brick and a couple of Classic Space sets – but I was hooked from the start. I was especially fascinated by the mechanical capabilities of the Technic system, and I guess I still am today.

Which project (or projects) are you the most proud of? Why?

Probably the kinetic sculptures I’ve built. Sisyphus, the galloping horse, clockwork heart, etc. Most LEGO Technic sets have a very distinctive look, but I really enjoy the challenge of combining the engineering aspects of Technic building with brick built style sculpture.

Where do you find inspiration for new projects?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Watching videos of cool mechanisms, observing the environment around me, seeing other models people have built, etc. I just try to be open to new ideas when they come.

I never know when inspiration will hit and it it often comes out of nowhere, completely by surprise.

How many iterations do you typically go through when you create your projects?

Many. I usually start with a simple prototype capturing the basic motion / functionality / shaping that I want to achieve, then progressively refine it through subsequent models before ending up with the final result. Typically I’ll build between 3 to 5 different prototypes for a model, each more elaborate than the last.

Prototype, prototype, prototype seems to be my modus operandi.

Do you document your creative process? If so, how and why?

I usually don’t do much documentation while I’m building. I have learned never to take apart one prototype before building the next one though.

There is nothing worse than getting something to work the way I want, then taking it apart to build the next version and forgetting how it went together!

I do occasionally photograph the different stages of a model for the same reason. I often make instructions of my models once they are finished though, so I can share them with others, and also so I can rebuild them if I ever have to take them apart.

What role does failure have in your creative process?

When things don’t work as planned, it’s an opportunity to try different approaches and be more creative. I find this is often when the real magic happens, and is also a great opportunity for learning. I’ve encountered many problems while designing models, and abandoned several projects altogether because they just haven’t worked out. I don’t consider any of these ‘failures’ though, because in each case I learned a lot about different mechanisms, building techniques, and what is possible within the LEGO system.

How do you evaluate your success?

I’m very much internally motivated, so I usually count a model as successful if it achieves my initial goals, often before I’ve even finished the final model. Usually, by the final prototype all of the major technical problems have been solved, and all that’s left to do are the finishing touches. At that point I often find it difficult to actually focus on finishing a model. I’m easily distracted by new projects with new problems to solve.

For students who are ready to go beyond the basics, what project would you recommend to get them motivated, without overwhelming them?

I would say, find a subject matter that you are really excited about and try to build something related to that. I always find it’s an interesting and useful exercise to try and reproduce some real-life mechanism using LEGO components.

Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. There is so much to be learned by pushing your limits.

Which projects and/or builders have most inspired you?

I’m sure I’m not the first to say, Yoshihito Isogawa is a master of mechanical design.

What’s something you’ve always wanted to build that you haven’t got around to yet?

It’s been on my list for a long time to try and build an automated tower-building MINDSTORMS robot. Someday I’ll get around to it.

How do you store all your pieces?

Mostly in drawer units of different sizes, with most of my pieces sorted by type. I also have bins for extra parts and parts I don’t use very frequently.

To see more of Jason’s work, visit his website and YouTube channel.

[The original version of this article was published on LEGO Engineering. It has been updated and reposted here with the author's permission.]

Start Your Engines

2022-07-09T05:27:00.000+10:00

MINDSTORMS Formula 1 Racecar

Enter the world of Formula 1 with your own MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor racecar!

Watch the video below to see Ahmad Sahar (Malaysia) build a racecar in just a few minutes. Using the elements from one set, he shapes his robot into a working racecar. He brings the car to life using the Robot Inventor App to program a remote control for the vehicle.

Now, you can build your own racecar and test it out at the next Grand Prix!

You can create many variations of this car with just one Robot Inventor set. For your inspiration, take a look at two more Formula 1 racecars created by the MINDSTORMS fan community.

Get in the zone with this Formula 1 race car on the right built by Nino Guba (USA). It features motorized drive and steering with differential, exposed engine with moving pistons, an aerodynamic design and detailing all around. Aside from being remote-controlled with the LEGO MINDSTORMS mobile app or compatible wireless controller, it is capable of full autonomous driving using the light/color sensor and the optional ultrasonic sensor for object avoidance maneuvers. There also added play features such as the raised turntable platform and quick-release car jack while your race car is in the pit. The race car measures 10 cm high, 38 cm long, and 19 cm wide.

