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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.



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