Book of explorers LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0. Basics of robot construction and programming

Welcome to the world of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0!

If you have your own MINDSTORMS set, you already know that the manual attached to it describes only a piece of knowledge that you will need to build and program the robot yourself. However, with the book of explorers, you will begin an adventure that will consume you for a long time!

This guide will help you build your dream machine quickly. Fifty example programs and nearly ninety programming and construction tips will awaken your imagination! Many step-by-step instructions will help you create complex devices that move, use sensors, and use advanced techniques such as data and variable data cables.

If you are a novice user, with this book you will learn the basics of creating a structure. If you already have some experience, you will quickly develop your programming skills. This is a real treat for designers of all ages. Regardless of whether you have several or several dozen years - all the way forward to a new adventure!

Valuable tips for explorers can also be found at http://www.discovery.laurensvalk.com .

Laurens Valk is a member of MINDSTORMS Community Partners (MCP), an elite MINDSTORMS expert group that helps in testing and developing new NXT products. He creates robots from the MINDSTORMS NXT sets from the moment they were on the market, and one of the robots of his project was presented on the NXT 2.0 box.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments (XV) Introduction (XVII)

• Why this book? (XVII)
• Is this book for you? (XVII)
• How to read this book? (XVII)
  • Discoveries (XVII)
  • What to expect in each of the chapters (XVIII)
• Help: accompanying site (XVIII)
• Summary (XVIII)

PART I BEGINNINGS 1. Gathering parts for the robot (3)

• What's in the box (3)
  • NXT brick (4)
  • NXT-G programming environment (4)
  • Test chart (5)
• Inserting the batteries (5)
• Summary (6)

2. Building the first robot (7)

• Building an Explorer (7)
  • Constructional tip: beams and axles (8)
  • Constructional tip: friction and sliding pins (8)
  • Connecting the wires (19)
• Controlling with the NXT pad buttons (19)
  • Switching the brick (20)
  • Selecting and selecting menu items (20)
  • Switching off the block (20)
  • Starting the program (21)
• Summary (21)

3. Creating and modifying programs (23)

• Fast first program (23)
• Creating a basic program (25)
  • 1. The basic palette (25)
  • 2. Work area (26)
  • 3. Starting area (26)
  • 4. NXT controller (26)
• Work in the NXT-G environment (27)
  • 5. Configuration panel (27)
  • 6. The quick help window (28)
  • 7. Program navigation bar (28)
  • 8. Toolbar (28)
  • 9. Robo Center (29)
• Remote robot control (30)
• Summary (30)

4. Working with programming blocks: motion, sound and display (31)

• What do programming blocks do? (31)
  • Creating programs with blocks (31)
  • Using various programming blocks (31)
• Traffic block (32)
  • Block of movement in action (32)
  • Understanding the configuration panel (33)
  • Discovery # 1: acceleration! (34)
  • Understanding the configuration icons (35)
  • Making precise turns (35)
  • Discovery 2: look back! (35)
  • Discovery 3: move the robot! (35)
  • Discovery 4: robocaligraf! (36)
• Sound block (36)
  • Understanding the sound block configuration (36)
  • Sound block in action (37)
  • Discovery 5: you say that which way? (38)
  • Discovery No. 6: Become a DJ! (38)
• Display block (38)
  • Understanding the configuration of the display block (38)
  • Display block in action (40)
• Other options (41)
  • Discovery No. 7: captions! (41)
  • Discovery No. 8: navigator! (41)
  • Discovery No. 9: Time for a wheel! (42)
  • Discovery No. 10: Eight for the Researcher! (42)
  • Discovery No. 11: robot man! (42)
  • Structural discovery No. 1: discovering art! (42)

5. Expectation, repetition and other programming techniques (43)

• Waiting block (43)
  • Wait block parameters (43)
  • Block waiting in action (43)
  • Discovery 12: countdown! (44)
• More about the block of traffic: endless riding (44)
  • Unlimited option (44)
  • The Duration Unlimited parameter in action (45)
  • Problems with endless driving (45)
• Loop block (46)
  • Using the loop block (46)
  • Understanding the parameters of a loop block (47)
  • Block of loops in action (47)
  • Discovery No. 13: look after the room! (48)
  • Discovery No. 14: triangle! (48)
  • Using Loop Blocks Inside Other Loop Blocks (48)
• Creating blocks for own needs (48)
  • Creating a custom block (49)
  • Using own blocks in programs (49)
  • Discovery 15: my triangle! (50)
  • Discovery No. 16: my music! (50)
  • Editing custom blocks (50)
• Parallel block sequences (50)
  • Using parallel sequences in programs (50)
  • Discovery No. 17: Multitasking! (51)
  • Discovery No. 18: complex figures! (52)
  • Structural discovery No. 2: Mr. Researcher! (52)
• Other options (52)

