News : Lego Mindstorm Hacks
The Lego Mindstorms system may seem like a toy at first, but it is actually a very powerful robotics system used by universities, schools, hobbiests, and kids alike. Learn how to use the Lego Mindstorms NXT editing and programming software to program movements for your robot. ...more
If you want your Lego Mindstorms NXT robot to function as accurately as possible youneed to understand how to get data from the viewing sensors via the NXT brick. Learn how to use the NXT brick and the NXT programming environment to view and change light, sound, or touch senso ...more
The light sensor on a Lego Mindstorms NXT robot can be used to help the robot navigate obstacles or follow light sources. Learn how to program light sensors and the calibration program in the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotics system using movement blocks within the NXT programming ...more
Learn how to program a Lego Mindstorms NXT robot to perform multiple tasks simultaneously in the NXT programming environment. Program multiple tasks in Lego Mindstorms NXT. Click through to watch this video on ortop.org
The Lego Mindstorms system may seem like a toy at first, but it is actually a very powerful robotics system used by universities, schools, hobbiests, and kids alike. The NXT Brick is the basic component of the NXT system - learn how to use it to build robots and program or che ...more
Programming a Lego Mindstorms robot to do more than just move continuously involves using the wait block within the NXT programming environment.. Learn how to use wait blocks to program your robot to respond to certain conditions including touch and sound. Program wait blocks ...more
Learn how to program movements in the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotics system using movement blocks within the NXT programming environment. You will be able to configure move blocks to move parts of your Lego robot at varying degrees and speeds. Program movements in the Lego Minds ...more
Using variables allows your Lego Mindstorms NXT robot to store numbers or text based on input. Learn how to program variables using the NXT programming environment. Program variables in the Lego Mindstorms NXT system. Click through to watch this video on ortop.org
If you find yourself using the same functions over and over again in the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotics system it may be helpful to program your own subroutine or block to save time in making other programs. Learn how to use the my blocks function in the NXT programming environm ...more
Lego Mindstorms is a great way to take your Legos to the next level by adding in the flavor of robotics! But, with taking it up to the next level, it does get a hair tougher! And if you're having trouble working with the Mindstorms software, this great video with Patrick Norto ...more
If you want your Lego Mindstorms robot to perform one task repeatedly, it will be much more efficient to use a loop. Learn how to program loops in the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotics system within the NXT programming environment. Program loops in the Lego Mindstorms NXT system. C ...more
To get some great functionality out of your Lego Mindstorms NXT robot it is important that you know to how program basic decision-making tasks. Learn how to program switches in the Lego Mindstorms NXT programming environment. Program switches in the Lego Mindstorms NXT system. ...more
These how-to videos provide an introduction and tutorial to LEGO Mindstorms NXT. Topics discussed are (1) what is included with the NXT robotics kit (2) how to build a simple NXT robot (3) programming an NXT robot and (4) testing an NXT robot. Watch this video tutorial series ...more
Lego Mindstorms NXT robots are capable of displaying images, text and/or feedback on their screens. To get them to do this you have to learn how to program display blocks in the NXT programming environment. Program display blocks in the Lego Mindstorms system. Click through to ...more
Learn how to create more advanced subroutines or blocks in the Lego Mindstorms NXT programming environment that will use data hubs and other functions to perform complex tasks. Create advanced blocks in the Lego Mindstorms NXT. Click through to watch this video on ortop.org
Programming cascading switches in the NXT programming environment allows you to program a Lego Mindstorms NXT robot to perform several if/then functions and react to inputs differently outside of a sequence. Program cascading switches in Lego Mindstorms. Click through to watch ...more
Data hubs allow you to create interactions among the different function blocks in the NXT programming environment. Using data hubs allows you to program your Lego Mindstorms NXT robot to perform complex tasks or output information based on these tasks. Program data hubs in the ...more
Sure, unrolling toilet paper and tearing it from the roll is not difficult. But if Lego Mindstorms can do it for you, why not? "This is a project that me and my friends built for school (UCBerkeley). Its made of lego mindstorms, scissors, and some scrap metal. With all things ...more
Making little robots with a LEGO Mindstorms NXT set is already cool, but putting one underwater? Now that's just crazy. That didn't stop this engineer, who built a LEGO submarine that can not only maneuver around his fish tank, but can also be remotely controlled with his Xbox ...more
Well, only if you also happen to have an ARM powered LEGO Speedcuber device. Promotional video by maker David Gilday for ARM Ltd. With the help of the Android, the machine cracks the Rubik's Cube in 25 seconds (compare to LEGO Mindstorms solvers' 4 seconds.... or the human re ...more
Robots are always really cool, if you ask me. Sometimes they're made out of Legos, and that's even cooler. The Papercube, previously called the Legomaschine, is a fully automated Lego "factory" created by students in the Management, Information, and Technology program at Germ ...more
Back in the '80s, I was just a kid with a LEGO hobby. I remember building castles and floating boats, spaceships and monster trucks, even a working LEGO train powered by battery, lights and all. But I wasn't aware of the advancements underway in the educational department—lik ...more
You can learn how to fold a t-shirt perfectly with your own human hands. OR you can be like changyunhsu and teach your LEGO mindstorms robot to do it. Seriously impressive.
