Robotics
LEGO Mindstorms is a line of programmable robotics kits produced by the LEGO Group, first released in 1998. The kits combine LEGO bricks with a programmable brick (the "intelligent brick"), motors, sensors, and a visual programming environment, enabling users to build and control robots. The name derives from the 1986 LEGO theme "Mindstorms," which itself was inspired by the book Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas by Seymour Papert. Over its history, the platform has been used in education, hobbyist projects, and even research, and it has spawned a large community of enthusiasts and competitions such as FIRST LEGO League.
The first LEGO Mindstorms set, the Robotics Invention System (RIS), launched in 1998 and was built around the RCX (Robotics Command System) programmable brick. The RCX featured an 8-bit Hitachi H8 microcontroller, 32 KB of RAM, and an infrared (IR) serial port for communication with a computer and other RCX units. It could control three motors and read from three sensors, and it was programmed using a visual language based on Logo, reflecting the educational philosophy of Seymour Papert, whose 1980 book Mindstorms inspired the name. The RCX was notable for its use of a custom firmware that could be replaced by third-party alternatives, such as legOS and BrickOS, which allowed programming in C and other languages. This openness fostered a hacker community and led to the creation of the popular programming environment NQC (Not Quite C) by Dave Baum. The RCX was also used in the first FIRST LEGO League season in 1999, establishing a long-standing educational competition.
The second generation, LEGO Mindstorms NXT, arrived in 2006, replacing the RCX with a 32-bit ARM7 processor, a 100×64 pixel LCD, and Bluetooth connectivity. The NXT introduced a new set of sensors, including ultrasonic and sound sensors, and a more intuitive programming environment based on LabVIEW. The NXT was followed by the EV3 in 2013, which used a more powerful ARM9 processor, ran Linux, and added Wi-Fi and microSD card support. The EV3 also introduced a new servo motor with a built-in rotation sensor and a redesigned software suite that included a tablet-based programming app. Both NXT and EV3 were widely adopted in schools and universities for teaching robotics and programming, and they were used in numerous research projects, including studies on swarm robotics and human-robot interaction. The EV3 was discontinued in 2022, but it remains a popular platform in education and hobbyist communities.
While the official programming environments (RCX Code, NXT-G, EV3 Lab) are graphical and block-based, the Mindstorms platform has always supported a wide range of alternative languages. For the RCX, NQC (Not Quite C) was a popular text-based language, and later the NXT and EV3 could be programmed in Java, C, C++, Python, and even MATLAB. The EV3's Linux-based firmware allowed advanced users to install custom operating systems and run Python scripts directly on the brick. The community has also developed third-party libraries and tools, such as leJOS for Java and ev3dev for Debian Linux, which extend the platform's capabilities. Online forums, such as the LEGO Mindstorms subreddit and the Mindstorms Community Council, have facilitated sharing of designs and code. The platform has also inspired a number of books and online courses, and it has been used in robotics competitions beyond FIRST LEGO League, including the World Robot Olympiad.
Beyond the mainstream kits, there are several lesser-known facets of LEGO Mindstorms. The RCX was originally developed in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, and its design was influenced by the programmable brick created by Seymour Papert and his colleagues. The NXT was also used in a 2009 project by the European Space Agency to test the feasibility of using off-the-shelf robots for space exploration, and a modified NXT was flown on a parabolic flight to test its behavior in microgravity. The EV3 was used in a 2015 study to demonstrate a low-cost platform for teaching reinforcement learning. Additionally, the Mindstorms platform has been used in art installations, such as the "LEGO Robot" that draws portraits, and in the creation of a working Braille printer. The RCX's IR communication could be used to control multiple robots simultaneously, and some hobbyists have created complex multi-robot systems. The platform has also been used in medical research, such as a 2018 study that used an EV3 to simulate a surgical robot. Finally, the Mindstorms name was also used for a line of LEGO toys in the 1990s that included the "Technic" line, but the robotics kits are the most famous.
LEGO Mindstorms was discontinued in 2022, but its legacy continues in education and robotics research.
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