Another Mindstorms Beginner

[mariposita]

Hi--
Thanks for this great forum--I've learned so much already and am looking forward to participating.

I'm the mom of a ten year old Lego fanatic (and a long-time Lego fanatic myself). I live in a country where it is very expensive and difficult to buy Mindstorms, but am making a trip back to the US next month and am going to order the NXT 2.0 from Amazon (where my son has been accruing a formidable gift certificate balance from his grandparents--incidentally it's on sale now for $239.98). I was also planning on getting this book:

The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Programming Robots

I know how to program, so I hope that will be enough to get us going.

I was wondering what other add-ons (sensors, cables, remotes, etc?) or Lego pieces I might want to pick up when I make the order, since finding them here will be difficult/impossible/costly and we won't be back in the US for at least a year or two.

Are there any pieces/parts/sensors/etc. that you feel really enhance the beginner experience? My son is particularly interested in designing machines with moving parts (he wants to be a 21st-century Da Vinci when he grows up!). Right now we have a few technics kits (like the buggy), but I have a feeling he'll want more gears and parts that move/articulate. Any recommendations?

Can I just say that animating Legos was my childhood dream?--I can't wait to play!

--Megan

[haydenstudios]

Hi--
Thanks for this great forum--I've learned so much already and am looking forward to participating.

That's great! Welcome to the MindBOARDS!

I'm the mom of a ten year old Lego fanatic (and a long-time Lego fanatic myself). I live in a country where it is very expensive and difficult to buy Mindstorms, but am making a trip back to the US next month and am going to order the NXT 2.0 from Amazon (where my son has been accruing a formidable gift certificate balance from his grandparents--incidentally it's on sale now for $239.98).

Sounds like a golden opportunity to me!

I was also planning on getting this book:

The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Programming Robots

While I have not bought that book myself, every person I know that has it says that it's REALLY good, and helps a lot with getting you into LEGO MINDSTORMS.

I know how to program, so I hope that will be enough to get us going.

That is pleasing to hear, and will be very helpful. A big problem that often faces new people to this is their discouragement from programming. If you'll be sticking with the software included in the set, then knowing how to program should be fairly easy.

I was wondering what other add-ons (sensors, cables, remotes, etc?) or Lego pieces I might want to pick up when I make the order, since finding them here will be difficult/impossible/costly and we won't be back in the US for at least a year or two.

There are third party sensors, some of which are endorsed by LEGO. Theres HiTechnic, Mindsensors, Dexter Industries, and a few not as well known companies. Mindsensors and Dexter industries sensors are more advenced and expensive, so I wouldn't recommend them to a beginner. Some, but not many, of the HiTechnic sensors may be of use to a beginner. I recommend aquiring them as you go, but seeing your situation, I'd say buy the Accelerometer and Compass sensors. You can buy some of them directly from LEGO, but all of them are available from the HiTechnic website. It sounds like your son has some LEGO gift car money, so I'd recommend buying them from LEGO if you can to save money.

Are there any pieces/parts/sensors/etc. that you feel really enhance the beginner experience? My son is particularly interested in designing machines with moving parts (he wants to be a 21st-century Da Vinci when he grows up!). Right now we have a few technics kits (like the buggy), but I have a feeling he'll want more gears and parts that move/articulate. Any recommendations?

Well, since he's really serious about it, you could look at various sets under
the technic theme on LEGOShop to acquire even more technic pieces.

Can I just say that animating Legos was my childhood dream?--I can't wait to play!

--Megan

Yes, you may say that, and I'm glad that you're excited.

[linusa]

I don't know if this is the best value for your money, but for free-style-building with LEGO NXT stuff, I really like the NXT Education Resource set: http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/product ... e_set/2214

Huge extra collection of beams, gears and other parts. Useful, if you have lots of "old school technic stuff" and need some parts to get started with the "new" studless design.

Edit: To see the included parts, here's the official PDF http://aux.legoeducation.us/sharedimage ... Survey.pdf and here's the inventory list on bricklink: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=9695-1

[mattallen37]

The set Linus pointed out looks really good for extra parts. However, I would also suggest you get some newer technic sets as well for more parts variety.

