The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Idea Book: Design, Invent, and Build (Paperback)

by Martijn Boogaarts (Author), Jonathan A. Daudelin (Author), Brian L. Davis (Author), Jim Kelly (Author), Lou Morris (Author), Fay and Rick Rhodes (Author), Matthias Paul Scholz (Author), Christopher R. Smith (Author), Rob Torok (Author), Chris Anderson (Foreword)
Key Phrases: light sensor, ultrasonic sensor, touch sensor, Slot Machine, Height Res, Receive Message (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
If you're serious about having fun with LEGO robotics, you've come to the right place. The team behind The NXT STEP blog--the authoritative online source for MINDSTORMS NXT information and advice--has packaged its considerable skills and experience in this book. Inside, you'll find some of the team's best ideas for creating cool and sophisticated models, including instructions for eight robots you can build yourself.

Follow along with the MINDSTORMS NXT experts as they explain the fundamentals of programming and design, accompanied by CAD-style drawings and an abundance of screenshots that make it easy for you to master the MINDSTORMS NXT system. You'll get an overview of the NXT parts (beams, sensors, axles, gears, and so on) and clear instructions for combining them to build and program working robots. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Idea Book delves into the complexities of the NXT programming language (NXT-G) and offers tips for designing and programming robots, using Bluetooth, creating an NXT remote control, troubleshooting, and much more.

Here are just a few of the robots you'll learn to build in The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Idea Book:

RaSPy, a robot that plays Rock, Scissors, Paper

3D PhotoBot, a robot that will help you take photographs that can be converted into 3D images

Slot Machine, complete with flashing lights and a lever

ScanBot, a robot that scans black-and-white pictures and displays the images on the NXT's LCD

Beach Buggy Chair, a roving, rambling robot

CraneBot, a crane-like grabbing robot

LEGO fans of all ages will find this book to be an ideal jumping-off point for doing more with MINDSTORMS NXT. The only ingredient you need to add is your imagination!

About the Author
All 11 contributors to this book are dedicated LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics fans who write for the popular blog, The NXT STEP. Many of the contributors have been involved with LEGO as members of the MINDSTORMS Developer Program, testing the NXT robotics kit for bugs and providing feedback and documentation. The NXT STEP blog is recognized as one of the best sources for news and information about the kit, as well as tips and tricks for building and programming better robots.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: No Starch Press; illustrated edition edition (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593271506
• ISBN-13: 978-1593271503
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,759 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding introduction to Mindstorms programming, September 30, 2007

By	ueberhund "ueberhund" (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews

I found this to be a very unique book. Many of the other Lego Mindstorms books I have reviewed focus on simply building a cool robot. While building a cool robot is certainly one of the reasons builders like Mindstorms so much, it's not the only reason. This book also focuses on the programming of these robots, which is something I haven't seen adequately covered in any other Mindstorms book.

In fact, this one point--learning how to program your robot--is really the focus of this book. All the models deal with getting your robot's sensors and Bluetooth ability to work as seamlessly as possible--all while accomplishing the specific task the robot was designed for.

While the models are all very interesting (a 3D photo assistant, a crane, a slot machine, etc), the real jewels of this book are the programming and debugging techniques used for Mindstorms. In fact, the first third of the book focuses on how sensors work, how to program them, and how they can be debugged. Without a doubt, this is the best discussion of the subject I've seen anywhere. Period.

My only complaint about the book is that the building instructions are done in black and white (instead of the color instructions provided by Lego). I think most people interested in this type of book would be willing to pay a few extra bucks for color pictures. While the lack of color is certainly a strike against this book, it is not enough to tarnish an otherwise brilliantly executed book. This book is highly recommended not just for the models, but for the outstanding discussion of Mindstorms programming.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for NXT fans, October 21, 2007

By	Ziming Wang "Builder" (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book contains very clear instructions and diagrams for NXT-G program. The sample robots are creative and very well designed. You can feel the intelligence behind when you build. I especially like the binding of this book, so it can lay open while you build. So I will probablly purchase more book from this press. In fact I have pre-order one. One thing I doesn't like is one of the samples requires two NXT kits, which I don't have at the moment. I guess it's because this book is targeting more senior builders.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent intermediate to advanced text, October 1, 2007

By	Aspi Havewala (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book adopts a cookbook approach. The book briefly explains the basics to get you grounded in the material. But quickly thereafter, the book takes a leap to address intermediate builders. The assumption is that online resources will help bridge the gap. Its an approach that works.

Roughly a third of the Idea Book contains a number of tips and techniques for using the kit.

The remaining two thirds of the book (Part II) is dedicated to building eight robots of varying complexity.