The F1 Racer on the left is made by Dave Parker (USA). The car features pivoting front wheels and two rear drive motors. A key component in this model is the synchronization between the rear wheels with the front steering which enables improved turning.

Machine Learning Meets MINDSTORMS

2022-06-19T03:55:00.001+10:00

Machine Learning Extension

LEGO MINDSTORMS announced today a brand new feature that is sure to excite all users. Machine Learning Extension is coming to the software in August 2022. This will allow users to implement new applications that were not possible before. Machine Learning has become exceedingly popular in recent years with applications in all sorts of industries from robotics to financial services to climate change. Now, even the youngest of robot enthusiasts and programmers have access to the world of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

Comparing two classes

Machine Learning on MINDSTORMS will work with both images and audio. For instance, you could train your model to recognize smiles and frowns on your face and have the emotion displayed on your hub. You could train your model to recognize when a red ball is present or not or identify a particular LEGO element. You can control your robot with audio commands that use your own voice. It is exciting to see what new possibilities the Machine Learning Extension in MINDSTORMS opens up.

Up to six classes can be trained at one time and a minimum of two are needed for the model to work. It is very easy to set up these classes and collect samples. All the steps, including the training, are conducted within the App. Visual probability bars allow the user to see exactly what is going on and determine if they need to make changes.

Using Machine Learning to Identify Sad and Happy Faces

Adding Samples

Dan Meehan, Creative Design Lead said, "Being able to quickly create a Machine Learning model that makes their robot behave differently when it detects their face, or their friends, gives them the confidence to explore, understand and use machine learning in the real world. And if things don't work, they're quick to understand that maybe the model needs re-training with more samples, or they need to reposition the camera to get a better view."

By adding Machine Learning to MINDSTORMS, you can now build even smarter robots and continue your "Learning through Play" journey.

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Yoshihito Isogawa

2022-05-11T03:30:00.000+10:00

Yoshihito Isogawa is the author of the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Idea Book and the LEGO Power Functions Idea Book series, as well as other LEGO titles. In addition to creating LEGO moving models and conducting educational workshops and events using LEGO bricks, he is a judge for World Robot Olympiad (WRO) and for FIRST LEGO League (FLL) in Japan.

How did you get started building with LEGO bricks?

When I was about four or five years old, my parents bought me a LEGO set. Before then, I loved playing with blocks that were not LEGO bricks. A couple of years later, having saved my allowance, I bought an early version of the LEGO Technic series. I have enjoyed building with LEGO bricks ever since.

Which project (or projects) are you the most proud of? Why?

It is difficult to choose. More than that, I feel pride and joy when I look at the creations of children inspired by my projects and books.

Where do you find inspiration for new projects?

Suddenly an idea comes into my mind. It happens often when I am walking, when I am relaxing in the bath, or when I am in a comfortable morning doze. I grab hold on to this fleeting idea that is in my head for just a moment.

How many iterations do you typically go through when you create your projects?

I iterate as many times as possible from the nearly completed state to the perfect one. I spend the most time finishing the project.

Do you document your creative process? If so, how and why?

I don’t document the process of my project, because there is a possibility that I could be bound to it by doing that. The process of creation is always in flux and continues to change. I enjoy having this flexibility.

What role does failure have in your creative process?

A failure (the movement which is different from the goal) becomes the source of the primitive idea for another project. In other words, the more failures I have, the more ideas I will have.

“In other words, the more failures I have, the more ideas I will have.”

How do you evaluate your success?

When children play with my machines and robots at hands-on exhibitions, I can see the weak points of my projects. So, they are updated after the exhibition. Hence, my creations evolve into stronger and better ones.

Also, kids sometimes find new ways of playing that are unexpected and surprise me. Anyway, it is very important for me to let kids (and adults who are kids at heart) play with my models.

For students who are ready to go beyond the basics, what project would you recommend to get them motivated, without overwhelming them?

Some students grow with the motivation “to compete with others”. Others grow with the motivation “to create something they like”. I think that it is necessary for teachers/coaches to understand this and provide students appropriate challenges.

As for myself, I really like to let students build their own models freely by giving them a big theme, such as “a robot that surprises people” or “a robot that does something with a card”.