This LEGO Mindstorms NXT Rover Bot is a monster. Depending on the camera angle, the scale looks huge (check out the person in the background). 9 NXT's controlling 16 XL power functions motors! Amazing.
Well, not just chicks. A couple LEGO dudes, too. (Oh, and a horse). All I can say is, I'm head over heels in love. With a LEGO People operated, felt tip pen printer. B3ta forum member Squirrelfantasy spent about three weeks building his LEGO printer, which uses a felt-tip pen ...more
Meticulously crafted LEGO replica of a Remington .45, circa the Wild Wild West, 1858. Created by Flickr user Arkov. Inspired? Build your own LEGO gun. Or learn your way around a real life Remington. Previously, Obsessively Authentic LEGO V-8. LEGO Semi Trucks Look Like the ...more
Self proclaimed, "The Worlds Fastest Lego Mindstorms RCX Speedcubing Robot", this little guy is built entirely from LEGOs. Apparently the Cubestormer can solve any 3x3x3 Rubik's cube combination in under 12 seconds, and the last single solve in the video happens in just 4:01 s ...more
Let's face it. Minecraft probably wouldn't exist today if not for LEGOs. They are fundamentally the same; building objects out of blocks. Only Minecraft has expanded on the idea, creating a world where nearly anything can be made. It's probably even more accurate to say that M ...more
It took him a year to build and about $30,000 in parts, but Steve Hassenplug has created a truly magnificent robotic chess set, inspired by the magical chessboard in the first Harry Potter movie. Quite a task, but Hassenplug did an incredible job! Via PopSci: "Hassenplug and ...more
Lego machine building Lego machine!
This Mindstorms NXT-based 'droid may be able to walk upright like a human being — but can he do the robot? Not without a torso, he can't! Better luck next time, Biomechanics Department of the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
Seems just about anything can be constructed with LEGOs these days. You name it- a printer, an engine, an ATM, guns... even a house! Dave and John Xandega's circular saw is made with LEGO bricks, but the blade is definitely real: "She's got a Lego 9V Battery Housing and Moto ...more
Crazy! Real working v8 32 valve engine, made completely from LEGOs. Not made from a set, and apparently took about 300 hours to construct. Click through to YouTube description for link to parts list (PDF). 4500 Brick LEGO Pop-Up. Lego Mindstorms Puts the Fun Back Into Number ...more
YouTube user Talapz has built a LEGO Pop-up Buddhist temple. Jaw dropping construction. Made from 4500 bricks, the structure is a representation of actual temple Kinkaku-ji (video below): Previously, Lego Mindstorms Puts the Fun Back Into Number Two. Who Needs a Girlfriend: Le ...more
Using a LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit, a pair of awesome engineers put together this fully functional replica of the Curiosity Mars rover. Not only is it built completely out of LEGOs, it's motorized, programmable, and ready to explore the far reaches of your living room. The rover ...more
Sweden's Hans Andersson, has a new way of solving both the Rubik's Cube and Sudoku puzzles... ROBOTS. That's right, memorizing lengthy algorithms or racking your brain with numbers is no longer required to solve these perplexing puzzles. The Tilted Twister and Sudoku Solver a ...more
Robotic Rubik's Cube solvers are nothing new. We've seen ones that are run on Android, made of LEGO Mindstorms, and faster than the world record holder. The most recent Rubik's Cube robot making the news was made by high school student James Watson as a school project, but it' ...more
Remember back in 2011–2012 when "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men was the bumping new single being played everywhere? Well, thanks to this robot created from a LEGO Mindstorm EV3 kit, and an acoustic guitar, you get to get the iconic "hey!" stuck in your head for the rest ...more
You might have seen our post on this last week: It's a working reproduction of the Mars Curiosity Rover made with LEGOs, but it's a bit complicated for anyone without a decent amount of robotics knowledge. Plus, you need to have some Mindstorms NXT and TECHNIC parts lying arou ...more
No matter how organized your workspace is, chances are you still wind up with tangled cords dangling off your desk. Sure, there are a lot of ways to keep your cables separate, from strategically placed binder clips to stretchy socks, but none are as fun as using a LEGO minifig ...more
Lens caps are one of those necessary evils that serve a very useful purpose while still creating tons of headaches for users—who hasn't lost at least a few? Sure, you can always buy a holder for it, or just shove it in your pocket, but if you have some LEGOs lying around from ...more
Christmas decorations aren't cheap. From outdoor lighting to fir trees, decorating for the holidays can break the bank. That's where ingenuity comes into play, like hacking battery-operated Christmas lights, modifying lighting patterns and building Christmas tree ornaments fro ...more
This NXT Mindstorm LEGO robot can actually walk on a treadmill. Quite an amazing feet. Nicknamed "Pinocchio" the Department of Biomechanics at the FSU Jena created it.
