FLL - Competition This Weekend!

Hey everyone- this is Clgfive from one of our FLL team's meetings! Today we are making some final adjustments on our robot, which we may or may not name Jose... Anyway, here are some pictures of the robot:

FLL - Big Meeting Tommorow!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that our FLL team is going to be having a big meeting tomorrow where we plan to get pretty far with our programming and in work on our team project. Expect some live posts, and maybe even a video or two... Anyway, Bryce and I are looking forward to it, as well as our other teammates!

FLL - Some Pic's/Progress

Hey Guys,
Though we are getting a lot done every week, it seems that much of our time is being devoted to eating popcorn...with the new seasoning flavors...well, you get the picture. Everybody is working hard, and the build team is just finishing up with modifying the design of our robot. It's well, kind of complex. Using one of CLGfive's tactics, we have built our robot on a gathering attachment...more on that when we get sooner to the competition. Here are some pictures of whats going on. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy!

Clgfive - Dragster Pics

Here are those pictures I promised of my new, super slow, Dragster!

FLL - More News From Thursday's Meeting

As Bryce explained yesterday, we've decided on the team name, "Brix", and we are starting some T-Shirt design. We've also been making some major breakthroughs in both of our team sectors, Building and Programming as well as The Project Team. Being that I'm on the Building and Programming side, I can't too well explain whats going on with our Smart Moves project (stay tuned for a guest post next week), but I can say that we have made some big moves with the designing of our robot. For obvious reasons, we can't give you specifics, but the gist of our model is that it is built to make tough journeys across the board easier, and complete missions without the need of a third motor. Based on a team decision we may or may not post pictures, but I have a good feeling about our position so far. Stay tuned for more Brix news and some more team centered blog settings!

FLL - Say Hello To Team Brix!

Hey Guys,
Well, today it was decided that our team name for this year would be team Brix. Pretty cool huh? We are now designing our t-shirts, and will be showing them off very soon!

Clgfive - Dragster Preview

The other day I had the idea of building a motorcycle robot, but due to some restrictions with the size of the NXT brick, it became a dragster- a very slow dragster. I'll post some pictures later, along with some thoughts for the final version.

FLL - Handy Video

Hello everybody!
I have been searching around, and found a pretty good youtube video explaining the challenges for Smart Moves, 2009. Check it out!

FLL - New Season, Blog Changes, and Other Updates

Hey everybody! It's that team of year again- yup, that's right, FLL is back! Like Bryce has already explained, some of the new missions are going to be great, and our team is already back into the swing of things. This year our team has a total of 5 NXT bricks, a few of which have already become base models (refer to some posts from the spring). Right now we are mostly working on the field setup and building all the models (of course, I decided to pick the most boring one in the guide wall, figures). By my estimates we will be in full force programming and building attachments by next week. I've got a good feeling about this year based on our team, the changes we've made in planning, the new kids, and the huge head start we have on last year. Not only that, but most of our team already has a seasons experience, and we will be able to start programming right away.

On the other hand, I have some apologies to make. As the admin of this site, I haven't really been doing my job. I haven't been posting, I haven't been building, I haven't even really been checking on the blog. I've been a little bit caught up with some other things in my life, but I think I should be able to begin posting a normal amount again.

Lastly, I want to announce some changes to the blog. We will be adding and changing some of the categories (as you can see, this post is labeled as "FLL" instead of the old labeling), and my site won't be updated as often (it's sort of a hassle to post updates there). We will also have some more guest posts from team members.

I think this should be a good season!

News - Smart Moves Challange Available

Hey Guys,
Due to a power supply failure, I have not been able to post much lately, but my new one just arived today, so more post on the way! First off, it's official, FLL Smart Moves is now available, and ready for you to pick up. Second, I have just started a new robot, that I think will domanate FLL, and I think our team should use somthing like it. It's called TrII. Why TrII? That's our teams little secret... Why it's called that will be relesed a few months into building, just for safetys sake. Some pics to come...
A few links;
FLL Smart Moves Website
TechBrick
TechBrick has the challenges posted.

News - NXT Programs Update

Hey Guys,
If you havent been by NXTPrograms.com, they are currently updating their site, to allow projects using the NXT 2.0. As you know, there are supposed to be 10 extra models to build, by going online. They are also listing compaitible NXT one instructions that can be built using the NXT 2.0. Here's a few links:
NXTPrograms.com
New NXT Programs front page
New NXT Programs NXT 2.0 page

Other People - Robodile and Holonomic Drive

Hey Guys!
After just getting back, I'm posting again. Here with a few things. One is an NXT Holonomic drive, which uses three "legs" to move around, check it out!