If you want to make NXT stuff that is remote controlled, I very highly recommend the mindsensors PSP-Nx.

If you want to make an NXT segway (link to YT video), you need a gyro. HT sells a gyro for $55, but it's only one axis, limited to about 500 dps, and the resolution is only 1dps (analog). Dexter Industries has a 6 axis "dIMU" for only $10 more ($65), and it has a 3 axis digital gyro with the ranges of 250dps, 500dps, or 2000dps, and a resolution of 16 bits (in 250dps mode, that's about 1/130 dps). In addition to the Gyro, the dIMU has a 3 axis digital accelerometer with the ranges of 2g, 4g, and 8g (scaled from 10-bits at 8g). Either of the two gyros work to make a segway type NXT robot, but I prefer the dIMU (after-all, it's also an accelerometer).

[mariposita]

You guys are great--thanks so much for all of the suggestions--I really appreciate it. I'm just blown away by all of the things we'll be able to do (I had no idea there was a gyroscope--that's just nuts). I'll be sure to report back on what we end up buying and how it all goes down... and whether my son will share his "toy" with me--I'm starting to think we may each need our own at some point.

[hassenplug]

--I'm starting to think we may each need our own at some point.

Megan, This maybe something you seriously want to consider. Assuming it's as difficult and expensive as you've said to get a MINDSTORMS kit where you live, your upcoming trip may be a great time to stock up on kits (at a good price).

If you're not sure, keep the second box closed until you've played (I mean experimented) with your son. If you find you don't like it (what???) you could always sell it to a friend of your son.

The chance to do something you always wanted to do as a kid is pretty cool. The chance to share that same time with your son is even better.

Steve

[pbenco]

Hello mariposita

I welcome you in this wonderful world of fun and learning. What steve hassenplug said (aka get a second kit) is a very usefull advice, as you will be able to build two robots communicating each other, helping or competing for reaching goals, or building giga robot with 2 brains and 8 legs, but the best is that you get lot of usefull lego pieces to build more advanced robot.
The 6 degrees IMU from DEXTER would be a gread add as it embed 2 sensors in one, gyro to sense rotations/moments, and accelero to sense speeds/accelerations, BUT be aware that this is not an easy "plug and play" sensor, some maths are required to get the best of it (filtering). Another good way to get an IMU is to hack a nunchuk and a motion+ from the Wii, but it require some advanced skills in soldering and programming. You sould consider to get a temp sensor, very interesting and easy to experiment with (you can get one shielded/ruggedized from DEXTER too).
And that leads to the software question, as the visual programming environment provided by LEGO is very good to learn basic skills, but you will not be limited to that, as more powerfull langage are freely available, as NXC or JAVA, to bring your child (and you?) a step further!!!
You should consider the renewable energy kit as a very educative add-on, a bit pricy, but full of very valuable knowledge, in a world trying to find solutions to fossil energy problems. You will get power sensor/accumulator and solar panel compatible with the NXT, wind mill blades and a special motor, but you will have to explain some concepts to your child not so easy...

Have lot of fun,
pBenco

P.S The NXT kit by itself already is full of possibilities, you can reach lot of fun/educational ressources on the web to robots buildable with just one kit.

[mariposita]

Thanks again everyone! My husband says you are enablers (as if that's a bad thing??), which means I went for it and ordered two full kits (on sale on Amazon for $220!) so my son and I can engage in "parallel play" (as the preschool teachers put it). The truth is that we're both pretty obsessive and visionary and prone to creative differences, so I do think this will make it much more fun for us to build stuff together and test it out and eventually cooperate to concoct more complex machines. Oh, and yeah, this will finally make up for the fact that my parents never bought me that Radio Shack Armatron that I begged them for in the early eighties. Ha.

[hassenplug]

Megan,

Earlier, I suggested you keep one box closed, in case you don't like it. From what you've said, I wouldn't worry about keeping it closed. You and your son will be fine.

Have fun

Steve - master enabler -