LEGO Mindstorms NXT
© 2006 LEGO Americas
See LEGO Mindstorms EV3. Note: the 2009 edition comes with three motors, color and light intensity, a sound editor, and a slightly higher price (up to $280). Back in 1998, the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit set the standard for children's programming activities, both at home and at school. Lego Mindstorms NXT is a major upgrade to the original kit. While the function — to build rolling or crawling robots — is similar, the technology in this kit is much more powerful, due to the battery-powered, BlueTooth-enabled, 32-bit NXT controller brick. Using a graphical programming language, children can first program their robot on a PC or, for the first time, on a Macintosh and then transfer the code to the computer, thanks to the Bluetooth or the USB 2.0 cable. The kit has 519 parts, including three interactive servo motors with rotation and speed sensors, a movement detector, a sound sensor that can react to patterns or tones, an electric eye that can discriminate between colors or light intensity, and a touch sensor. For more information, visit www.mindstorms.com. Each kit costs $250, with group discounts available for schools. See also the PICO Cricket.
$280, Windows XP, Mac OSX
Teaches: logic, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, problem solving, spatial reasoning, classifying, mathematics, programming, instrument use, taking things apart, building, planning, organizing activities, reviewing, evaluating, working cooperatively, interpersonal problem solving, fine motor
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