Also, I found a page where a team had two weeks to design and animal sort of robot, and they made a crocodile! It's sortof like CLGfive's robot, except it lifts its legs up, and moves them forward, using much gearing. Check out the website here, and a video down below.

Opinion - Stealing My Idea?

Has LEGO stolen my idea? Or is it just a freak coincidence? Watching the video from Bryce's last post, I noticed this alligator robot... and how it moved. If you look closely you will see little legs spinning around, propelling the robot forward. I don't know if anyone remembers Frogger (my little hopping robot that was finished but never really worked, so I sort of abandoned it), it worked on the same concept- rotating legs pushing in forward. So what do you think? Did LEGO steal my idea? Post a comment below with your thoughts.

News - Mindstorms 2.0

Hey Guys,
Its finally here. NXT 2.0 has finally went live on the Lego website, and is now avaiable for purchase! Check it out here, and check out the Toys R' Us Video demonstrating the new bots!
Here's some pics of the new box, and whats included. We're very excited, and our FLL team will be purchasing NXT 2.0 this build season, so coming soon!
Contents...
Back...
Technology...

Bryce - RobotC

Hey Guys,
As CLGfive said, our schedules are indeed winding down. RobotC is coming along great, and I have recently purchased the program. It's great! I'm almost finished with the sensing challenge, and will soon be moving onto variables (finaly!). Also, I am using the forums on the RobotC website for help. Check them out if you get a chance, and If you just want to see what RobotC is about, check out their home page. Hopefully, I'll have that challenge completed soon. Some Links:
RobotC Homepage
RobotC Forums

Clgfive - A Warning... And Some Updates

Today I thought to myself, "Hey, you haven't worked on your NXTs in a while, better get working..." After this thought I realized it was true- I was giving myself a warning to get working! First off I need to get something straight: if you guys don't post a comment to this post including a link to a program using BlueTooth remote controlling, I will have to start working on something else. It is something I don't really know how to do, and need YOUR help to improve on. Some other things are that I'm planning to film some cool just fun NXT videos, possibly involving some freestyle Tri-Bot... more on that in the next few days. I haven't been replying to a lot of comments, lately, and that is also going to change. Oh, and for all you long time followers of the blog, don't worry, things are looking up. Our schedules are winding down, leaving us with a little more time to post these days. I know Bryce has been working on some cool stuff with Robot-C and I've had tons of time to plan cool projects for the future (they're confidential, of course). Anyway, post those comments below!

Other People - Robotic Arm

Just another cool creation... don't quite know what the RCX does though...

Bryce - FLL Update

Hey Guys,
With school almost over, much studying is being done, so I have not been posting much. But, I have a little update on whats going on at FLL now! Check it out! Also, I am currently building a robot to compete with CLGfive's Ball Bot. More on that soon.

Other - Clgfive's New Camera

Guess what- today I reaceaved my new Canon VIXIA HF10 video camera! Be ready for awesome HD video from now on in all my videos!

Opinion - NXT-G

A lot of people debate over programming preferences. Many more advanced programmers who use RobotC or Lejos often thing of NXT-G as stupid and childish, saying how you can learn no programming skills through the software. I disagree. For you to understand why, I will make a connection to learning a spoken language. There is a grammar and there is spelling. What NXT-G does is it teaches you the grammar, basically how to program, but not the spelling, the code used to program. Post a comment below with your thoughts on the topic.

Bryce - RobotC Update

Hey Guys,
Sorry for not posting, I am currently working on a huge challenge for RobotC, and I'm working on the last part of the program. I can now program Ultrasonic, Light, and Touch sensors. Hopefuly I'll have the challenge completed soon. Here's a quick vid...

Other People - Voyager

Here is just another neat robot I found on YouTube:

Clgfive - BlueTooth RC Programming

Hey everyone! I've been programming my JoyStiq project for a few days now, and I've been having trouble with the stuff that really matters- the communications. If you have or can find a program for any joystick remote controllers out there, please post a comment with a link below. It's all up to you!

Other - Anouncement

If you live in the US you know it is Memorial Day Weekend. I just want to let everyone know we won't be posting this weekend, but on Tuesday we will start up full force again, posting everyday like we had been.

