Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains [Paperback]

Brian Bagnall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0973864915 | ISBN-13: 978-0973864915

Over two dozen fun and challenging projects using the next generation of LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ and the Java™ programming language

LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ NXT is an incredible new kit for building and programming your own robotic inventions. Maximum Lego NXT introduces a diverse set of projects, building tips, programming code, complete 3D rendered building instructions and hundreds of illustrations to help you realize your robotic dreams.

Using Java™, the most popular and easy to use programming language available, this book will give you endless entertainment and exploration. It introduces the new LEGO® NXT kit, including the NXT intelligent brick and Bluetooth™.

 

Maximum NXT includes:

 

 • Easy to follow instructions by the author of Core LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ Programming

 

 • Explanations for all available sensors and expansion products available for the NXT kit, including unique projects interfacing a video camera, cell phone, GPS, data gloves, and many more

 

 • An exciting collection of 14 robots, including a chess playing robot, an exoskeleton for your hand, a Mars Rover, a robotic arm you can control through the Internet, a 3D object scanner, soccer robots, and many more

 

 • Introduces over two dozen in-depth programming projects including navigation, mapping, precise robotic arm control, voice control and global localization

 

 • Artificial Intelligence concepts including Vision analysis, Rodney Brooks' Subsumption Architecture, and Reinforcement Learning

 

 • Exciting projects that use third-party sensors like compass, tilt sensor, and port expanders

 

 • A full chapter on building with the new LEGO stud-less brick paradigm.

 

 • A complete tutorial on programming Java™ 

 

 • How to install a free development environment for leJOS NXJ, the Java™ Virtual Machine for the NXT

 

• Foreword by Søren Lund, Director of LEGO MINDSTORMS

Maximum LEGO NXT is the ultimate LEGO MINDSTORMS guide:
• Meet NXT • leJOS NXJ • Java for Primates • The leJOS NXJ API • LEGO Parts • Building 101 • Bite into Bluetooth • Grabby Robots • Sound • Robots with Vision • Standing Tall • Localization • Mapping • Path-finding • Hands & Exoskeletons • Network Robotics • Scanning • Behavior-Based Robots • Expanding the NXT • GPS & Harsh Terrain • Speech • Appendices • Index

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[This book] succeeds brilliantly in the difficult tasks of introducing the reader to the Java language, to the Mindstorms system, and to some programming techniques peculiar to robotics . . . in such a pleasant way that [the reader] doesn't even realize [he or she is] learning new concepts."  —Mario Ferrari, author, Building Robots with Lego Mindstorms

About the Author

Brian Bagnall is the author of several computer books for Variant Press, McGraw-Hill, Prentice-Hall PTR, and Syngress Publishing. He is a key developer of leJOS, the Java SDK for LEGO MINDSTORMS. Brian is the author of the groundbreaking Core LEGO MINDSTORMS Programming, which has been translated into French and Japanese. He is a Sun Certified Java Programmer and Developer and co-author of the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Study Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 524 pages
• Publisher: Variant Press (April 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0973864915
• ISBN-13: 978-0973864915
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not ready for publication!, July 5, 2007

By 

Toaster (Tucson, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains (Paperback)

This book was published before it was ready. There are numerous inaccuracies, misleading statements, missing steps, incorrect file names, vague references, poorly written instructions and aggrivating projects that just plain don't work or suddenly leave you in the dark

This book has many good ideas and interesting topics BUT...

NOT FOR THE NEW JAVA PROGRAMMER

Even intermediate would be pushing it.

Right from the beginning nothing works as the book describes:
- LEJOS installation instructions are wildly incorrect
- Developer environment installation and setup instructions are missing critical steps
- Critical explanations and critical steps are missing throughout
- Explanations will suddenly jump from explaining the basics to saying things like "Now download your favorite free chess program and hack it to control your chess playing robotic arm." -- Uh....okay..
- Bluetooth set-up and operation does not work as described and steps are again - missing.
- If you can't get bluetooth working, you can't do some of the projects and here again the technical level jumps from very basic to expert.
- Programs can only be run ONCE then must be downloaded again to run them again.

I'm sorely disappointed.
The LEJOS project has a LOT of great potential and I will return to it at a future date but as it currently stands this book has left a very sour taste in my mouth.
Publishing this book should have waited at least until book and product match up.
It needed a lot more proof reading.
Releasing the book in its current state only damages any LEJOS following that it could have inspired and damages the readers trust in the reputation of an author that is intelligent and very knowledgeable.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, April 28, 2008

By 

Aaron P. Fletcher "Fletcher_ap" (Tulsa, Ok) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains (Paperback)

Despite the nasty reviews surrounding this book, I strongly dis-agree. I thought this book was extremely helpful. I am a java programmer but my work is in the data integration area. This book really helped me to step out of the box and start programming movement between motors,sensors,etc. I enjoy all of Brian's writings, blogs, books, etc. You won't find a better book about programming NXT bricks with Java. And who expects a 12 year old to pick up this book and understand? It's a book most suitable for experienced java programmers.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good mindstorms book for those who know or want to know Java, May 23, 2007

By 

fido - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains (Paperback)

Received a few days ago, still getting through it. This book seems to be for people with at least some familiarity with Java.

Pros: Reasonable instructions for building a bunch of different robots, a long with some 'patterns' that can be used for your own creations; Full software listings of Java programs to control robots; seems well written with an easy to read style.

Cons: Construction plans not colour, making it difficult to follow at times; discussion of Java programs not necessarily as thorough as could be; Java discussion in general seems a bit thin; Java set up instructions seem a little glossed over.

Conclusion: It seems that this book is pitched at someone who knows at least a little bit of Java, or at the very least wants to learn about Java, and also wants to get into mindstorms. Since that pretty much sums me up, I think it is worth it's weight in gold. For those who are not familiar with Java, I think this book will still be a useful addition to the mindstorms library, however there may be better alternatives. As a Lego Mindstorms Java book for Java developers, it gets *6* stars, but as a pure Mindstorms book for those with little Java skills, I can see it could easily get knocked down to 3 or 4 stars.

Finally, not to put too fine a point on it, this book is about a hojillion times better than "LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Hacker's Guide", as this book actually gives some practical building instructions along with code to do some fairly cool stuff.