Gizmodo Australia » mindstorm

LEGO Mindstorm Ogre Autonomously Detects, Targets, and Destroys Other LEGO Creations

Jack Loftus — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:30:00 +0000

This is “Ogre,” an autonomous, projectile-launching, LEGO block-destroying remote control tank. Ogre could honestly be the first LEGO creation I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. No minifig is safe this afternoon.

Ogre is a “Tank” built around a Zamor launching system nicknamed “Hailstorm”. It uses three XL PF motors, controlled either by a standard PF remote, or by the on-board (black) NXT using the Hitechnic IRLink. It also has a small wireless “spycam” attached, so that the driver can “see” what the robot sees. The result is a lot of fun to drive around, and even more fun to watch it autonomously detect, target, and destroy loose LEGO targets.

Watch as Ogre detects the right and left edges of its target. Then watch Hailstorm go to work. After that, gaze on as a few Imperial Stormtroopers feel the full wrath of those rapid-fire projectiles. Seriously a cool little tank. I just wouldn’t want to be walking around Lego Land right now, is all. [Nowhereelse - Thanks, Steve!]

Moving Lego Donkey Kong People, Lego Donkey F*cking Kong

Jesus Diaz — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:55:00 +0000

Lego. Mindstorms RCX. Donkey Kong. Rolling barrels. Donkey Kong throws rolling barrels. Mario jumps. And jumps. And jumps. All synchronised. Dan Kressin even generated the game start tune with Lego. After seeing it in action–and hearing the rattling noise it makes–I want this on the wall of my bedroom, as my alarm clock. Videos and high res pictures after the jump.

[Vib via Brothers Brick]

Lego Robot Sends Pictures from Space, Wishes It Had Lasers to Annihilate Us All

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:59:00 +0000

Last Tuesday, a group of professors, students and robotics hobbyists launched the H.A.L.E. (High Altitude Lego Extravaganza): seven Lego Mindstorms robots attached to a weather balloon, which exploded at 30km over the Earth’s surface. Each of the robots parachuted back successfully, but not without taking the obligatory photographs of the ascent and descent:

The seven robots were designed to achieve seven different missions:

Brian Davis, Indiana, USA
Project: Little Joe
This robot will perform an automated free-fall in an attempt to set the record for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall. The robot will be detached from the main balloon near maximum altitude and will free-fall until the parachute deploys.

Project: Gypsy
The robot will be an automated camera platform that will take both video and still images. The MINDSTORMS NXT will control all image timing as well as pitch angle

FLL Team 90/David Levy (Coach), Virginia USA
Project: FLL Team Challenge: Climate Connections
A FIRST LEGO League Climate Connections team will build a robot to measure UV radiation as a function of altitude. The MINDSTORMS NXT will not only data log the UV sensor readings, but will also be used to rotate the UV filters in position as well as control the robot heater with a temperature sensor.

Barbara Bratzel & Chris Rogers, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA
Project: Fourth Graders
A group of 4th grade students will investigate the impact of flight conditions on yellow marshmallows (a.k.a peeps). The MINDSTORMS NXT will be recording temperature and pressure during the mission.

David Martinez, Jurgen Leitner, Sweden
Project: SpaceMasters
The robot will be measuring the change in G-forces as a function of altitude. The robot will repeatedly drop a tethered Wiimote at different altitudes to measure the acceleration experience.

Claude Baumann, Francis Massen, Jean Mootz, Luxembourg
Project : LUXPAK
The robot will be using an RCX to measure ozone concentration, air pressure, temperature (inside and outside) and reflected light from Earth during the descent.

Eugene Tsai, Taiwan
The robot will be using filtering papers to capture particles and/or chemicals in the air during the balloon ascent and descent periods. The LEGO Mindstorms NXT will be used to provide a mechanism to switch filtering papers to capture the materials in the air and then keep the papers in a secured compartment. The filtering papers will be retrieved and analysed to see what chemicals and particles exist in different altitudes.

[More info will be posted soon at the Lego Mindstorms site]

Johnny 5 Still Not Alive, But Now Has LEGO Brother

Seamus Byrne — Wed, 02 May 2007 01:45:00 +0000

Technically this is called the JohnNXT 5, though even Steve Guttenberg’s minority friend won’t be fooled that this isn’t the real Johnny Five. LEGO fan Daniele Benedettelli built this entire thing out of LEGO Mindstorm NXT parts, which if our calculations are correct, means this probably costs as much as an actual robot to make.

If you want to build your own (who wouldn’t), check out the materials list to get started. â€“ Jason Chen

Project Page [Danielle via MAKE]