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LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders--New from No Starch Press

By

O'Reilly | No Starch PressFor Immediate Release
CONTACT: Travis Peterson
nostarchpr@oreilly.com
415.863.9900 x300

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders—
New from No Starch Press
How to Build Innovative Robots with Just One NXT Kit

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders San Francisco, CA, November 12, 2008—When the creative minds behind The NXT STEP blog co-authored The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Idea Book (No Starch Press) in the fall of 2007, they hoped to revolutionize the world of homebrew robotics by teaching readers how to build unique and compelling robots, such as a slot machine and a robot that helps take photographs. The NXT STEP blog is back this year with a similar goal—to show readers how to build a fascinating selection of robots with only one NXT kit.

In LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders (No Starch Press, Nov 08, 408 pp, ISBN 9781593271886), readers will find instructions for building 10 exciting robots, including ones that can balance and steer, sort M&Ms, drag race, and park themselves between objects. Other robots include:

  • CandyPicker, a robot that picks up candy and other items
  • RoboLock, a security system that locks and unlocks robots using a passcard
  • The Hand, a robotic replacement hand
  • GrabBot, a robot that autonomously finds, grabs, lifts, and moves objects
  • BobBot, a NXT version of the Bobcat skid-steer loader

"We're really pleased to be publishing another book from The NXT STEP blog," said No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. "Readers will find these robots really fun to build, and we think people will be pleased by the fact that each of them can be built with only one NXT kit."

Whether readers are new to LEGO building or are veterans seeking new and interesting robots, LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders will have them building amazing creations with just one NXT kit in no time.

For more information, to schedule an interview, or to request a review copy of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders, contact Travis Peterson at No Starch Press (nostarchpr@oreilly.com, +1.415.863.9900, x300), or visit www.nostarch.com.

Sample pages from LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders:

book spread

About the Authors
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders is written by James Floyd Kelly, Matthias Paul Scholz, Christopher R. Smith, Martijn Boogaarts, Jonathan A. Daudelin, Eric D. Burdo, Laurens Valk, BlueToothKiwi, and Fay Rhodes

The nine contributors to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders are dedicated NXT robotics fans who write for the popular blog The NXT STEP, recognized as one of the best sources for news and information about the NXT. Many of the authors have been involved with LEGO as members of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners program, where they advise LEGO regarding NXT marketing, events, and future developments.

Additional Resources
Excerpts from Chapter 1, "CandyPicker," and Chapter 10, "The Bike" (PDF)
Table of contents overview
Detailed table of contents (PDF)
Large cover image

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders
By the Contributors to The NXT STEP blog
November 2008, 408 pp
ISBN 9781593271886, $29.95 USD
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com, 1-800-420-7240).

About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. See http://www.nostarch.com for more information and our complete online catalog. (And most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)

About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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