ROBOTMAK3RS Blog

Remember #robotmak3r Kyle, the Kid with the Timmyton? http://thenxtstep.blogspot.ca/2013/08/the-kid-with-timmyton-35.html   http://www.thenxtstep.com/2013/12/check-it-out-timmyton-50-built-with-one.html Well he came and visit me at the LEGO MINDSTORMS kiosk at the World Maker Faire in New York last month. He brought along his latest version of his Timmyton now at V5.5 ... WOW! Meeting Kyle once again and trying out his robot in person was really cool. Kyle's work didn't go unnoticed, it's a really good model he designed.  Filippa, LEGO MINDSTORMS community manager took the time to interview Kyle and produced this great video:  Read more about his cool projects, see pictures and download LDD and programs by visiting Builderdude35 profile on the LEGO MINDSTORMS Community page http://www.us.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/community/profile?builder=Builderdude35 Are you a #robotmak3r? If any of you have some cool robots you want to share with the world let me know, r...

Laurens Valk made an extra bonus model that Sort LEGO bricks by color and size, for those who have the book. By finding the right program name in the book, you can enter a special section of the acompaning website . The program and building instructions are in the same high quality as the book and in full color.

EV3 Facebook group member Cyrus Cuenca shares with us his version of AlphaRex made using the EV3 Home Edition set #31313 and he called it very appropriately AlphaR3X! Below is a link to his blog where you can see  pictures and download partial Building Instructions he made using LEGO Digital Designer.    http://theteenagemaker.blogspot.ca/2014/02/alpha-r3x.html : . .

It's November and cold and rainy weekends come with it - so what's better than building some of the 12 new EV3 Home Edition bonus models? The EV3 projects (including programs and building instructions) are available from here .

At the eighth-annual Maker Faire hitting the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend, Lego is unveiling three of the 12 community-created models: An electric guitar, designed by Daniele Benedettelli a triceratops, designed by Lasse Stenbæk Lauesen and a kind of whack-a-mole arcade game, designed by Martyn Boogaarts. All 12 Bonus models will come with the program and full color Building instructions as if they were designed by LEGO. At a demonstration, Lasse Stenbæk Lauesen, a software and applications developer for the MINDSTORMS program showed off the three models. LEGO plans on unveiling the remaining nine community-created models over the summer, most likely in conjunction with the SparkTruck, a sort-of Maker Faire on wheels that is touring the United States this summer.

Three new MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 bonus models showed up on the MINDSTORMS Website, including the Tripod, the Pinball Machine and the MindCuber. Links to building instructions, programs, and videos are here . Update: Kirk Backstrom uploaded his original video of M.O.R.P.H, the first bonus model:

LEGO hosts some NXT 2.0 bonus models on their website, but the building instructions are somewhat hidden, and the programs even more. These models are very cool (M.O.R.P.H by Kirk Backstrom is my favorite), so it would be a shame if they were lost. I've compiled a short article with links to building instructions, programs, and information pages for each bonus model. Check it out here.

During LEGOWORLD 2011 CPH, there was a nice new movie presented on a BIG screen above the MINDSTORMS area. The movie had 2 totally new models that can be build with a single NXT 2.0 retail kit ( #8547 ). The movie is present on the LEGO MINDSTORMS website, but I think most of you did not find it yet.. therefore here it is, enjoy. here is the [ link ]

From the official MINDSTORMS site, there's a new NXT 2.0 bonus model available: NXTitzki , a basketball-playing NXT robot that is named after Dirk Nowitzki, a famous German NBA player. NXTitzki can either be remotely controlled by a player or run autonomously, using the Ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection and the feet-mounted color sensor for line detection (which allows for interesting navigation strategies and pitch setups). When using more than one instance, nice matches and tournaments can be devised, so it might prove an attractive model for classroom activities also. It was designed, built and filmed by me; feel free to visit the associated page at my NXT web site.

This is one of the robot designs that appears at the back of the NXT 2.0 box. It was published on mindstorms.com some time ago, but back then I didn't get to shoot a video of this robot. I have done so now, and here is the result: You can find more information, pictures, building instructions and a program on my new website: http://www.laurensvalk.com . According to visitors of LEGO related events, it's a cute robot, but be sure to let us know how you like it when you build this animal.

My good friend Philo, who designed and build the robotic arm as a extra model for the NXT 2.0 box, build and FAST ball sorter. Here is a movie: Philo also made great Building instructions at his homepage . Thanks Philo for this nice creation, I'm looking forward for the first implementation inside a GBC.

Proudly we announce the third bonus model for the NXT2.0 box. Laurens Valk (blogger at this blog) and creator of various interesting walking models has designed a praying mantis “ Manty ”. This model shows up next to Morph on the back cover of the box. The model has a touch sensor to automatically synchronize its legs and an ultrasonic sensor to detect your hands, so it can avoid you. Enjoy building Martyn

I would like to introduce you to MORPH, one of the bonus robots that are featured on the back of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 box . MORPH stands for Martian Observation Rover & Personable Humanoid. He is a transforming robot that transforms from a rover to a humanoid, and can dectect colours (with the new colour sensor), which tell him to perform special actions. He was recently featured on the LEGO MINDSTORMS News page , along with his creator (me). There you can download instructions for how to build him, a NXT-G program to control him, a video demonstrating his functions, and the story behind the creation. I had a lot of fun designing him, but more about that in another post. I hope that you have a lot of fun with this model! Happy building. PS: Keep watch for other bonus models to be released created by members of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners team.