Opinion - Instructions

If you're like me, you probably got your first LEGO set at the age of about five and spend days trying to figure out how it goes together. By seven you started to get the hang of things, and by eight a hundred dollar set was a hundred minute job. What do all three stages have in common? Instructions. When you buy a LEGO kit you usually want to follow the instructions and build whatever it is you bought. And that's fine; its fun, and it comes out looking great. What I can't stand (that's not the phrase, more like "dislike") is people (Bryce, just to name one) who build NXT projects from other people's instructions. To me, that's not satisfying. Robotics and engineering are about designing your own models, not copying other peoples models centimeter by centimeter. Now, I'm not saying copying ideas is wrong, quite the contrary, actually. Copying ideas is what keeps people going, it helps people succeed. I just think that copying a model exactly as it was is wrong, especially if you try to take credit for it. Post a comment below with your thoughts on the topic. Remember, there is open posting, so anyone can post a comment!

Bryce - Hit and Run

Hey Guys,
This is my first program that I have made using RobotC programing! It is called hit and run. The object? Simple. Run foreword, hit an object, and then run back. Check out the video! I am currently working on a challenge that came with RobotC, coming soon.

Clgfive - Future Project

While I continue to work on the Joystiq programming, I thought of a new idea for the future: a motorcycle! I've seen motorcycles made with LEGO before, but they all double up on the wheels so that they can stand up. Mine will be simple; two skinny wheels with a bunch of gearing and two motors powering the wheels. It will rely on pure speed and balance to keep itself up. Below is a picture of the "exoskeleton", that is, without motors and sensors and what not. Stay tuned!

Bryce - Robot C!

Hey Guys,
I have just started attempting to program in Robot C! I am currently building Tribot, so that I can test robot C. More news coming soon!

Bryce - Gearbot Final Build!

Hey Guys, I have "finished" Gearbot. It's official. I'm still working out some kinks in the steering, but all in all, it's a good robot. The gears work well, and I used TM4040's steering mechanism for the front end steering. Meanwhile, TM4040 is making another bot! It works very well, and I'm not sure what exactly it is, but its cool. I'll have a pic in a day or two.

Clgfive & Bryce - FLL Update

Hey everyone! With summer right around the corner, expect to start seeing more and more FLL posts. Our team will be buying the FLL Smart Moves kit when it comes out so we can start building in the fall, and we are starting to work out the legistics now. We are trying to decide on names, groups, organization, and loads of other stuff to get ready for the season, but it is coming up. Stay tuned!

Bryce - What Next?

Hey Guys,
I am just wondering, what do you all think I should build next? I always make the decision, now its up to you! Post a comment depending on what you think! (Possibly something hard, that's going to take me a while)

A humanoid?


A random build that has no point?

Clgfive - JOYstiQ Update 1

Today I have made up my mind, and after trying a few things I am just going to use Tribot as my test vehicle for JOYstiQ. That way I can post all the project info and stuff without having to worry about another build. Should be done soon, and I will keep you updated!

Bryce - Gearbot!

Hey Guys!
Sorry for not posting, I will be posting every day or two from now on, but anyway, I am almost finished with Gearbot, and that video of Treadbot is taking forever to finish edditing! Coming soon. Anyway, check out this video of Gearbot, I have since then added the 2nd drive motor and more gears, and am now working on the steering, I am going to use somthing like the Self Parking Car Steering.

Clgfive - JOYstiQ Preview

Hey everyone! Today I bring you the finished joystick remote control project I like to call JOYstiQ. It offers one "action" controller, one directional controller, and one speed controller. The video below is a Blogger exclusive, meaning I won't post it to YouTube, only my loyal readers can watch it. Soon I will have a demo car built so I can post the "official" demonstration video, but for now here is the controller called JOYstiQ (Like the name? Post a comment below!)

Clgfive - New Joystick Project

I took apart NheXT last night, and started to add motors to my video-game style controller (see previous posts), when I encountered a problem. The motor was too hard to turn with those little joysticks, so I am stepping it up. Below you will a picture of the new joystick handle I build, which will work in the same way a classic video-game joystick would work. It is basically a long rectangular prism with a touch sensor on the top and the cord running down the interior. Now all I have to do is build the mechanism that reads its motion and its all done! Tommorow I will post I detailed plan of the process I will go through with this project. Stay tuned!

Clgfive - Final Decision

My decision is final- I am going to disassemble NheXT and work on a new project for a while. Don't worry; I will be returning to the project sometime soon, but I've just been aggravated lately staring at the robot and saying to myself "There is nothing I can do to it." Now that I have diagnosed the situation and know what will need to be done to it in the future, I feel confident in taking it apart and starting a new project, probably one involving my RC Controller I built (see previous posts). In the meantime, I will continue to give updates and post the usual stuff. One final memorial service to this robot:

Bryce - Treadbot News

Hey Guys,
I have just finished recording over 40 minutes of video! All of my Treadbot! The video will be long, but that's alright, in other news, I've taken apart the Bot, and I'm now working on Another Ballbot. Coming soon! I have video and images of the Gearbot at school, and will post them tomorrow, until then, keep building!

