LEGO NXT Plays Nice with an iRobot Create

I recently picked up the Create Development platform from iRobot, and was able to get it working together & nicely with the LEGO NXT using a roboDNA dashboard. One of the main features of the Create is a payload bay with screw mounting points, which allows builders to add on custom hardware attachments. I chose the LEGO NXT Robo-Arm as my first test attachment, in order to demonstrate how the roboDNA dashboards can simultaneously control two robots of different types, and have them operate cooperatively.

To my surprised, it was easy to get the NXT attached securely to payload bay. The holes in standard LEGO beams match up almost perfectly with the mounting holes on the Create. The screws pass through a hole in the LEGO beam, and into the base of the payload bay. I modified the Robo-Arm's base to fit onto the beams. Mounting a heavier and larger LEGO NXT design such as a Crane is possible. ( Stay tuned ) No drilling or cutting required, just 4 or 6 screws from the hardware store.

The NXT and the Create make a great 'out of the box' combo for remotely operated robots, however there would need to be a simple link up via Bluetooth or serial to achieve functional autonomous behaviors as a team. The Create runs C code on an Atmel microcontroller, and can send/receive serial data but not using Bluetooth. ( There is a Bluetooth Adapter Module available for the Create. )

The new sample dashboards for both the LEGO NXT and iRobot Create are available for download at http://robodna.com

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

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...

ROBOTMAK3RS Review: LEGO River Steamboat

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 Chryssanthakopoulo s. 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 s...

Ghostbusters R.T.V Remix

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...

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