Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots (Technology in Action) [Paperback]

Daniele Benedettelli (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590599667 | ISBN-13: 978-1590599662 | Publication Date: April 29, 2008 | Edition: 1st ed. 2008. Corr. 2nd printing

This book teaches anyone interested how to build LEGO MINDSTORMS robots. He starts with an easy robot and gets to more detail in the succeeding 6 robots built in the book. The robots he presents are award winning robots, so he is giving away his secrets. He also teaches how to program the robots. If you are not a programmer, then you can use the code provided. He tells you what equipment you need and how to get it inexpensively. So everything is discussed that you will need to create these robots or modify his designs to create your own.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniele Benedettelli was born on 2nd December 1984 in Grosseto (Tuscany, Italy).

He got a BSc degree (cum laude) in Computer Engineering (Automation line) in 2006 from the University of Siena (Italy) with a thesis entitled "LEGO MINDSTORMS based mobile robots team".

Now he is studying to take a MSc degree in Robotics and Automation at the University of Siena.

He is currently involved in a research project about cooperative mobile robotics.

In 2006, he was selected by The LEGO Company as member of MINDSTORMS Developer Program, and in 2007 as one of MINDSTORMS Community Partners.

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1st ed. 2008. Corr. 2nd printing edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590599667
• ISBN-13: 978-1590599662
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence > Robotics

More About the Author

Daniele Benedettelli appeared in this world the 2nd December of the A.D. 1984 in Grosseto, the capital city of the beautiful Maremma Toscana. While he was attending high school, apart from the compulsory studies, his main passion was writing music and playing the piano, passion to which he devoted his childhood. When he was not playing the piano, you could find him playing with LEGO.
This last passion doze off during the dark-age-of-LEGO, when real life interests get the better of building plastic creations. In 2000, Daniele scraped enough savings to get the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System, and from that moment on, a new manner of thinking about LEGO disclosed to his eyes: the adult carreer in the LEGO Community started! In 2006, he got a BSc degree cum laude in Computer Engineering (Automation line) from the University of Siena with a thesis whose approximately translated title is 'LEGO MINDSTORMS-based mobile robots team'. A toy, destiny, we could say.
In 2006, he was selected by The LEGO Company as member of MINDSTORMS Developer Program, and in 2007 as one of MINDSTORMS Community Partners.
The year 2007 has been a turning-point for Daniele. He gave birth to a LEGO NXT robot that can solve automatically any 3x3 Rubik's cube in less than a minute. This robot is the mechanical side of the project called the LEGO RUBIK UTOPIA. The world has gone actually crazy about this wonderful contraption. In 2009, he published the book 'LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Thinking Robots' with No Starch Press: in this book you can find a revamped version of the Rubik's Cube Solver robot. His activity with LEGO on the NXT line is continuing now in the group of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners 4. In 2009 he got the MSc degree in Robotics and Automation from the same University. He is currently working as researcher in the mobile robotics field. In his spare time, he enjoys composing songs and music for spots and short films.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Cool, Highly Recommended NXT Book, June 12, 2008

By 

David J. Perdue "MINDSTORMS author" (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots (Technology in Action) (Paperback)

If you're searching for some exciting NXT projects and ideas--or would simply like to build JohnNXT, a replica of the famous Johnny 5 robot--you will enjoy Daniele Benedettelli's book Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots. The book presents helpful ideas that you can use in your own inventions and carefully integrates them in a variety of robots with detailed building instructions. In fact, these very features are why I've given the book five stars: challenging robot projects, excellent discussions of useful concepts and ideas, and exceptional building instructions.

Most of the robots seem intended for more advanced users looking for a challenge; in other words, these are generally more complex robots. For example, there are several walking robots--including three bipeds (two-legged robots), one of the most difficult types of robots to create. And with the exception of the massive, multi-NXT robot "JohnNXT" (chapter 8) and a remote control (chapter 9), you can build all the robots from the parts in a single retail LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set. All the programming in the book is done in NXC (Not eXactly C), an unofficial text-based language with a C-like syntax.

Along the way you'll find in-depth explanations of robotics concepts and helpful descriptions of the robots. Besides an entire "theory chapter" on building biped robots (chapter 1) and another such chapter on finite state machines (chapter 3), the robot chapters themselves include explanations of concepts such as hysteresis, writing a multitask program, and quadruped (four-legged) walking as well as information on the robots' functionality and history. The author also does a good job of presenting and explaining the programming. Although prior NXC experience is helpful, such experience is not required.

The BIs (building instructions) are outstanding, which is important since they are a major part of the book. The author used advanced BI techniques, including complete electrical cables and callouts, and Ldglite to render the images, creating BIs that are remarkably "LEGO-like." I found that the BIs were generally very easy to follow even though many of the steps were complex. Such clarity is invaluable for a book that is filled with building instructions.

I admit that I didn't build the famed JohnNXT robot. Why? For starters, I don't have all the necessary pieces! All the same, I'm glad to see that the author included the robot because a number of readers will want tackle this enormous project.

In conclusion, this book is ideal for you if you're a more experienced NXT user looking to broaden your robotic horizons--while having lots of fun. Nevertheless, even if you're new to the NXT set, you would still enjoy the book. Either way, after working through the projects and grasping the concepts, you should be well-equipped to create your very own cool NXT robots.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book for young lego mindstorm users, April 21, 2009

By 

Arthur Held (Missoula MT) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots (Technology in Action) (Paperback)

I've used this book in teaching a tech club of 4th-8th graders. Several students have also taken the book home and built robots from it. The plans are good, and the descriptions excellent. It is also helpful in using NXC to program the mindstorms.

I would hate to be without it now!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Mindstorms NXT Book so far, May 7, 2008

By 

Puput Adrianto (Jakarta, Indonesia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots (Technology in Action) (Paperback)

I've been waiting for more than 2 months to get this book. Finally I got it from amazon a few days after the book released.

I have 8 NXT book, nothing is as details as Daniele's Book. The best NXT book so far.

There are 6 robots describes in this book. From the concept and then step-by-step assembly it and even the guide line to program it. So you not only able to build the robot, but also teach you how it works.

The cream-of-the-soup of this book of course is the JohnNXT ...... About 1/3 of the book focus on this great Robot. If you plan to build JohnNXT, this is the only book you need.

I'm really impressed with Daniele, I cant wait to the next book "Lego Rubik Utopy (LRU)".