Basic Robot Building with LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT 2.0
ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!
Learn LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT 2.0 from the ground up, hands-on, in full color!
Ever wanted to build a robot? Now’s the time, LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT 2.0 is the technology, and this is the book. You can do this, even if you’ve never built or programmed anything!
Don’t worry about where to begin: start right here. John Baichtal explains everything you need to know, one ridiculously simple step at a time… and shows you every key step with stunningly clear full-color photos! You won’t just learn concepts–you’ll put them to work in three start-to-finish projects, including three remarkable bots you can build right this minute, with zero knowledge of programming or robotics. It’s going to be simple–and it’s going to be fun. All you need is in the
box–and in this book!
- Unbox your LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT 2.0 set, and discover exactly what you’ve got
- Build a Backscratching Bot immediately
- Connect the NXT Intelligent Brick to your computer (Windows or Mac)
- Navigate the Brick’s menus and upload programs
- Start writing simple new programs–painlessly
- Build the Clothesline Cruiser, a robot that travels via rope
- Program your robot’s movements
- Learn to create stronger, tougher models
- Help your robot sense everything from distance and movement to sound and color
- Build a miniature tank-treaded robot that knows how to rebound
- Write smarter programs by creating your own programming blocks
- Discover what to learn next, and which additional parts you might want to buy
JOHN BAICHTAL is a contributor to MAKE magazine and Wired’s GeekDad blog. He is the co-author of The Cult of Lego (No Starch) and author of Hack This: 24 Incredible Hackerspace Projects from the DIY Movement (Que). Most recently he wrote Make: Lego and Arduino Projects for MAKE, collaborating with Adam Wolf and Matthew Beckler. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and three children.
Table of Contents:
Conventions Used in This Book 4
Special Elements 4
Chapter 1 Unboxing the LEGO Mindstorms NXT Set 7
The Box 7
Under the Flap 8
Opening the Box 9
The Contents 9
Reading Material 10
Connector Pegs 11
3M Connector Pegs 12
Connector Pegs with Bushing 13
Connector Pegs with Cross-Axle Ends 14
2M Axle Peg 14
Connector Peg with Towball 15
1/2 Connector Pegs 16
Bushings 16
Cross Axles 17
Cross Axles with End Stops 18
Wheels and Treads 19
Gears 20
Teeth 21
Balls 21
Beams With Pegs 22
Beams 23
Angle Beams 24
Car Parts 25
Steering Links 26
Angle Elements 26
Cross-Axle Connectors 27
Cross Blocks 27
More Miscellaneous Parts 28
Peg Joiner 29
Motors, Wires, and Sensors 31
USB Cable 34
Mindstorms Wires 35
The NXT Brick 35
Next Chapter 36
Chapter 2 Project: Backscratcher Bot 37
Adding Batteries to the NXT Brick 38
Parts You Need 40
Step-by-Step Assembly Instructions 42
Programming the Backscratcher Bot 49
Running the Backscratcher Bot 56
Next Chapter 56
Chapter 3 Anatomy of the NXT Brick 57
The Brick 58
Buttons 59
Ports 59
Connector Holes 61
Reset Button 62
Menus 63
My Files 63
NXT Program 66
Try Me 67
The View Menu 68
NXT Datalog 70
Settings 70
Bluetooth 73
Powering Your NXT 77
Resetting a Crash 78
Updating NXT Firmware 78
The Next Chapter 79
Chapter 4 Introduction to Programming 81
System Requirements 82
Installing the Software 83
Installing on a PC 83
Installing on a Mac 84
NXT-G 101 85
The Programming Block 85
Commonplace Blocks 87
Programming the Backscratcher Bot 92
Create the Program 92
Connect to the NXT Brick 93
Download the Program 94
The Next Chapter 94
Chapter 5 Project: Clothesline Cruiser 95
Parts You Need 96
Step-by-Step Instructions 97
Programming the Clothesline Cruiser 119
Setting Up the Clothesline 120
What to Do With Your Cruiser? 121
The Next Chapter 122
Chapter 6 Building Stronger Models 123
Use Multiple Pegs 123
Connect Each Part to as Many Others as Possible 123
Reinforce Corners with Angle Beams 124
Use Combination Parts and Cross Blocks 124
Attach Cross Axles 125
Combine Technic and System Bricks 126
Use Chassis Bricks 128
The Next Chapter 129
Chapter 7 Know Your Sensors 131
Mindstorms Sensors 131
Touch Sensors 132
Ultrasonic Sensors 133
Color Sensors 133
Sound Sensor 134
Motor 135
Calibrating Sensors 136
Third-Party Sensors 137
Compass Sensor 138
Passive Infrared (PIR) Sensor 138
Wi-Fi Sensor 138
Magnetic Sensor 139
Flex Sensor 139
Voltage Sensor 140
Barometric Sensor 140
Inertial Motion Sensor 140
The Next Chapter 141
Chapter 8 Advanced Programming 143
Data Wires 144
Green Wires 144
Yellow Wires 145
Orange Wires 145
Gray Wires 146
Connecting Wires 147
Additional Blocks 148
Variable Block 148
Constant Block 149
Random Block 150
Keep Alive Block 150
Light Sensor Block 151
Rotation Sensor Block 151
Display Block 152
Bluetooth Block 152
Logic Block 153
Creating Your Own Blocks 154
The Next Chapter 156
Chapter 9 Project: Rebounder 157
Parts You Need 158
Step-by-Step Instructions 159
A Note About Tank Treads 175
Programming the Rebounder 176
The Next Chapter 180
Chapter 10 Expanding on Mindstorms 181
Read Blogs 181
The NXT STEP 181
Mindstorms 182
Design Virtual Models 183
Attend Gatherings 184
LUGs 185
Conventions 185
FIRST LEGO League 186
Read BrickJournal 188
Expand Your Collection 188
Bricklink 189
Pick a Brick 189
LEGO Education 189
Third-Party Brick Makers 190
Omni Wheels 190
Bricktronics 190
Tetrix 191
Print Your Own 192
Glossary 195
Index 201
About the Author :
John Baichtal is a contributor to MAKE magazine and Wired’s GeekDad blog. He is the co-author of The Cult of LEGO (No Starch) and author of Hack This: 24 Incredible Hackerspace Projects from the DIY Movement (Que). Most recently he wrote Make: Lego and Arduino Projects for MAKE, collaborating with Adam Wolf and Matthew Beckler. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and three children.
