ROBOTMAK3RS Blog

The new version of Simulink , the MATLAB -based modelling software by MathWorks , has a new feature that is particularly interesting for NXT builders: developing NXT robot programs and executing them autonomously on the NXT brick. As the release's features site states: " Students can use Simulink to create algorithms for control systems and robotics applications. They can apply industry-proven techniques for Model-Based Design to verify that their algorithms work during simulation. They can then implement the algorithms on LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT as standalone, real-time applications. Students can download a program to the robot using a USB cable. Once programmed, these robots can run autonomously while students interact and monitor remotely using Bluetooth." There are a lot of more details on said site, including an overview video .

National Instruments , the Texas-based manufacturer of the official programming environment for the NXT, based on NXT-G, has recently introduced LabVIEW for LEGO® MINDSTORMS . LabVIEW is the the company’s professional LabVIEW graphical system design software and well established in the industry for controlling machines and robots; the new version for LEGO® MINDSTORMS is focused on the educational sector and is thus meant to be used with the Education version of the NXT set: "Developed specifically for secondary school students to use with the LEGO Education robotics platform in classrooms or competitions, LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS is a teaching tool that helps students visually control and program MINDSTORMS NXT robots, while learning the same software used by scientists and engineers" as the company states. Consequently, the new programming platform well be sold exclusively  through LEGO Education and its authorised resellers.

In August, National Instruments , the provider of NXT-G, the LEGO®-official programming language for the NXT, has announced an new version of LabVIEW, the powerful robot programming platform that also is the base of NXT-G. According to NI, LabVIEW 2010 software (which also allows for programming the NXT) features "an improved back-end compiler that generates optimized machine code, increasing your application's run-time execution up to 20 percent. Additionally, LabVIEW 2010 tackles top support issues with streamlined software installation, Web-based hardware configuration, and in-product searching while incorporating features based on direct user feedback to make your programming easier." Read more on the news page of NI and have a look at the new webcast on LabVIEW 2010 .

Microsoft has announced that its Robotics Developer Studio , which allows for programming and (remotely) controlling also LEGO® MINDSTORMS NXT robots using C# or Visual Basic, will be completely free of charge from now on. In the past, there have been three different versions, two of which with commercial licenses liable to pay costs. These versions have been united to a single one now that can be downloaded and used without charge.

Being one of the developers of the leJOS NXJ Open Source project, a Java platform for the NXT, some people asked me for help in setting up JCreator for working with leJOS NXJ. JCreator is a light-weight Java IDE that comes in a free community edition as well as a commercial one; it's not my favorite one (I prefer Eclipse ), but I noticed teachers seem to like it for their robotics classes, considering the barrier to entry pretty low. So here it is: a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up JCreator with leJOS NXJ, allowing you to program your NXT with Java using JCreator.