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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

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