Everyone in the world knows what Lego is. In fact, some cultures actually make use of the word â€œLegoâ€ as a substitute for â€œeducational toyâ€. Lego allows children of all ages to explore their imagination by letting them create various objects and scenarios. This fuels a personâ€™s creativity as well as his or her ability to analyze various parts and learn how they can fit into a pattern. Lego Mindstorms takes this mix of science and art into a whole new level.
Technology has rapidly evolved during the past few years. In fact, new technologies are rendered obsolete almost all the time. This evolution of technology, of course, has brought about a change in the mindset of people. Their preferences are affected by the technology thatâ€™s currently available. Building blocks no longer suffice for children. Nowadays, manufacturers need to incorporate technology into their toys.
This is because of the fact that children today are able to grasp the technology that they interact with daily. Just as children were fascinated by G.I. Joe toys during the Vietnam War, so are they fascinated by robots and computers during today. The Lego Mindstorms line tries to channel this fascination and make use of it to entertain and teach children about the basics of robotics.
Lego Mindstorms allow people to build their own robotsâ€“lego style. This means that the product is simple enough to be grasped easily by children and complex enough to capture the attention of adult hobbyists. Lego Mindstorms can and will let you express your imagination to the fullest.
How do Lego Mindstorms work?
Every robot kit has some basic parts that make it work. Here are the highlights of the Lego Mindstorms kit:
1) Intelligent brick â€“ Every robot or computer needs a processor. The Lego Mindstorms system makes use of an â€œintelligent brickâ€ to coordinate its movements. This brick connects the motors and various sensors and allows you to program your robot to perform various actions or react to various stimuli. The intelligent brick is the heart and the brain of the Lego Mindstorms system.
2) Light sensors â€“ In a sense, this allows your Lego Mindstorms system to react to â€œseeâ€. It allows a robot to react to changes in light intensity. You can program your robot to react to lights in various ways. You can even program it to read barcodes.
3) Touch sensors â€“ This allows your robot to react to various surfaces or at least to the pressure of contact with a surface. This means that you can program a walking robot to navigate around a maze. Touch sensors can also allow your robot to perform different actions when it comes into contact with an object. You can program it to grip various objects with the right amount of force.
4) Motors â€“ This part of the Lego Mindstorms system transforms the program into action. The motor makes the robot move. Without it, a program would remain a program. The motor makes the various parts of a robot respond to the program the way that you want it to.
5) IR tower â€“ Programming the Lego Mindstorms system is actually pretty easy since you use a computer to do it. This means that you will be able to write and rewrite programs without having to try them out to see if they work first. After you have written the program, you can transmit the program to the intelligent chip via an infra red transmitter.