ROBOTMAK3RS Blog

LEGO® MINDSTORMS and Amazon Alexa roll-out voice-based robotics challenge The LEGO Group and Amazon join forces to introduce the  LEGO® MINDSTORMS Voice Challenge: Powered by Alexa  – an opportunity for Alexa developers,  LEGO MINDSTORMS  enthusiasts, and creators around the world to explore and build the future of voice-based experiences through construction and robotics play. Billund, September 24:  The  LEGO® MINDSTORMS Voice Challenge: Powered by Alexa  announced today allows fans to enter for a chance to win from hundreds of prizes, including one grand prize winner who will take home $20,000 in Amazon Gift Cards, a powerful package of LEGO sets, and a trip to LEGO Headquarters in Denmark — where they will have an opportunity to tour the LEGO House and meet with LEGO designers. In addition, the winner’s creation will be displayed at the annual LEGO World event in Copenhagen.   Since the introdu...

The second of 4 models designed by the community for Robot Remix #6 is called LIZARD by Anton Vanhoucke.  We asked him to tell us a bit more about how this idea came to be, his design process and challenges he faced building the LIZARD. Because of the green parts in the Forest Machine I looked for green animals. There weren't many. Mostly crocodiles, dinosaurs and lizards. I figured I'd make the LEGO model curve while walking like a real lizard. I was lucky to find that the forest machine includes two turn tables! These would make for nice body joints. To be sure it would work I did a rough model in Studio and sketched over it on my iPad.  When I got the sets and started building I discovered that my Studio model didn't work. The legs needed a better mechanism and the torso twisted the wrong way. That was a bit of a set-back. I also hoped at first that it would walk with only it's legs and the tail for balance, but I had to put wheels under th...

Fan created logo designed by Marina Stamboli, Greece In honor of LEGO® MINDSTORMS 20th ANNIVERSARY the LEGO HOUSE in Billund, Denmark held an exhibition from Sept 1st to 16th 2018. Of course there was also the traditional celebration cake for all the employees that have been involved with MINDSTORMS throughout the years.  #MINDSTORMS20 Celebration cake, Billund, Denmark The large MINDSTORMS family The exhibit featuring 20 years of creations from fan around the world In September 2018, LEGO® MINDSTORMS celebrates it’s 20th anniversary. The journey began in September 1998. That year, the LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX Robotics Invention System was launched after nearly a decade of collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop an “intelligent brick” that would bring LEGO creations to life via computer programming, motors, and sensors. The late Seymour Papert developed the ideas behind the “intelligent brick”. Together with MIT’s Medi...

In 2015, LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Community Partners (MCP) were challenged to imagine awesome robots using parts from only a retail MINDSTORMS set and a single LEGO Technic set. The #ROBOTREMIX concept was born. The first remix in 2015 was with the Technic SeaPlane . The two remix challenges in 2016 featured  the TeleHandler and the DragRacer.  In 2017, we saw the very first remix incorporating a Power Function motor in the huge LEGO Technic Jet Plane . This year features one last robot remix challenge proposed by LEGO and this time it's with the Hovercraft Technic set!  Some amazing ideas were proposed, but only 4 could be selected to turn their ideas into actual models. After months of work, we are ready to present you with the four Robot Remixes of 2018! Presenting Catfish by Anton, Food Truck by Young-jun, The Plan3 by Ahmad, and Hungry Hippo by Joe. CATFISH, a fantastic creation with life like behavior by Anton Vanhoucke from the Netherlands FOO...