Skip to main content

Question 1 (of 3) for Soren Lund

By
I had the chance to ask Mr. Soren Lund, Director of LEGO Group’s MINDSTORMS division (pictured), a few questions about Mindstorms NXT. Here is the first question and his response:

Q: What surprised you most about the new NXT components? By this, I mean are you pleased with the changeover to Technic components and do you feel it will be a more useful and easier to build with than the RCX/Bricks version?

SL: From the beginning of the project, we defined the strategy for the next generation of MINDSTORMS. We wanted to take advantage of the new technologies in the market to make it easier to build and program robots but also to allow for more sophisticated use of our toolset. The Interactive Servo Motor is a good example of this. Because of the feedback loop from the motors to the NXT it is now very easy to make a robot go straight. If one motor is a bit ahead of the other motor then the NXT will tell that motor to wait for the other motor. For the first time user this will happen automatically. For the advanced user you now have a motor that you can control very precisely - down to one degree. The feedback we got from the MUP (MINDSTORMS User Panel) when we showed them the motor was: "Do you know what kind of sophisticated robots we can build when we get that motor?"
It was also very important for us to make it easier to build stable, moving robots. The LEGO TECHNIC building system helps us do that. By staying 100% with the TECHNIC elements it is easier for kids 10 years and up to create their own robots. You will be amazed when you see how easy it is to build the Quick Start model.


(Soren Lund, center, Popular Mechanics magazine Editor’s Choice Award)

-----

Many thanks to Mr. Lund for his response. Questions 2 and 3 will be posted soon... so please check back.

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 2

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
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 handle r 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
Read more

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
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
Read more

MINDSTORMS Retires!

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
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
Read more