Bryce - Gearbot and Treadbot News

Hey Guys,
So sorry for not posting, I've been on vacation for the past week. And, yes CLGfive, you are correct! I am working on my third build of Gearbot, and its coming along great. It's going to take a while more, maybe a few weeks to complete. I am going to take apart my Treadbot, but only after taking another, better video of it doing multiple task. After that I am going to work on another Ballbot, a better one (of course).

Bryce - Gearbot 2.0 Preview

Hey guys- and guess what? This is Clgfive! Yes, I know I am posting a Bryce post, but I can explain. So, today I had some extra time to kill so I popped by FLL for like 45 minutes and just sort of ate some popcorn and checked out what everyone was doing. While there, I noticed Bryce working on his Gearbot 2.0 which I can assure you will be way better than 1.0. Sadly, I didn't get a picture (maybe Bryce can do that), but I did learn a little about it. For one, apparently it is his third try at the build. Also, he told me that he has changed the gearing for a more stable and reliable build. Can't wait to see the finished product!

News - New HiTechnic Site Design

For those of you who haven't been to NXTasium lately, HiTechnic has completely redesigned it's site. Now it looks much more proffesional over the old, basic, amateur looking site.

Other - Post Through EMail!

Hey everyone! Guess what- I just did this post through email! And, well, that’s pretty much it…

Clgfive - NhexT Legs

NhexT, my RHex simulator, is a tricky build. You see, the combonation of a massive dead load and legs that only cover one side of the motor don't mix- actually the legs kick out and it can't even stand up. So now I am in a dilema: start from scratch, move on to another build, or figure out a way to fix this thing. And I want your help. Post a comment below saying what I should do, and remember that open comments means that anyone can vote. I want to make up my mind some time this week, so post sooner rather than later!

Other People - 350 Climate Connections FLL Run

Hey, all! I've always loved to watch other teams FLL runs, and I am seriously looking forward to posting my own on YouTube once the new season starts. Here is a cool video of a round getting 350 points! If you have a YouTube video displaying an FLL round of yours, post a link to it below, and if you want I can feature your video in a post!

Clgfive - Video Game Style RC

Today I come to you with a little something I built yesterday- it's a base model for my remote control er I am building with my second NXT. Sadly, I can't do much more with it right now than what I have already done, only because the motors and NXT brick I need are being used for NhexT (see prior posts). By the way, sorry it is taking so long, I have figured out the communications but the legs and motor situation is still bothering me. Anyway, you can look at the picture below. It works by transferring the rotation of the two single directional joy-sticks. The sensor you see is a touch sensor that will activate an action I set it to. For now, here is a picture:

Other - Results Are In!

The results are in on our organization poll! Check out the sidebar for results, and post a comment about what you think!

Other People - Easter Egg NXT

Hey Guys
While looking on the NXT Step, I stumbled across this. An Easter egg colorer. It actually paints your Easter eggs! Really cool, check it out! Here's building instructions, a video, and more pictures.

Opinion - Super NXT?

Hey all. Sorry I haven't been posting lately, I get pretty busy in the spring! Anyway, today I am coming to you with another one of those ask the audience posts. I've heard alot of talk about this Super NXT, especially over at The NXT Step (see sidebar)and I've been wondering; what is it? If anyone out there has any info let me know, and if you have decoded the clues at the NXT Step please leave a comment below!

Bryce - Gearbot 1

Hey Guys,
I have recently been wanting to get better at gearing. I decided to make a gearbot! It works, kindof. I am currently working on build 2.0 Coming in about 1 week.

Bryce - Gearbot

Hey Guys,
I have been working on something new (again)... a Gearbot! It has many gears, (for me) and it uses one motor to go foreword, and one more to turn. Just a fun build, and its helping me get used to gearing. Here's a pic:
P.S. I haven't added the Brick yet.

Bryce - Friction and Non-Friction Pins

Hey Guys,
I have always wondered, why do some of the pins have little lines on them? I soon found out that they are Friction pins. I know what friction is, but how does it affect a pin? Does it make it easier to put in or take out? Or does it fall out more easily? Post a comment if you have an answer.

Bryce - More New Legos!

Hey Guys,
While looking around in my closet, I found this: A Lego Racers: Jumping Giant. Luckily, it's mostly Technic pieces! So now I can build bigger robots! Here's a picture.

