A good workman is known by his tools.
The NXT is much more open sourced than the old one. You can create Java apps to control the bots you create through the Bluetooth access if I recall correctly. I know I can control my bot with my phone. I think the big bonus with Lego is the simplicity of the parts. No wiring or crap like that needed. It's perfect for building platforms to test out programs. Building the body is the easy part. It's the program that'll make or break it. You can quickly throw together a set of sensors and then test any program. I actually have in my back pack the 'Lego Mindstorms NXT Hacker's Guide'. It's not quite the hacking book you'd think it would be, but it does have some pluses for the novice. How to build, how to wire your own sensors in, adding a video camera, that sort of thing.
There's several languages available for programming too. The usual old skool ones and a few new ones. If you want to go more circuitry and soldering, I would suggest getting the Roomba platform. They make the bot sans vacuuming that is really easy to hack and play with.
Oh and compared to the other one, much more fun. Sensors seem a bit better and the new motors are great. Built-in counters!
Originally posted by Jesper Young:
There was a small JVM available for the RCX at that time.
A good workman is known by his tools.
Originally posted by Marc Peabody:
I was disappointed to find that didn't come with printed manuals for all the neato things it advertises on the box.
Originally posted by Joe Ess:
Martin's Art of Lego for the basics).
A good workman is known by his tools.
A good workman is known by his tools.
Originally posted by Marc Peabody:
Was it LEJOS?
A good workman is known by his tools.
Originally posted by Marc Peabody:
...He's also the author of the book Building Java Robots...
Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
A few years back, I played arround a bunch with some robotic stuff, controlled by Java...
Took all the magic out of making my code control the servo...
"The differential equations that describe dynamic interactions of power generators are similar to that of the gravitational interplay among celestial bodies, which is chaotic in nature."
You better stay with ready made kits.