Customer Reviews

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547)

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I first encountered the MINDSTORMS series in 2001 when I bought the Robotics Invention System 1.5 out of curiosity. Since then, I've purchased and used numerous MINDSTORMS sets, written two MINDSTORMS books, developed and taught a LEGO robotics course, and given LEGO presentations. So when I heard that LEGO was releasing the NXT 2.0 set in summer/fall 2009, I was curious to discover how LEGO would improve its flagship product. After finally getting my hands on a 2.0 set, I've been busy building, programming, and analyzing the kit's features. And I think this is the best MINDSTORMS set to date.

The original NXT set released in 2006 (I'll call it the "1.0 set") enjoyed enormous success but still had some shortcomings. The NXT 2.0 set addresses some of those flaws and really is everything the 1.0 set should have been. As a robotics kit, the NXT 2.0 set mainly involves building and programming, so I'll take a look at how the kit performs in each of these areas.

First, the building experience is fun and challenging while offering some exciting new additions. For the electronic elements, the NXT microcomputer and servo motors remain the same in both design and quantity; however, the selection of sensors has changed. There are now two touch sensors, an ultrasonic (distance) sensor, and the color sensor. The new color sensor boasts three functionalities. It can detect colors (6 basic colors), measure light intensity, and act as a lamp (emitting a red, blue, or green light). Unlike the 1.0 set, there is no light sensor or sound sensor: the new color sensor can function as a light sensor, and LEGO apparently thought that having two touch sensors would be more useful than having one touch sensor and one sound sensor as in the 1.0 set. I agree.

The building elements are, once again, studless LEGO TECHINC pieces rather than traditional bricks. The 1.0 set included a few TECHNIC bricks, but these are gone in the 2.0 set, which focuses entirely on studless construction. Overall, there is still a good selection of beams, pegs, and axles (including a new #9 length axle) as well as the addition of two small rubber bands. Also fun is the special ball shooter equipment along with 12 small, brightly colored balls.

There are only a few gears included, though. Whereas the 1.0 set included a fairly good variety and quantity of gears, the 2.0 set includes only a handful of double bevel gears and a single 12t bevel gear. This is a bit disappointing but also understandable. People like to add lots of gears to their robots to make them look cool, but lots of gears introduce lots of friction. The 2.0 kit's sample robot designs demonstrate how to connect pieces directly to motors rather than using gears to transmit the motion. This works fine and takes a little bit of getting used to, but I would still encourage new LEGO users to expand their collection of gears after purchasing the 2.0 set.

As for the programming, the 2.0 version of the included NXT-G software offers some welcome new features. A remote control, sound editor, image editor, new programming blocks, improved performance, and other features make programming a more enjoyable experience. Performance is noticeably better than in the 1.0 version but can still be sluggish.

The software includes a number of fun challenges spread across four robot designs: Shooterbot, Robogator, Color Sorter, and Alpha Rex. The sample robots are durable and work well, although some of the instructions for using Color Sorter were a bit confusing. The new version of Alpha-Rex is a truly fascinating robot: in addition to being a fun "advanced" model to build, new users can learn a lot from its incredibly compact and elegant design.

The NXT 2.0 set is leading the MINDSTORMS series in the right direction. I like what I see in this set, and I believe LEGO has a winner on its hands. The 2.0 set is more expensive than the 1.0 set--by $30--but I believe the improvements and added functionality justify the extra cost. In sum, the NXT 2.0 set is a great toolset for any robotics enthusiast and a must-have for MINDSTORMS fans.

I purchased the original Mindstorms 1.0 way back in the nineties. I absolutely loved it; it was a great workout for both my imagination and my ingenuity. It was also a great family toy: I could get the gears aligned and programmed, and my 8-year old daughter would supplement it with additional Legos for fun. That was what I loved about the original set: it did a wonderful job of straddling the line between robotics set and sheer silliness. The computerized brick looked like a giant yellow Lego; there were lots of colors, and it was compatible with other Legos. It even had an expansion set that allowed you to built animals and monsters, and came with Lego eyes, fins, and all kinds of fun little additions. The creations were functional (usually!), but also seemed to fit into the World of LegoLand.

