Customer Reviews

LEGO Mindstorms Robotic Invention 2.0

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Lego Mindstorms is a phenomenal toy. Your kids -- and probably you! -- will learn programming, logic, math, etc., while have hours and hours of fun. I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with this product!

FOR YOUNG USERS This product will immediately engage young users in building and programming the layouts that come with the kit. This alone makes it worth twice the cost. The programming environment is easy, yet the possibilities it offers will draw your kids into thinking and problem-solving. Learning and having fun at the same time: What a great idea!

FOR ADULTS Lego robots are used in graduate courses at MIT and Indiana University, among other schools. The programming environment is robust enough that it can support exercises in artificial intelligence. Check the NET: there are people out there posting advanced code for the Lego OS, writing new operating systems for the Mindstorms platform, and posting instructions for their own robotic creations. It is fun and educational for adults, too!

PURCHASING RECOMMENDATION The Robotics Invention System is the best entry point to Mindstorms, in my opinion. The programming options are much greater because of the ability to program on a PC with this kit. The lower-priced Mindstorms kits, such as the Robotics Discovery set do not allow programming from the PC. The programs are limited to what is included in the on-board processing module. That means the Robotics Discovery robots cannot do nearly as much as you can program the Robotics Invention System robots to do.

This system is phenominal. We own version 1.5, purchased a year ago and we have not put it down. And trust me, this is not for kids only. I only wish there was something around like this when I was 12 - I was stuck with Robbbie the Robot replicas.
When my son opened it for Christmas, we knew it would be a big hit. We have spend uncountless hours working on this together (quality, quality time) and the problem solving skills he has gained have put him in a position that he can now program a computer in Visual Basic at 12 years. (Not that this system teaches you VB, but it sure teaches you logic and structure, necessities for any program language)
We have since bought all the expansion kits, a few books and have built robots capable of some unbelievable feats.
Keep in mind that older Technic sets work well with these sets as well as many of the other Lego sets you have.
I would recommend this set to anyone, especially those who longed for a real robot as a child, not a "flashing lights only" Robbie.

As many others have commented, this is a great educational toy, so I won't repeat those accolades.

Getting it to work on XP has been a challenge, but ultimately I was successful. I learned that there are two XP patches out there. One is available on the Lego web site, and keeps the RIS software from automatically starting everytime you boot up your machine. I needed this patch on an XP desktop system. While a bit of a nuisance, this bug isn't really a showstopper. The second patch (called LEGOTower.zip) can be received from Lego support or by searching the internet. This patch solved the much more serious problem on a laptop running XP in which it would completely lock up whenever the software tried to access the USB tower. After installing this patch, the laptop worked as well. Apparently you may need neither, one, or both of these patches depending on your particular system.

I work for the company that wrote the software for Mindstorm. The problem with the IR Tower (hardware - not software) is very annoying. The biggest culprit tends to be ambient light. Remember "IR" stands for "infa-red light". We have seen the most difficulties where florescent bulbs are present. Their light signature and flicker rate confuses the IR Tower & unit receiver. This is also true when the product is used near other electronic equipment such as TV's and computer monitors (gulp!!).

The best tactic to incorporate is to block out any ambient light source. Get a dark towel / blanket (anything to block out light) and place it over the units. Then try your upload/download to the brick.

This will usually solve the problem but you must be patient. If it does not work, keep trying different materials until you find one that truly blocks out the light; even cardboard boxes.

I gave this to my husband as a gift and ever since, I have been trailed by this little mars land rover. It's a very 'high tech' guy-gift, and programmable from your computer. I am afraid to buy others for him...especially the one with the camera (EEK!), but that just looks cool, so I might take the dive. We'll just have to make some rules before that purchase...
Seems very durable. He's programmed it to run into things and to back up and find its way out once it hits something, and it has held up well. I am curious to see what else this little Robotic can do. Only time will tell before it brings me a cold drink on a hot day. Side note: It was also very durable when our German Shepherd carried it off after it went to close to the baby! It's still in one piece, believe it or not, but the dog is not so sure about it. He sleeps with one eye open.

As a mother of six kids- ages 5 to 15- and a home schooling mom, I asked for this set for my own birthday, and the whole family has had a blast! We have Windows XP and have not had a single problem with conflicts. My 10 year old has built and programmed a bunch of very cool robots, and is now checking out books from the library to learn more about robotics. We spend hours building and programming. The robots can be built like you would build any Lego system. The constructopedia is easy to follow if you're used to larger Lego projects. (Think Hogwarts castle complexity with gears and motors thrown in.) The programming is set up to work like Lego construction. Different parts of the programs are in different "bricks". You select the bricks you want on the computer screen, drag and clik them into place. Then you download the program to your robot and hit run! Totally simple, lots of fun, and an awsome introduction to building REAL Robots-- not remote controled vehicles. The set includes membership to an online community of robot builders. I was amazed to see some of the robots built with this set. Robots to climb stairs, draw pictures and make peanut butter sandwiches (must wash the Legos afterwards.) I recomend this set to anyone ages 10 and older interested in constructing real robots without needing extensive programming knowledge. =)

The software included actually does work in Win2K environment rather nicely.
USB connectivity is implemented absolutely flawlessly. No need to fiddle with IRQs and IO addresses for serial ports. Infrared transmitter also automatically distinguishes between powered and passive USB hubs and adjusts the output accordingly.
It's nice to see a polished and well designed product. You and your kids :-) will almost certainly enjoy playing and learning with it.

Love this set. More high quality product from Lego. Please note if you are using Windows XP. Bypass the included software install protocol when setting up the infrared transmitter tower and use the "Found new hardware" installation resident in your Windows XP. It will pop up after you plug the device into your USB port. Be sure to have the Mindstorms CD ready when the install shield prompt calls for it. After successful installation, the CD will guide you through the rest of the download, including the transmission of the "firmware" to the RCX unit (this must be done before you can do anything else.) Then go to the Lego Mindstorms website and download the Windows XP patch. It works fine. Be patient and persist, you will get past the XP freeze up.

I am simply amazed at the versatility of this "toy." Out of the package I would have loved this as a kid since it doesn't require a degree to get started. Yet, a high school diploma and college degree since the last time I played with Legos, I can download advanced programming environments and build my own robot sensors for nerdy adult fun! Just don't think you can get away with only this kit. You will soon want -er- need the expansion kits for extra parts. This is not a cheap Lego kit but if you've checked out your local toy store you'll realize they actaully never have been. This set is well worth the cost for Lego maniacs of all ages.

A friend of mine mentioned that she uses Mindstorms for intro. engineering classes at a community college. I ordered a kit for my university Robotics Club, and they love it. Within days of receiving our kit, the students in the club are explaining to me the science of each component and how it works. And they are having so much fun I can't get them out of the club room. And yes, the software definitely runs under Win2000 on our systems.