ROBOTMAK3RS Blog

The new education base robot, with a special metal caster ball. The all new small motor based on the PFsmall motor, but with encoder and MINDSTORMS connector. The new battery pack as you can see has different clips on the side (2) so you can not use the old battery pack but it uses the same 10v DC power adapter. the pack is again one module higher, but on the sides you can still add a cross beam. The Education set will come with a different set of sensor than the retail set. with an all new extension set you can build some ultimate cool models, like this Elephant and a spinning factory, also a whole range of Stem models. more information on the LEGO Education MINDSTORMS site and their news site below meet the designer! Thanks Lee.

While browsing the Mindsensors website , I noticed that they're working on a new motor multiplexer for NXT motors. The device allows you to control two additional NXT motors and it requires an external battery pack. You connect the multiplexer to one of the NXT sensor ports, but you won't loose a sensor port as you do this, because you'll be able to connect a sensor to one of the multiplexer ports which acts as a sensor port.

Yesterday, I blogged about the 'LEGO approved' way of powering your PF motors from your NXT - either using the IR-Link or by using the two cables you can buy from LEGO as discussed in my last blog . Since then I have had a few comments from readers asking about how to create your own cable for PF motors to control it from a NXT. So here is instructions on how to create your own cable in 2 minutes. Please note that this method of driving the motor from NXT is not endorsed by LEGO and also exercise caution when working with knives and cutters. Step 1: Start with a NXT cable and a PF motor. Step 2: Cut the end off the PF motor and also one end of a NXT cable. Step 3: Use a sharp knife to extract the two central strands in the PF cable and the black and white strands in the NXT cable. You can cut off the remaining strands and discard as shown below. Step 4: Remove the insulation from the strands as shown below. This is best done using a wire stripper. Don't be tempted to us...

Have you ever wanted to create something cool with NXT - but the size and shape of the NXT motor made it impossible? Nearly all NXT projects use the standard NXT motors that ships with a Retail NXT kit. But that is not the only option: Following one of the comments by a reader on my post last week about using the linear actuator , I thought I will do a blog on using motors - especially non NXT motors with your NXT kit. The following list some ways of leveraging your motor collections and tells you how to control the various types of motors from your NXT brick: 1) Direct connection of a NXT motor to a NXT This is the most obvious - and it is the easiest to program - either using the motor block and move block that comes with NXT-G - or a quick sequenced programmed using the on brick editor. Given the NXT motor has a rotation sensor built in, this is the most flexible method - giving a variety of ways to program the motor action - including specifying the number of turns or number of deg...