EV3 without limits!
Build 5 amazing robotics projects that take DIY to a whole new level!
You can do way more with your LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit than anyone ever told you! In this full-color, step-by-step tutorial, top-maker and best-selling author John Baichtal shows you how to transcend Mindstorms’ limits as you build five cutting-edge robotics projects.
You’ll discover just how much you can do with only the parts that came with your kit–and how much farther you can go with extremely low-cost add-ons like Arduino and Raspberry Pi. You’ll learn how to reprogram your Mindstorms Intelligent Brick to add additional hardware options and create more complex programs.
Hundreds of full-color, step-by-step photos teach you every step, every skill. Whenever you’re ready for advanced techniques, Baichtal explains them in plain English.
Here’s just some of what you’ll learn how to do:
- Build a drawing Plotter Bot that gyrates to draw new patterns
- Hack Mindstorms’ wires–and control robots without wires
- Create a remote-controlled crane, and operate it from your smartphone
- Use the EV3 brick to control third-party electronic modules of all kinds
- Replace the EV3 brick with smarter, more flexible Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or BeagleBone Black hardware
- Build a robotic flower whose petals open and close based on time of day
- Use third-party sensors to build robots that can sense practically anything
- Load an alternate operating system onto your EV3 brick
- 3D print, laser, and mill your own perfect LEGO parts
- Create ball contraptions, and extend them with your own custom parts
- Make a pole-climbing robot–and hook up an altimeter to track its height
This book is not authorized or endorsed by the LEGO® Group.
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Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Hacking Mindstorms 2
Chapter Topics 6
Chapter 2 Project: Plotter Bot 7
Parts List 8
Building the Plotter Bot 9
Program the Plotter Bot 43
Moving the Motors 44
A Simple Program 45
Resetting the X Axis 47
Hacking Opportunities 49
Summary 49
Chapter 3 Hacking LEGO I: Connections 51
Mindstorms Wires Explained 51
Inside the Mindstorms Wire 52
Hacking Mindstorms Wires 53
Exploring Wireless Options 56
Infrared Sensor and Beacon 56
Bluetooth 57
Hacking Wireless 58
Summary 62
Chapter 4 Project: Remote-Controlled Crane 63
Parts List 64
Building the Crane 65
Programming the Crane 93
Controlling the Crane with Infrared 98
Using Your Phone’s Commander App 98
Summary 104
Chapter 5 Hacking LEGO II: Alternate Controllers 105
Microcontrollers and Microcomputers 106
Arduino 106
Raspberry Pi 108
BeagleBone Black 110
But Why? 112
Example Projects 114
Book Reader 114
Mini Tank 115
Chocolate Milk Maker 116
Ball Counting Robot 117
Rolling Alarm Robot 118
BeagleBone Black Robot 119
Programing Environments 120
LeJos 121
RobotC 121
Monobrick 121
ev3dev 121
Summary 122
Chapter 6 Project: Robot Flower 123
Robot Flower Mindstorms Build 124
Parts List 124
Steps 125
Program the Robot Flower 146
Substituting the Arduino 150
Quick and Dirty Arduino 151
Parts 152
Steps 153
Programming the Arduino 154
Summary 155
Chapter 7 Hacking LEGO III: Create Your Own LEGO Parts 157
Designing Your Own Parts 158
Check Your Dimensions 159
Create the Design File 160
Output and Iterate 161
Finding Designs 161
Thingiverse 162
LDraw 163
SketchUp Warehouse 163
Outputting Your Own Parts 164
CNC Mill 164
Laser Cutter 167
3D Printer 170
Tip: Parametric 3D Models 175
Summary 176
Chapter 8 Project: Ball Contraption 177
Building the Contraption 178
Parts List 178
Steps 179
Program the Contraption 224
Creating Your Own Parts 225
The Baseplate 226
The Gear 233
Summary 237
Chapter 9 Hacking LEGO IV: Add-on Electronics 239
Motors and Wheels 240
Motor Driver 240
Omni-Wheels 240
8-Channel Servo Controller 241
Hub-ee Wheels 242
Linear Actuator 242
Servo-Actuated Pneumatic Valve 243
Lighting Systems 244
RGB LED Modules 244
Light Strands 245
Sensors 246
Grove Sensor Adapter 246
dGPS 246
Proximity Sensor 247
Pixy and Pixy Adapter 248
Sensor Mux 249
Absolute IMU-ACG 250
dPressure Sensor 251
Thermal Infrared Sensor 252
NXT and Education Electronics 252
Pneumatics Add-On Set 252
NXT Light Sensor 253
NXT Temperature Sensor 253
NXT Sound Sensor 254
NXT Ultrasonic 255
Control Systems 255
Relay Driver 256
sBrick Control System 256
PlayStation Controller Interface 257
NXTBee Wireless Board 258
Summary 258
Chapter 10 Project: Flagpole Climber 259
Building the Flagpole Climber 260
Parts List 260
Building Steps 262
Programming the Pole Climber 288
Installing the Ultrasonic Sensor 289
Programming the Sensor 290
Swapping in the BrickPi 291
Raspberry Pi Quick Start 292
Adding the RPi and BrickPi 292
Parts List 294
Steps 294
Tip: Troubleshooting 301
Summary 302
Glossary 303
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About the Author :
John Baichtal has written or edited more than a dozen books, including the award-winning Cult of Lego (2011, No Starch Press), Make: LEGO and Arduino Projects (2012, Maker Media) with Adam Wolf and Matthew Beckler, Robot Builder (2014, Que), and Basic Robot Building with LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (2012, Que), as well as Building Your Own Drones (2015, Que). His most recent book is Maker Pro (2014, Maker Media), a collection of essays and interviews describing life as a professional maker. John lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and three children.