What’s your favourite building technique?

My concept of building models is to create “amazing creations” in almost the same conditions that the kids have. Therefore, I don’t make huge models with a large numbers of parts, and I try not to use hard-to-obtain parts. Furthermore, I try to not use programs except the programming application for LEGO kits.

My models are created with these conditions in mind. As a result, I hope kids get inspired by them.

To see more of Yoshihito Isogawa’s work, visit his YouTube Channel and follow him on Facebook.

[Original article written in LEGO Engineering. Reposted here with author's permission.]

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Anton

2022-03-11T00:05:00.001+10:00

Anton Vanhoucke is from Delft, the Netherlands. He is an online strategist at Fabrique, a strategic design agency, developing new services and communication strategies. Anton has always wanted to be an inventor and combines his love of invention with LEGO bricks. He is best known for his BB-8 as well as his vertical drawing robots. Anton is a MINDSTORMS Community Partner as well as a FIRST LEGO League coach.

How did you get started building with LEGO bricks?

I used to ask for LEGO every Christmas, as far back as I can remember. It just fascinated me the first time I saw it and I never stopped playing with it.

My very first Technic set ever was the LEGO Technic 8841 Dune Buggy. It had a working steering wheel. I still remember the sore fingers from that time because studded technics bricks required more force than today’s studless bricks. After that, I remember a Polar Helicopter (8640) and a Plane (8855). I have always been fascinated by planes, and, today, I build lasercut and 3D printed RC planes as a hobby. I even add autopilots to them so they are in fact flying robots!

As soon as I was old enough, I connected my LEGO Technic to my Mac. Using a serial port IO board, aluminum foil, wire and some old 4,5V technic motors I built drawing robots and robot arms.

When the RCX was released, I was studying Industrial Design Engineering in Delft, The Netherlands. I didn’t have the money to buy an RCX back then. With my first wage as a packaging designer, I bought an NXT2.0. I went on to developing a windows phone app for proportional steering remote control for the cars and spiders I built with that set.

Which project (or projects) are you the most proud of? Why?

BB-8 and the drawing robots. BB-8 was an extreme building and programming challenge. It was really hard. That made the realisation extra sweet. It’s also very nice that he is life size, just like in the movie. My drawing robots (vertical plotters) were also quite hard to build. I’m proud of them because they are mesmerizing to watch, and there is no end to things you can draw. I’m also proud of the drawing robot because it runs a web server on the EV3 as a user interface.

Where do you find inspiration for new projects?

It varies. Sometimes it can be a certain brick, like the banana gear, that inspires me with new possibilities. Sometimes it’s something I’m doing, like cycling, sitting on a swing, or walking. I begin to wonder how a robot would do the same movement and try to build that. And sometimes it’s a toy I’d like to have – like a remote controlled dragon. Once inspired, I start building that.

If you want to learn more about the making of Saphiro the Dragon, read about it in this NXTStep article.

How many iterations do you typically go through when you create your projects?

Eight to ten. You learn from iterations. It’s what makes LEGO fun. I found that the projects with the most iterations are the most amazing. When looking back on them, I can’t imagine how I ever arrived at those solutions. Iterations are even more fun with two. I like to build the same robot together with someone else, compare our solutions, and then go with the best.

Do you document your creative process? If so, how and why?

I try to take pictures and make videos at every iteration. They are fun to watch afterwards; all the mistakes I made that seem so obvious in retrospect. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to take pictures when I’m totally focused on the building.

What role does failure have in your creative process?

I fully expect failure the first eight times. I try to test build the most difficult parts of a new build first. For instance, Saphiro the Dragon started as wings (separately) and legs. The first four wing systems failed. And when I put them together with the legs, the legs failed under the heavy load of the wings and I had to start over with them too. But it is not a terrible thing to have a rough build. When all the hard parts are done I start to add details.

How do you evaluate your success?

The reactions from my fellow MINDSTORMS Community Partners (MCP) are really nice. But just the joy of cracking a hard mechatronics problems is usually enough for me.

For students who are ready to go beyond the basics, what project would you recommend to get them motivated, without overwhelming them?

Try ev3dev. It opens a great lot of new possibilities. I wish I had time to make more tutorials.

Which projects and/or builders have most inspired you?