PART II. BUILDING AND PROGRAMMING OF ROBOTS FITTED WITH SENSORS 6. Understanding the sensors (55)

• What are sensors? (55)
  • Understand the sensors from the NXT 2.0 set (55)
  • Discovery 19: attention on the head! (56)
  • Understanding the ultrasound sensor (56)
  • Installation of an ultrasonic sensor (56)
  • Sensor polling (56)
• Programming with sensors (58)
  • Sensors and block waiting (58)
  • Discovery 20: Hello and Goodbye! (59)
  • Sensors and loop block (60)
  • Discovery No. 21: avoid walls and bad mood! (61)
  • Discovery No. 22: Follow me! (61)
  • Discovery No. 23: happy tunes! (61)
  • Sensors and decision block (62)
  • Discovery 24: see the distance! (63)
  • Discovery No. 25: stop or turn off? (64)
  • Discovery No. 26: anti-burglary alarm! (66)
  • Discovery No. 27: ultrasounds! (66)
  • Structural discoveries 3: level crossing! (66)
• Other options (66)

7. Using touch, color and rotation sensors (67)

• Touch sensor (68)
  • Fitting the bumper with two touch sensors (68)
  • Programming with the use of a touch sensor (73)
  • Avoiding walls with touch sensors (74)
  • Discovery 28: they must be both! (75)
  • Discovery No. 29: wise decisions! (75)
• Color sensor (76)
  • Installing the color sensor (76)
  • Using the view mode to query the color sensor (78)
  • Programming with the use of a color sensor (78)
  • Constructional Discovery No. 4: clean the test chart! (80)
  • Discovery # 30: Tell me what you see! (80)
  • Discovery No. 31: driving along the lines for experts! (82)
  • Discovery No. 32: which button did you press ?! (82)
  • Discovery No. 33: musician! (82)
• Using the NXT buttons as sensors (82)
• Rotation sensors (83)
  • Using the view mode to query the rotation sensor (83)
  • Creating programs using rotation sensors (83)
  • Discovery 34: grading! (83)
  • Discovery No. 35: rotational music! (84)
• Other options (85)
  • Discovery No. 36: colored balls! (85)
  • Discovery No. 37: Ultrasonic driving along the line! (85)
  • Constructional discovery No. 5: automatic house! (85)

8. Sagittarius: a robotic defense system (87)

• Building a Sagittarius (88)
  • Connecting the wires (105)
• Sagittarius Programming (105)
  • Full pallet (105)
  • Multi-colored lighting block (105)
  • Discovery No. 38: a colorful voice! (106)
  • Engine block (106)
  • Discovery No. 39: task for the engine block! (107)
  • Stand alone mode (108)
  • Light sensor mode (111)
  • Discovery 40: alarm - a dangerous intruder! (111)
  • Remote control mode (113)
  • Discovery No. 41: combined power of sensors! (113)
• Other options (119)
  • Discovery No. 42: research using NXT! (119)
  • Constructional Discovery No. 6: look before you shoot! (119)
  • Constructional discovery No. 7: catapult! (119)

9. Walker: a six-footed walking insect (121)

• Building a Walker (122)
  • Connecting sensor wires (134)
• Understand the way Walker moves (134)
• Programming of the Walker (135)
  • Creating a Do-For-Own Block (135)
  • Creating own blocks W-Lewo and W-Prawo (136)
  • Using custom blocks in an interactive program (137)
  • Discovery No. 43: It's time for the triangle again! (137)
  • Discovery No. 44: walking in six directions! (141)
  • Programming of the scared Walker (142)
• Other options (145)
  • Discovery No. 45: Running at the speed of light! (145)
  • Constructional discovery No. 8: tired of walking? (146)
  • Discovery No. 46: remote control! (146)
  • Structural discovery No. 9: a pair of eyes on the back of the head! (146)

PART III CREATING ADVANCED PROGRAMS 10. Using data hubs and data cables (149)

• Building a SprytBot (150)
• Program introducing data cables (156)
  • Understanding the example program (157)
• How do data concentrators and data cables work? (158)
  • The second example program with cables and data concentrators (158)
  • Using data sockets: input and output (158)
  • Block parameters when using data cables (160)
  • Deleting data cables (160)
  • Discovery No. 47: growing circles! (161)
  • Discovery No. 48: dynamic speed! (161)
  • Discovery No. 49: engine at the entrance! (162)
• Sensor blocks (162)
  • Configuring the sensor block (162)
  • Configuring the touch sensor block (162)
  • Configuring a color sensor block (162)
  • Configuring the RPM Sensor Block (163)
• Types of data cables (163)
  • The numeric data cable (163)
  • Logical data cable (163)
  • Discovery 50: touch sensor cables! (164)
  • Text data cable (164)
  • Discovery No. 51: read sensor readings! (166)
  • Data cable broken (166)
• Multiple data cable connections (166)
  • Connecting multiple cables to different sockets (166)
  • Connecting multiple cables to one data outlet (167)
  • Using parameters with input and output sockets (167)
  • Discovery 52: multifunction cables! (168)
  • Using help about data sockets (168)
• Tips for managing data cables (169)
  • Hiding unused data sockets (169)
  • Dragging data cables through a program (169)
  • Discovery No. 53: in search of help! (169)
  • Discovery No. 54: Turn up the volume! (170)
  • Discovery No. 55: control the throttle! (170)
  • Discovery No. 56: Clever Looks! (170)
  • Constructional discovery No. 10: kind SprytBot! (170)
• Other possibilities (170)

