To Build a Better Lego Robot
The TRACK3R robot from the Lego Mindstorms EV3 kit.
Lego is continuing to expand beyond bricks with its latest Mindstorms kit, which includes construction materials like studs, beams, girders and wheels that are used to build a robot. The only brick you will find here is the robot’s programmable brain.
The new kit, called Mindstorms EV3, is the third generation of Lego’s robotics platform, which was introduced in 1998 and has evolved over the years to include features like sensors, Bluetooth compatibility, USB ports and a remote control. The Mindstorms EV3 kit will be available on Sept. 1 at most major retailers for $350.
Over the years, Mindstorms has attracted a large community of hackers and hobbyists. To encourage those fans to show off their custom designs, Lego will unveil a new Mindstorms Web site on Sept. 1. A mobile app for iOS and Android devices that will include 3-D building instructions will also be released that day.
With more than 550 pieces, the Mindstorms EV3 kit may look a little daunting (it is intended for children and mad scientists aged 10 and above). But the printed step-by-step instructions and color-coded pieces make building the robot, called TRACK3R, much easier.
The instructions follow a modular approach, allowing you to measure your progress along the way. The process alerts you to potential mistakes, which happened to me when I bolted on a few pieces in the wrong direction. Patience and spatial visualization skills are helpful in building the robot, and I found that strong, nimble fingers are required to take it apart.
Once completed, TRACK3R can accomplish simple preprogrammed missions like turning in a circle. Downloadable software offers more advanced missions, help videos and instructions for building four other robots. And the inside of the Mindstorms EV3 packaging includes a mission pad that can be used as an obstacle course for TRACK3R.
Lego says the first robot takes about an hour to complete, but I spent about three hours bent over my coffee table to achieve that. But when I did, I was able to command my creation to rumble forward across the floor toward my cat, terrifying her. Next: world domination.
