Lego Mindstorms for Dummies

Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Taking Off the Shrink-Wrap

Part II: Power Up the Lab, Igor -- It's Time to Build Bots

Part III: Giving Your Bots Life through Programming

Part IV: Special Projects to Make You a Robot Scientist

Part V: The Part of Tens

Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Taking Off the Shrink-Wrap

Chapter 1: Opening the Box and Getting Started

What Are LEGO MINDSTORMS Sets?

Introducing the LEGO MINDSTORMS Family

Droid Developer Kit

Robotics Discovery Set

Robotics Invention System

Expansion sets and add-on components

What's In the Box?

Following Instructions from the Constructopedia

Chapter 2: Getting to Know the MINDSTORMS Components

Identifying the Parts and Pieces

Microprocessor

Sensors

Blocks, plates, and beams

Gears

Wheels and tires

Pulleys and belts

Axles

Connector pegs

Elbows and tees

Various specialty pieces

Organizing Your Pieces

Part II: Power Up the Lab, Igor --

It's Time to Build Bots

Chapter 3: Starting with Star Wars Droids

Building the R2-D2 Astromech Droid

Building the main drive foot module

Building the foot subassembly

Resuming building of the drive wheel module

Preparing the Micro Scout

Continuing to build the main drive foot module

Building the robot's chassis

Building the right leg module

Building the lower leg subassembly

Continuing to build the right leg module

Building the upper leg subassembly

Continuing to build the leg module

Building the left leg module

Continuing the R2-D2 robot construction

Building the head module

Completing the robot construction

Mastering Additional Challenges

Chapter 4: Discovering the Discovery Bots

Connecting Motors and Touch Sensors

Building the Bug

Building module 1 -- the Bug drive

Building module 2 -- the Bug feelers

Building module 3 -- the Bug eyes and wings

Evolving the Bug

Hanging with Hoop-o-bot

Building module 1 -- the Hoop-o-bot drive

Building module 2 -- the ball thrower

Building module 3 -- the hoop

Changing the game

Chapter 5: Building the Invention Bots

Preparing for Robot Building

Paving the Way with the Pathfinder

Revving Up the RoverBot

Building the driving base

Building the tracks

Building the single bumper

InventorBot

Building the body

Building the standing base

Building the standing base legs

Building the head

Building the hat arm

Building the slap arm

Part III: Giving Your Bots Life

through Programming

Chapter 6: Scouting Out the Micro Scout

Is It Really Programming?

The Programming Interface: Simplicity Itself

Playing with the Micro Scout Programs

Chapter 7: Programming the Scout

Understanding the Scout Display

Scout Programming Concepts You Should Know

Playing with the Buttons

Using the Select and Change buttons

Pressing buttons for multiple commands

Motion commands

Touch commands

Light commands

Getting the Most Out of Your Scout

Altering time with the time dots

Using special effects

Using the Remote Control

Chapter 8: Beginning Programming with the Robotics Invention System 1.5

Setting up Your RCX Brick

Building a Trainer Bot

Getting to Know Your RCX Brick

Buttons

Display

Running the Built-In Programs

Setting up the Robotics Invention System Software

Using the infrared transmitter

Installing the Robotics Invention System software

Guided mode

Set Up Options

Your First Program

The Program block

Breaking down the program

Commands

Stacking them together

Downloading your program to the RCX

Testing your program

Making a small change

Saving your work

Chapter 9: More RIS Programming

Programming with RIS 1.5

Getting to the programming screen

The programming screen

Building Your Programs with Blocks

Basic block techniques

Commands

Sensor Watchers

Stack Controllers

My commands

Tooling Up with Tools

The Try-out tool

The Trace tool

The Copy tool

The Help tool

The Program Vault

The Download/Save tool

The Trash

Part IV: Special Projects to Make

You a Robot Scientist

Chapter 10: Creating RoverBot Programs

Move It

Purpose

The program

Square Dance

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

Bump and Run

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

Better Beeps

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

It's Alive

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

Chapter 11: Let There Be a Light Sensor

Stop Light

Purpose

The program

Follow That Light

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

A Day at the Races

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

Light Control

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

Chapter 12: Doing Other Cool Stuff

How's the Weather?

Purpose

The program

Steering Wheel

Purpose

The program

Alternatives

RoboTalk

Remote Control

Alternate Programming Languages

Gordon's Brick

NQC

PBForth

Can I Do This on a Macintosh?

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 13: Ten Embarrassing Bot Moments to Avoid

The Sad Saga of the Self-Destructive Bot

The Robot that Ran Backsideward

One Piece Shy of the Perfect Robot

The Robot that Left a Trail of Pieces Across the Floor

A Robot without Batteries

Batteries Don't Last Forever -- and Neither Do Battery-Powered Robots

Chapter 14: Ten Fun Things to Do on the Internet

Exploring LEGO Worlds

Visiting the LEGO MINDSTORMS Web Site

Going Unofficial

Visiting LEGO MINDSTORMS Internals

Finding Out about the LEGO MINDSTORMS Web Ring

Building a Spider Robot

Meeting the Logo Turtle

Engaging in Robot Combat

Dissecting the RCX

Appendix A: Parts Reference Axles and Spacer Rings

Blocks, Plates, and Beams

Blocks

Plates

Beams

Connector Pegs

Gears and Pulleys

Microprocessor Bricks

Pipes

Sensors & Motors

Tee Fittings and Elbows

Tires and Wheels

Uncategorized Special Pieces

Extra Decorative Pieces

Appendix B: RCX Reference RCX Terminology

RCX Block Categories

RCX Block Reference

Appendix C: About the CD System Requirements

Using the CD with Microsoft Windows

What You'll Find

If You Have Problems (Of the CD Kind)

Appendix