This new set looks like...well, a robotics set. That's not a bad thing, but it means that this set needs to be compared to other robotics sets out there. Before, Mindstorms was completely unique, in a class all by itself. Now it looks like a very well-designed robotics set. The colors are drab, the 600+ pieces all have a specific practical function, there is less room for customizing.

Don't get me wrong, this set is a huge step up in functionality. The new color sensor alone is an enormous improvement. I will have hundreds of hours of fun with NXT 2.0. But I'm not sure my current young daughters will have much interest in it, and that makes me sad.

One last note: the box itself is pretty poorly designed. It's...a box. There are no dividers or compartments to keep organized. Not a huge issue, but you would think that at nearly $300 a pop the Lego folks would be willing to spring for a little extra cardboard.

SUMMARY:

I think that the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 is a great set for the creative youngster (and for the inventive adult!) This robotics kit can offer hours and hours of fun. While playing with it, you'll (your kid) be able to interact with people all over the world, and you'll have a great start in engineering.

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At the moment of writing this review, 4 customer reviews have been posted: two 1-star reviews and two 5- star reviews. This gives an average of 3 stars, which is way below what the kit deserves. It deserves 5 stars.

Another customer (D. Perdue) has already posted a great review (5 stars) about the new features in the set, and in this review I'd like to add some more to this. Furthermore, I'd like to respond to the two negative reviews posted so far.

I have been into MINDSTORMS for about 4 years now, and my first robot set was a RIS 2.0 set (the older MINDSTORMS system). I purchased my first NXT set in 2007 and I still have not stopped playing with it. This is what I like about MINDSTORMS: the possibilities are endless. You can not only build and program robots, but you can also design, invent and even interact with the MINDSTORMS community.
By corresponding with others in this community, you'll get to learn new building and programming techniques, and you can share your knowledge and robot inventions with other LEGO - minded people. As a result, you can get in touch with people all over the world. This has been so for all the MINDSTORMS system, and now that the NXT 2.0 is introduced, I expect the community to grow even larger.

When you first open the NXT 2.0 box, you'll find a special bag with building elements called "start here!". With these parts you can start of building your first robot with step by step building instructions.
I have to admit, the next step is a little harder: programming. The drag-and-drop programming software is really easy to use, but the documentation isn't always very clear: there is not a step-by-step guide in the kit which teaches you all the ins and outs about programming (but there is a good reference manual in the software). Fortunately, there are enough sample programs to get you started. Everyone with a little creativity can do the trick.

As you finished playing with the basics of robot programming, you can start building some of the other robot models that appear on the NXT box: an alligator, a ball color sorter and a humanoid: Alpha Rex. I recommend to start with the training vehicle (Shooterbot) first, though. But, having built these four models doesn't end the fun yet!
There are a lot of websites dedicated to MINDSTORMS (NXT 2.0). Some of them offer building instructions so you can build even more robots. Apart from these websites, there are also plenty of MINDSTORMS books, which teach you how to make the best of your NXT set. Also, there are a few books, especially dedicated to NXT 2.0, coming out at the end of the year.

As you gain more MINDSTORMS experience you'll be able to invent your own robotic creations. Then, you can take photos, or even create a 3d model of your robot on your computer, and share it on the MINDSTORMS NXTLOG website.

In the rest of this review, I'd like to respond to the two 1-star reviews posted on Amazon as of now.

- Re: "Buyer beware!" (Customer support issue and technical problems)
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the NXT 2.0. I know that a lot of MINDSTORMS sets are being returned to LEGO, but sometimes that is because people do not know how to use it. If this is the case, the mistake can often be solved easily (An example problem is an incorrectly placed motor or sensor cable).
In general, I would recommend to post issues on MINDSTORMS forums by the community (just Google for "the NXT step" or "NXTasy"). The people there usually know more about it than the technical support service.
I have to add that the programs on the NXT Intelligent Brick actually did correctly work on my end. These programs are not faulty, and regular programming using the software also worked with no problems.

Of course, when there is really a problem with the hardware in the set, it is good to let LEGO know and to request replacement parts. This turns out to be the case for this reviewer. Hopefully, this problem doesn't occur in too many sets. I've experienced the LEGO customer service to be quite helpful. In the past, I have had two broken electronic LEGO pieces, and I received new, working parts after a call with them.

