Mindstorms Kit

• Min. age: 7 yo.
• Measurements: 380x380x110 mm.
• Weight: 2,3 kg.
• Power source: 6 AA batteries.

• 'Brick' - NXT 'Brick' with 32-bit processor,
• 3 servomotors with embedded rotation sensor,
• sound sensor,
• ultrasonic sensor,
• touch sensor,
• light sensor,
• 577 LEGO TECHNICS blocks,
• programming environment,
• manuals,
• testpad,
• cables.

NXT Brick is the hearth of Mindstorms robot. Because of it, the communication with robot, programming and controlling is possible.

• 32-bit ARM7 Mikrocontroler,
• 256 Kb FLASH, 64 Kb RAM,
• 8-bit AVR Microcontroller,
• 4 Kb FLASH, 512 B RAM,
• Servomotors' ports: A, B, C,
• Sensors' ports: 1, 2, 3, 4,
• USB port (12 Mbit/s),
• 8 kHz speaker, 8-bit channel, sample rate 2-16 KHz,
• Buttons (menu service),
• LCD display, 100 x 64 px,
• Bluetooth wireless communication (Bluetooth Class II V2.0 compliant),
• 6 AA batteries.

• http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/The_NXT.aspx

Communication with Brick is possible with:

• USB,
• Bluetooth.

With both methods it is possible to:

• load Brick programs,
• download data (eg. data collected by robot) from Brick.

• NXT Bluetooth

In each kit there are 3 servomotors:

• useful to control revs,
• with revenue sensors, useful to precise tracking of propeller shaft position.

• NXT Servomotors
• detailed construction and characteristic of servomotor

Sound sensor is a microphone with possibility of sound intensity measurement, which:

• returns sound intensity in [dB] and in [dBA],
• has a range of up to 90 dB,
• determines percentage scale of sound intensity.

• http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/Sound_Sensor.aspx

Ultrasonic sensor can be used:

• to measure distance from barrier (cm and inches),
• to detect objects,
• to detect movement.

Range: 0-255 cm. Precision +/- 3 cm.

How it works?
Distance is calculated on the basis of time of sound wave return to robot after barrier bounce. (The same rule is used by bats and sonars.)

Notices:

• If there are more then 1 ultrasonic sensor in the same room, there can exist some interferences and the sensor can work incorrect.
• Curved surfaces (eg. spheres) are difficult to detect.

• http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/Ultrasonic_Sensor.aspx

Touch sensor detects touches with the orange button, which can differentiate 3 states of touch:

• pressed,
• bumped,
• released.

In addition 3 buttons on NXT Brick (left, right, center) can be set as touch detectors.

• http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/Touch_Sensor.aspx

Light sensor:

• is useful to differentiate lightness and darkness,
• returns the light intensity,
• measures the light intensity reflected from colorful surfaces (indirect color detection).

• http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/Light_Sensor.aspx

• Dimensions: 90 cm x 60 cm.
• Used for testing robots.
• Content:
  • colorful fields to calibrate color sensor,
  • area limited by black line to test robots moving inside,
  • ruler to check indications of distance sensors,
  • field to analyze robot's rotation.

Motors used for movement should be connected to B and C ports. Motor used for an extra function – to A port. Standard input port connections (can be different):

• Port 1: touch sensor.
• Port 2: sound sensor.
• Port 3: light sensor.
• Port 4: ultrasonic sensor.

• LEGO NXT Overview
• NXT at Wikipedia
• http://www.philohome.com/nxt.htm