Star Wars Hoth Walkers. Building the AT-ST timelapse. This first Mindstorm AT-ST is a bit sad the way it walks, but still cool. This next one is quite awesome, a fully functional AT-AT. Here is the official Lego Version Being Built. Here is it walking.StarS Another one here s ...more
The Android Megaminxer is mind-bogglingly elaborate, impressively combining multiple geeky mediums to solve an incredibly complex puzzle. ARM, the genius behind the stunt, uses LEGOs (a Mindstorms NXT kit to be exact) to build a robot responsible for the mechanics; they then e ...more
I love making my own printed circuit boards. It really gives a professional look to a finished project, and having all the design files means I can whip up another batch whenever I need to. However, when I need to make, say, three thousand swarmbots or fill an order for a doze ...more
Welcome to the Google+ Insider's Guide to all things Google+. We're dedicated to keeping you updated with all the latest news, tips and tricks on Google+, and this official index will serve as a one-stop catalog of all our How-To articles, as well as all the news & updates we' ...more
Today's smartphones and tablets offer a great way for children to learn through interactive sight, sound, and touch, but they can also provide hours of genuine fun. If you have a spare tablet laying around—or at least a nice, durable case—the only thing you need to get your ch ...more
Oh, Mario. The guy that's been a part of our lives since as long as we can all remember. Well, Adam Ringwood and his friends did something pretty cool with one of Mario's most exciting games at the HackIllinois event in February 2016—they hacked a Chevrolet Volt's steering whe ...more
There are so many great apps in the Google Play Store that it's become the number one app marketplace in the world. Here at Gadget Hacks we love apps and were excited to hear that the Google Play Store held an awards ceremony to celebrate some of the best apps of the year. Bu ...more
With many internet/Lego nerds anxiously awaiting the completion of the world's first full size Lego House, Barnaby Gunning Architects and British TV personality, James May, finally unveiled the finished product this past Friday. The house (was) 100% Lego, "including a working ...more
The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing everything in our homes and at work, from security systems and lighting fixtures to smartphones and speakers. An estimated 50 billion devices are now hooked up to IoT. With so much of your daily existence connected to this vast global ...more
We've seen many things get gummy-ized over the years—worms, insects, Coke bottles, glass cleaner, Legos, brains, Nutella, and even tiny LEDs—but nothing compares to YouTuber and WonderHowTo favorite Grant Thompson, aka The King of Random, who made one helluva creepy gummy chic ...more
One of the benefits of Blu-ray and DVD is the ability to share discs with friends and family without any hassle. Want to show off your favorite movie? Just lend them your copy. A digital movie isn't so kind, as it's typically locked to the account that purchased it. But now th ...more
My autistic son loves music. One afternoon, when he was nine, I downloaded GarageBand to his iPhone to help with the boredom of a long wait at a doctor's office. Instead of pacing or escalating into a meltdown, he spent the entire hour and a half practicing, learning, and comp ...more
If you're like me, you probably have a wishlist of Android games you'd love to buy, except the high price tags keep you away. A few bucks can feel like a fortune in the Google Play Store — you just can't bring yourself to pay that much. Well, lucky for you, Google Play has som ...more
The Raspberry Pi is a credit card-sized computer that can crack Wi-Fi, clone key cards, break into laptops, and even clone an existing Wi-Fi network to trick users into connecting to the Pi instead. It can jam Wi-Fi for blocks, track cell phones, listen in on police scanners, ...more
Apple Pay has been available to use in stores, as well as in select apps and websites, ever since its first appearance in iOS 8.1. Now, with iOS 12, there are currently 13 different iPhone models that support Apple Pay functionality without the use of an Apple Watch, and the l ...more