UPDATE: I've just checked the NXT 2.0 User Guide, and found a small, but important error on page 15: The colored annonations that instruct the user to plug the cables are incorrect. With these cable configurations, the programs do not work indeed. You can follow the building steps in the software instead - these are correct.

- Re: "Better than ever?"
I agree that NXT 2.0 (as apposed to NXT 1.0) was not improved on the hardware side apart form a new Color. I think this is great. Why? All NXT 2.0 sets are still compatible with the NXT 1.0 sets, simply because they use the same intelligent brick. This way, existing users can upgrade without throwing their old system away. Furthermore, all the useful information made up by the community for NXT 1.0, is still just as valuable for NXT 2.0.

SUMMARY:

I think that the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 is a great set for the creative youngster (and for the inventive adult!) This robotics kit can offer hours and hours of fun. While playing with it, you'll (your kid) be able to interact with people all over the world, and you'll have a great start in engineering.

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Laurens Valk, the Netherlands

Designer of the Manty robot which appears on the back of the NXT 2.0 box,
[...]

I honestly get a little choked up thinking about Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0. I believe this brilliant little system is going to open up a lot of opportunity for a lot of kids.

Last night my bright eight-year-old son begged me to wake him up at 5:00 this morning so he could spend some more time perfecting his latest robot. (Sure enough, his eyes popped open when I shook him at 5:00 and he went straight to work.) I see this toy awakening new passion and skill in my son, and for that I have nothing but gratitude.

Let me back up a bit. My son received this as a Christmas gift this year. (Thanks grandma!) We have no experience with previous Mindstorm kits. I was concerned about the difficulty level, as the box recommends a minimum age of 10 years and my son is eight. He is a huge fan of Lego Bionicle toys, and can follow the instructions to build the more complex Bionicle models without my help. I hoped that that might be a good litmus test for his readiness to jump into some robot building.

It turns out I was right. With some concentration, he worked through the instructions to build the first basic car-like robot, and then the shooterbot. I was, to be honest, a little dissappointed that he didn't want my supervision... but thrilled that this expensive toy was clearly not going to gather dust in my house.

Next came the programming. Again, I was a little worried, as this was an area where neither I nor my son were experienced. I loaded the software on my computer (works on a Mac! Bless you Lego.) and clicked around a bit. Despite the visual nature of the programming language, I could see that it was a rich system with lots of options and nuance. Hmmm. This might take some work.

Most reviews here have not commented on a feature that I think is pretty neat: you can actually do some very simple programming on the brick itself -- without the computer. By clicking around the little navigation screen on the brick, my son was able to program some simple instructions. (For example, if the robot "sees" a wall, back up, turn a quarter turn, and then continue.) This turns out to be an easy little introduction to the "if/then" statements that comprise the more full-featured computer software.

Later robots offer a step-by-step guide to the programming. ("First drag this command into place; next drag this command" and so on.) In the process, there are lots of opportunities to tweak the settings. Before I knew it, my son was getting the hang of this somewhat complex software.

Today we are still experimenting with the basic robots, and using the predesigned programs that come with each. He can change options and parameters within the software. His confidence is growing, as is his endless motivation to build totally jamming robots that HE can control. Yep, he can do this.

I share all of this because you, like me, may be trying to evaluate whether to make the considerable investment in this toy. I do think it's a great choice for a sharp eight-year-old who has demonstrated a love for building with other Lego projects. (What about a seven-year-old? Hard to say. My guess is that my kid would not have been quite ready for this a year ago.)

But I can't tell you how cool, how wonderfully satisfying it is to see my son turn off the dang Spongebob reruns and lose himself for hours in this beautiful toy. It feels like THIS is what learning, and what childhood, is supposed to be.

I know from my own childhood that sometimes the right opportunity comes along and can awaken passion and skill that a child didn't know he had. It's a sacred thing when little spirits get a taste of what they might be good at, and how they might exercise their imaginations in this world. Will Mindstorms NXT be that kind of seminal opportunity for my son? I don't know yet. But thank you, thank you, Lego, for giving him the chance to find out.

