Lego Mindstorms : An exclusive new dimension to Robotics!

Lego Mindstorms is a series of Lego sets, which combine programmable bricks with electric motors, sensors, Lego bricks, and Lego Technic pieces including gears, axles, beams, and pneumatic parts for the manufacture of robots and various other automated or interactive systems. The first retail version of Lego Mindstorms was launched in 1998 and marketed commercially as the Robotics Invention System (RIS). The latest version of Leo Mindstorms was released in 2006 as Lego Mindstorms NXT.

The Mindstorms Robotics Invention System (RIS) comprised two motors, two touch sensors, and a light sensor. The recently launched NXT version consists of three servo motors and four sensors for touch light, sound and distance. Lego Mindstorms are essentially used to construct a model of embedded systems such as elevator controllers and industrial robots, using computer-controlled electromechanical parts.

The Lego Camera is a normal webcam that is packaged into a Lego shell. The Lego Camera is not programmable and could be used only when it is connected to a PC or certain other devices which support USB webcams. The Lego Camera is to be used with the included Vision Command software which can interface with an RCX, thus helping to create robots with "vision". The software is equipped with the capability to detect various lightings, motion, and colors and could be employed with any other software that makes use of a webcam. Lego Camera has the capacity to record up to 30 frames per second and contains a microphone for recording sound for videos.

Lego also launched a brick named the Scout, which consists of 2 sensor ports, 2 motor ports, an in-built light sensor, and no PC interface. Scout. The Scout could be programmed; however the user can choose from among a collection of built-in programs. A user must enable "power mode" for programming the Scout. The Scout is enabled with the capacity to store one program.

Lego Mindstorms NXT is a programmable robotics kit launched by Lego in July 2006. Lego Mindstorms NXT replaces the first-generation Lego Mindstorms kit, which essentially consists of 519 Technic pieces, 3 servo motors, 4 sensors namely; ultrasonic, sound, touch, light, 7 wires, a USB cable as well as the NXT brick. The kit also comprises NXT-G, a graphical programming environment which allows the creation of programs and their download to the NXT. The NXT is could be regarded as the brain of a Mindstorms robot. The computer-controlled Lego brick enables the robot to autonomously perform various kinds of operations.