11. Using data blocks and data cables in loops and switches (171)

• Data blocks (171)
  • Calculation block (171)
  • Discovery No. 57: maths task! (173)
  • Discovery No. 58: random sound! (174)
  • Random block (174)
  • Comparison block (175)
  • Logic block (175)
• Decision Blocks and Data Cables (177)
  • Discovery 59: AND, OR, XOR or NOT? (177)
  • Discovery No. 60: sum or not? (178)
  • Configuring Decision Blocks Using Data Cables (178)
  • Using numeric and text data cables and decision blocks (180)
  • Connecting data cables to interior decision blocks (180)
• Loop blocks and data cables (180)
  • Discovery No. 61: To continue, press any button! (181)
  • Discovery No. 62: arithmetic rotations! (182)
  • Constructional discovery No. 11: bionic hand! (182)
• Other possibilities (182)

12. Using variables, constants and playing games on NXT (183)

• Using variables (183)
  • Defining a variable (183)
  • Using a variable block (184)
  • Creating a program with variable (185)
  • Discovery No. 63: old vs new! (186)
  • Discovery No. 64: a smarter counting program! (188)
• Using constants (188)
  • Using a constant block (188)
  • Creating programs with constants (188)
• Playing the game on NXT (190)
  • Defining variables (190)
  • Step 1: random goal display (191)
  • Step 2: waiting for the button to be pressed (191)
  • Step 3: remember which button was pressed (191)
  • Step 4: Comparison of the Position with variable variable Button (192)
  • Step 5: update the score (192)
  • Step 6: displaying the current score (192)
  • Step 7: Repeat the program for 30 seconds (193)
  • Extending the program (193)
  • Discovery No. 65: Advanced Spryt-Gra (194)
  • Discovery No. 66: brain trainer! (194)
  • Structural discovery No. 12: the game Throw the mole! (194)
• Other possibilities (194)

PART IV ADVANCED ROBOT PROJECTS 13. Gripper: autonomic robotic arm (197)

• Understanding the arm (197)
  • Gripping mechanism (198)
  • Lifting mechanism (198)
• Construction Grapple (200)
• Creating items (231)
• Programming Gripper (231)
  • Creating custom blocks (231)
  • Creating the final version of the program (234)
  • Troubleshooting Gripper (235)
• Other possibilities (235)
  • Discovery No. 67: I do not like blue! (235)
  • Discovery No. 68: light in the corner! (235)
  • Constructional discovery No. 13: desk cleaner! (235)

14. Hybrid block sorter: sorting blocks by color and size (237)

• Understanding the sorting technique (238)
  • Drive module (238)
  • Scanning module (238)
  • Determining the size of a brick (238)
• Building a hybrid block sorter (239)
  • Connecting wires (259)
  • Selection of blocks to sort (259)
  • Containers (259)
• Programming of the hybrid block sorter (259)
  • Creating custom blocks (260)
  • Creating the final version of the program (261)
  • Discovery No. 69: fast sorting! (264)
  • Discovery No. 70: Quattro blocks sorter! (264)
  • Discovery No. 71: intelligent sorting! (264)
  • Structural discovery No. 14: Hybrid block launcher! (264)
• Other possibilities (264)

15. KAK: Compact chimney climber (265)

• Understanding the climbing technique (266)
  • Keeping the X-axis balance (266)
  • Y-Balancing (267)
• Building a compact chimney climber (268)
• Preparation of the chimney (280)
• Programming of a compact chimney climber (280)
  • Step 1: spreading the arms (280)
  • Step 2: climbing and maintaining balance (280)
  • Step 3: going down, keeping your balance and stopping (282)
  • Troubleshooting Mountaineering (282)
• Other possibilities (283)
  • Discovery No. 72: altimeter! (283)
  • Constructional discovery No. 15: an overhead tram! (283)

Appendix Diagnosing and solving connectivity problems (285)

• Loading programs using the NXT controller (285)
  • Using the NXT window (286)
  • Problems connecting to NXT via USB (286)
  • Problems loading programs to NXT (287)
• Loading programs to NXT via Bluetooth (288)
  • Bluetooth adapter (288)
  • Connecting to NXT via Bluetooth (289)
  • Problems with establishing a Bluetooth connection with NXT (289)
• Summary (289)

Index (291)