I've been programming at work since the 1980s. It's a fun, useful skill. Mindstorms looked like a fun way to introduce my 13 year old to the craft.
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WHAT IT IS
1 Lots of little plastic beams and elbows etc., for building stuff. These are purpose made for Mindstorms; they are not regular Legos.

2. Motors and sensors (light, touch, etc.) that you connect to the plastic beams as part of your robot structure, then connect by wires to the brick computer.

3 A "brick", a little computer the size of a paperback. It runs computer programs you have written on your PC. Wires connect it to sensors and motors. It accepts input from the sensors and, as instructed by the program you wrote, sends turn/ stop turning instructions to the motors.

4 Software: A programming language that goes on your PC. You use this software to write your own software programs for the brick computer. The software you create will read info from various sensors and tell the brick motors when to turn and how far. This is a drag and drop visual language. Instead of writing a programming line like, " Turn (motor_A, 45-Degrees, right) " the kid clicks on a "motor block" and drags it onto the "programming grid" and it automatically turns the wheel. Blocks are connected to each other with action wires and data wires. The idea is to make it all visual, to avoid pages of arcane computer code. The programs get from your computer to the brick via a USB cable or Bluetooth.
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GOOD
It works, sort of.
It can do amazing stuff. Search "Mindstorms" at youTube
It's fun for Dad.
Robot-C programming language software is available (but is not included in the kit here at Amazon)
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BE AWARE
This is not a launch-and-forget toy. It's a complicated computer programming tool. Your kid is not able to do this on his own. You're going to do it with him, and you're either going to know how to program, or you're going to have to learn. There are a number of good books for this.
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BAD
1 POOR PLASTIC PIECES SELECTION. The "hundreds of pieces" turn out to be mostly tiny snap connectors and beams selected to do the sample projects. As soon as you start a project of your own you discover key stuff, like gears and wheels, are not in the kit. And YOU CAN'T BUY THEM FROM LEGO! The only source I've found is guys on eBay selling aftermarket stuff.
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2 DROP AND DRAG PROGRAMMING. The visual drop and drag programming sounds like a good idea, but has severe problems. The biggest one is, it's unstable. Once programs have even a handful of if-thens and loops, the compiler freezes up. It won't compile. It locks up and won't run. Your work is lost. This is not a problem just on our computer here at home. My kid's in a robots class at school. The same thing happens with the school computers. I have not found a fix for this. This limits you to very simple program logic -- which pretty much defeats the entire purpose of the kit.

You can't really drop a motor block onto the programming grid and have it automatically turn the wheel. You still have to set all the parameters, in cryptic little dialogue boxes. Visual programming isn't really easier, it's just different.

The programming interface is needlessly tedious. Basic stuff, like " Variable_A = Variable_B + 1 ", requires many blocks and many connecting wires.

Visual programming is worse. If-then boxes take up lots of screen space. Loop boxes take lots of screen space. Beyond very simple, linear programs with no logic branches, the programs quickly become physically too big for your computer screen and you can't tell where you are, let alone what's going on. Back in the 1970s and '80s there were commercial languages that worked this way, targeted at consumers. They went out of business. VP is a great idea, except that all the other ideas work better
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3 ROBOT-C -- AND ONLY ROBOT-C. You can buy a version of the C programming language specially designed for this brick, but it won't work unless you change your brick's firmware, and once you do that the VP programs won't work. You can supposedly swap back and forth between firmwares. I haven't tried that.

If your kid is in middle school First Lego League, Robot-C programs are not allowed.
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IF YOU'RE SERIOUS
IMHO you can make this a useful learn-programming tool by abandoning the VP language and buying the Robot-C compiler.

Me? I'm teaching the kid Excel VBA.

The software does not install on Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) unless you (1) install Rosetta and (2) go to the Lego website and download a Ruby script that you must run from the command line. There is nothing in the box to tell you that you need to do this, the software installation seems to proceed normally, except that the main executable is missing! There is nothing obvious on the Lego Mindstorms website to alert you to the problem, I had to troubleshoot the problem. Not a big deal if you know what you are doing, but this is definitely beyond the average young child or non-technical parent. Pretty shoddy testing and documentation by Lego, I think.