Isogawa inspires me a lot. His work is often pure poetry. Laurens Valk’s books helped me lot for making the step from studded to studless building. I also like a lot of Hassenplug’s projects. My favorite model is the EV3 elephant. It’s so beautiful!

What’s your favourite building technique?

The speed at which you can make iterations is incredible. Much faster than wood or metal or 3D printing or any other building material. This is what it means to fail fast. Build something, test, see the problem (fail), and to then do another iteration.

“Fail fast, disassemble and start over.”

What’s your favourite LEGO piece?

The 5×7 frame is my favourite because it’s in the base of almost every robot. It is incredibly versatile because it’s rigid and it has holes in all directions. It allows one to build fast and sturdy. I wish the original EV3 set had more of them.

How do you store all your pieces?

I have enough pieces sorted in sorting boxes to build fast. But I don’t sort all of them. I try to find a balance.

What’s something you’ve always wanted to build that you haven’t got around to yet?

I want to make a hopping rabbit because I like quadrupeds and we have a rabbit here at home. Whenever I watch it, I wonder how its robot version would look. I haven’t seen one yet, that hops as I imagine it could.

To see more of Anton’s work, visit his YouTube Channel or his website.

[Original article written in LEGO Engineering. Reposted here with author's permission.]

Meet the ROBOTMAK3R: Lee Magpili

2022-01-02T00:15:00.001+10:00

Lee Magpili is a LEGO Education Designer who lives in Billund, Denmark. Lee was the lead model designer for the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education EV3 Core Set. He is also well-known for many large creations including EVan, SI3RRA, STRYD3R, Eagle and a MINDSTORMS pneumatic dress. He was also the designer for models that are part of the FIRST LEGO League game.

How did you get started building with LEGO bricks?

Mom brought LEGO to the Philippines when I was growing up. Never really stopped from there.

Which project (or projects) are you the most proud of? Why?

My favorite project is probably the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education EV3 Core Set. It’s kind of a dream to have something with “your name” on it. The set reflects all the work and experience in my life that led up to it.

Where do you find inspiration for new projects?

I’m a big movie buff and also really into Cartoons, Comics, Anime and robots. So if I find anything like that, I’m inspired. You can add stuff that kids make, really awesome creations from LEGO Fans and that big beautiful world that we live in. Little appreciation for beauty and the arts never hurts to fill the mind with ideas

How many iterations do you typically go through when you create your projects?

Depends on how long I have to build. It can go from one, to dozens depending on the project, you’ll know when you get it right.

Do you document your creative process? If so, how and why?

I try. I’ve recently been trying to do timelapse videos but it’s very hard to actually capture the creative process. When I sketch, it’s at least in a notebook of some sort, but for building, it’s very organic and sometimes something just comes out of nothing.

What role does failure have in your creative process?

It’s a way of learning what doesn’t work. And sometimes it tells you if you need to abandon a project. But you need to fail, to know what it feels like to succeed.

“You need to fail, to know what it feels like to succeed.”

How do you evaluate your success?

If something cool is just out there and being shown to people, it’s successful.

For students who are ready to go beyond the basics, what project would you recommend to get them motivated, without overwhelming them?

Maybe try something with multiple MINDSTORMS units, that’s always fun. But hey, we have the more advanced EV3 models, and maybe even some of the bigger Technic models to try.

Which projects and/or builders have most inspired you?

Back when I first started really getting into LEGO as an adult, I would browse the mecha sections in brickshelf.com and see some really amazing robots that got quite big, around 1m tall or so. Robots have always fascinated me and I always wanted to go big!

What’s your favourite LEGO piece?

Currently, it’s the 1 module new worm gear [27938]. It’s opened up a lot of possibilities in building smaller gearboxes for me. A lot of people might know me for using a lot of the 5×7 frames as well [64179], it’s not my favorite piece, but I use it like it is.

How do you store all your pieces?

I like to have a bit of a mish mosh, as I believe it helps the creative process. It’s like discovering something new. But I do have some stuff sorted out, like Technic pins, axles, and gears. Creatively, I believe sorting by color then by piece works best, but for some parts, its by part category or type, then into colors.

See an interview with Lee about the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Core Set models here and more of his creations on his Flikr page.

[Original article written in LEGO Engineering. Reposted here with author's permission.]