Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO Mindstorms (Technology In Action) [Paperback]

Dave Baum (Author), Rodd Zurcher (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1893115097 | ISBN-13: 978-1893115095 | Publication Date: 2000 | Edition: Bk&CD-Rom

The Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System is clearly a new kind of toy. Introduced in the Fall of 1998, Lego Mindstorms quickly became L egoFs best-selling kit of all time. But the market data proved to be t he real surprise. From its surveys, Lego found that the median purchas ing age for the Mindstorms kit is 23. LegoFs Mindstorms kit enables an yone to build a programmable robot with an assortment of Lego pieces t hat snap, slide and clink into place. The Mindstorms Programmable Bric k, called the RCX, contains a microcomputer that enables those who bui ld robots to then program their movement. Sensors and motors move, but it can also sense and respond to its environment. Given this toyFs ca pabilities, itFs not surprising that a whole generation of adults inte rested in robotics or programming is rediscovering Lego through Mindst orms.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

LEGO blocks, originally mere children's toys, have everything to do with expressing creativity within a structured system. There are rules about how pieces fit together, but almost anything can be created within those restrictions. Building with LEGO blocks is a lot like writing software (a similarity Douglas Coupland emphasizes in Microserfs). Small wonder, then, that LEGO Mindstorms have been such a huge hit. In Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO Mindstorms, the reader gets an introduction to what Mindstorms robots can do, particularly in terms of sensing their environment and reacting to it.

Baum invented Not Quite C (NQC), a language that's closer to standard C than LEGO's standard RCX Code programming language. He uses both NQC and RCX code in this book to show how to build and program a series of increasingly capable Mindstorms robots. He starts with Tankbot, a single-minded critter that navigates its programmed route without regard for obstacles. Later chapters detail Bugbot (which uses insect-like feelers to sense obstacles and employs code to navigate around them), Linebot (which follows a dark line using optical sensors), and Scanbot (which heads toward the brightest light its swiveling head can find). A very cool Vending Machine robot dispenses small candies in response to infrared signals or a pattern of bumps on a card. Several other equally nifty robots (there are 14 in total) get the same attention, which includes information on their mechanical construction and their operating software.

Rather than rely on photographs, Baum uses computer-generated drawings of the various mechanical components. These show how the parts fit together with as much clarity as you can expect from a two-dimensional model, though exploded views might make certain assemblies even easier to understand.

Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO Mindstorms will prime your creative thought processes as you begin to design your own Mindstorms robots. It's a great introduction to Mindstorms for kids and grownups alike. --David Wall

Topics covered: Building and programming LEGO Mindstorms robots, including the functions of the various mechanical pieces, the operation of motors, and the capabilities of sensors. On the logical side, there are introductions to both LEGO's RCX Code language and Baum's own Not Quite C (NQC). The rest takes the form of a Mindstorms laboratory, in which Baum guides the reader through the creation of increasingly "smart" robots. Baum's code works with Mindstorms 1.0 and 1.5.

From the Publisher

Definitive Guide to LEGO MINDSTORMS was originally written for the RIS 1.0 and 1.5 sets. Lego has recently released RIS 2.0, and although the Definitive Guide has not been updated, it remains an effective way to get more out of your MINDSTORMS set.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Apress; Bk&CD-Rom edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893115097
• ISBN-13: 978-1893115095
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,363,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone to like, January 3, 2000

By 

Hein Ragas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO Mindstorms (Technology In Action) (Paperback)

This book contains a wealth of information for beginning Mindstorms builders. Dave Baum demonstrates several principles for building Mindstorms 'bots in each project. The mechanical engineering part of the 'bots is carefully explained, as well as the programming part - using both the RCX code and Mr. Baum's own NQC language. The book provides several great "sub-assemblies" and tips and tricks that are useful in your own projects. As a programmer, the programming part was interesting to me, but not an eye-opener. Instead, I learned quite a bit on mechanical engineering. The book probably works the other way around for people familiar with mechanical engineering but not familiar with programming. However, the construction diagrams are not always clear. Because there is no list of parts to be added at each step (as is done in Lego's own construction diagrams), you run the risk of missing something. Because the diagrams are all black and white, it is often hard to determine the color of a particular piece - which sometimes makes it hard to find it. Perhaps the renders could be included in color on the accompanying CD-ROM in a future edition. The CD-ROM itself is excellent, since it contains everything to get you programming in NQC.

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for New and Old Mindstorms Owners, December 16, 1999

By 

Dianne Marshall - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO Mindstorms (Technology In Action) (Paperback)

If you buy a LEGO Mindstorms buy this book. The construction information is excellent and very necessary for a useful robot. The book is good for an 11 year old (my son) as well as an adult. I have found using NQC, the programming language that comes with the book, to control the RCX was much more effective than either the software that comes with the Mindstorms or the ROBO LAB software from Dacta. Over a year ago my son started programs with the RCX with NQC, I wish I had the book then. This is a great way to introduce students to programming because it is fun. The true results of the programming along with the results of the construction techniques provide a great learning environment. The pictures make building much simpler that the books with the LEGO Mindstorms.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Word.... Wow., July 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO Mindstorms (Technology In Action) (Paperback)

In My Opinion, this book is the Bible to people that use the lego mindstorms systems. I am a junior in high school, and this book gave me the ideas to go and put together an award winning robot for our school systems science fair. In fact, it gave me the key to a full scholarship at the local engineering school, since I am the first and only person to ever make a robot for the fair in their 20+ year history, AND the fact that I attracted people to my booth, judges and all with my playing the Matrix { THE BEST MOVIE } on my internal dvd. It so impressed the judges, I was even offered a job, but the guy didnt realize I am only 17 ( and got 2 already :-( ). Without the wonderful language Mr. Baum provided and the book to add to it, I would be a loser for real. All thanx are owed to him and to the invento of the lego system, whoever and wherever you are. Lego has been an addicting force in my life for years, I have my brothers sets from the 80's when he was a kid and Just add to the "Pile" (or so my moms calls it) of legos whenever something new and kewl comes out. Since my introduction to mindstorms, I have purchased 2 kits, and all the add-ons, All thanx to Mr. Baum

Thank you for reading on this far, although I bet ya just are scrolling past this juvenile hack of a coment as fast as you can.. I dont care

Al