After going through the trouble to download and run the patch, one rapidly discovers that the software is completely and utterly useless on the Mac. The application runs very, v-e-r-y slowly, and freezes all the time. Lego and National Instruments (author of the software [LabView] that the Lego application is based on) haven't bothered to update the application to run without Rosetta.

The way to get a useable solution is to install either VMWare or Parallels, then install a copy of Windows into the virtual machine, and then install the Windows version of the Lego application. The result is something that is fast and useable. Despite the layers of emulation involved in this approach, the Windows version runs faster than the Mac version, by a long shot. Shame on Lego and National Instruments.

I've had 10 sets for a few months now. I've started a Robotics group with 6-8th graders. I'll explain my ratings.

The kids love the kits, so fun is up there.

The educational value is middle-of-the-road. If you already have NXT/Mindstorms programming experience then this kit has educational value. But if you are just starting out it is difficult and unnecessarily so. I have programming experience so I am OK with it, but 6th graders can get frustrated -- exactly what you don't want. The included s/w offers too few example robots and programs. For those examples that are there, the instructions are clear and the programs work. But students will not learn programming without additional instruction. So teachers beware: you will need to create a tutorial in your curriculum. There is a site for more robot instructions (NXTPrograms.com), but there's not much there yet for this new 2.0 version. There are also some tutorial videos available online (e.g., ortop.org) for the previous version.

Another complaint I have is the kit is not backward compatible. In other words, you can't make all the kits from the previous version (you can make a few). LEGO should come out with a compatibility upgrade kit so that all the robots and programs that were invented for the previous version don't just die out.

As far as durability goes, we have had one motor seize, but LEGO replaced that fairly quickly.

Pros: I agree with other reviews here and don't have much to add. It's a great toy for an enthusiast. Just a couple of complaints.

Cons: 1. Wish Lego included a $5 storage box with compartments for organizing various pieces (of a $280 toy). Where do you keep those small peices once unpacked or between projects - in zipper bags?
2. Rechargeable battery instead of 6 AA batteries. Even a sub $100 digital camera has rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries; Why not this little robot? It will reduce the weight and size of the brick.

Wish-list: Voice recognition sensor!

I design equipment control's for a living, so I'm fairly adept at these types of embedded processors. Purchasing the NXT kit only seemed a natural way for me to spend more time with my two boys (12 and 9) and sneak in some education at the same time.

The Good:

> This is an awesome idea by Lego - a toy that can be reused over, and over, and over again and is only limited by the imagination.
> It really is a good tool to teach your child the fundamentals of programming.
> The software (by Labview) is well done and about as easy as it can be made to be.
> The parts are compatible with other Lego products - greatly expanding the capabilities.
> It really does lend itself to parent/child together time.

The Challenges:
(Note that I say challenges, because I would really say that there is anything bad about the product.

> If you've never programmed before, you have to expect that there will be a learning curve. Don't expect to be doing anything you can imagine right away.
> It really feels to me like a starter kit. Most things that we want it to do, there are simply not enough parts for. For example, a fourth motor would be really useful as well as a third button and an analog input device (an input that varies in value instead of off/on - like a light dimmer). To really make this fun, I think that you either need two of them, or find a friend with one.
> You have to find clever ways to attach to the motors and the 'brain' in order to build a stable structure. I know of lots of regular lego parts that could have been included to make this easier.


Summary:

The Mindstorm is a great product that lends itself to quality parent/child time. The experience is enhanced by a combination of a technically savoy parent and an inventive child. You'll find yourself thinking and building all kinds of interesting devices together.

To keep it from going into a closet after the first month, though, you need to plan on further investment. It is a starter kit, and needs further parts to make it really useful. Consider getting together with friends or joining a club.

SteveJ

This summer I taught a summer workshop on the Mindstorms NXT robotics system. I have to say that out of all of the kits available this one is the most cost effective and fun kit to use for robotics learning. It was so easy to teach the 8-15 year old students how to quickly build and program the examples provided in the kit, the kids really enjoyed the ShooterBot build.