Other People - Scanner

These scanners never cease to amaze me!

Other People - Another Tank

Here's just a neat tank I found on YouTube:

Bryce - Tread Bot Demonstration

Hey Guys,
Here's a video of my destructive Tread-Bot!
Be Sure to vote on our pieces survey!

Clgfive - My Organization

I don't usually complain, but I have become desperate. Below you will find a picture of all my parts and all my storage containers. The tackle box is full, even with all the other parts on my robot and in the box, and my other containers are fairly pointless. I also have another box with all my wheels, pneumatic tubing, etc. And the biggest problem is that I can't afford any new storage containers! Do you want to help? If you do, you can do so by clicking at the advertisements on the side bar! All you have to do is click the link in the blue boxes on the sidebar, and it will cost you nothing but a few seconds of your time! It will not harm your computer or anything like that, either, it will only improve the site! Do it multiple times and I may even be able to afford a third NXT! Don't worry, I do split the money 50/50 with Bryce! So please help the blog and click on the ads!

Bryce - Robot Preview

Hey Guys,
Just a little preview of the robot that I built for our battle...

Clgfive - FLL Gathering Attachment

Over the past couple days I have built a gathering attachment that uses no motors! Here is a video of it:

Bryce - New Parts

Hey Guys,
So sorry for not posting, things have been crazy around here, and Clgfive and I have been up to our necks in schoolwork. So, while wondering around in Tek-Kids closet, I found some old bionicle sets. I found many useful parts that I would like to have, and politely asked him if I could have them. To my amazement, he said yes! Check out all the parts That I got, over 100! Plus, 2 new weapons, a dart shooter, and a ball shooter, (ball shooter ships with Mindstorms 2.0!) (I also have the extra Bionicle peices, which are not shown in the picture because I cannot use them with Mindstorms.)

Clgfive & Bryce - FLL Team on the Off Season

Here is a video documentary of our FLL team on the off season... this is what we do almost every day!

Clgfive & Bryce - New Peices Are Here!

Today a big order arrived for our FLL team. Along with our 4th LEGO Mindstorms NXT Edu kit, we also had ordered NXT-G 2.0, two extra motors for attachment tests and expirements, and some extra connector parts. Sadly all this good news comes with a catch- we have to organize it! I guess it was coming anyway, since our cabinets filled with buckets filled with trays of parts are a complete disaster, and our team's coach has already said we need to have it all organized by next season. Anyway, here is a picture of the extra parts we got:

Clgfive - BlueTooth Programming Success!

Finally, after days of playing around with programs and awkward sensor techniques, I finally have a working programming system for NhexT! Using the "wait" block, I have sucessfully gotten the legs to spin the right way, but with only one problem- for whatever reason the Port A motors spin less than the other motors. Does anyone know why? Post a comment if you do!

Bryce - Tek-kid's Design

Well, Tek-kid had yet again redesigned his robot, now he has it remote controlled, it looks like a house, and has something like helicopter blades on top that spin around. I'm getting worried.

Bryce - Treads Have Arrived

Hey Guys,
My treads finally got here, in a huge box! After I took them out, I thought, wait, I just took my robot apart! Perfect, now I can use them in my Battle Bot!

Clgfive - Some FLL BCR 1000 Updates (Part 1)

Today I added some stuff to my FLL BCR 1000. For one, me and Bryce built a new ball caster which doesn't allow the ball to fall out but can easily be pulled out. Also, I added a bunch of beams to the side of it so that I can easily put attachments on the robot and they can easily come off, which is key for FLL. I will probably post a picture tommorow (that will be Part 2).

Bryce - Battle Bot

Hey Guys,
Tek-kid has insisted that he has more time to work on his robot, so I have decided to take advantage of that opportunity. I am redesigning my robot, hopefully like a tank this time. Back to the drawing board (again). Stay tuned!

Clgfive - My New Robot

Alright, I can't keep a secret any longer. I am currently working on a new robot I like to call NheXT, which will be a LEGO version of the famous Boston Dynamics robot, Rhex. I am currently encountering some problems with weight control and leg width as well as Bluetooth connections, but that's hopefully nothing I can't take care of. This will hopefully be ready in time for the video contest, but if not there will always be other NXTLOG contests. Check out this picture of my design:

Clgfive - FLL BCR 1000!

Hey guys! Today I build v2 of the FLL BCR 500, it's the FLL BCR 1000! I focused on a sturdier robot, with more areas for attachments. Also, I modified the old ball castor so that the ball was looser and the castor bas tighter to the robot for zero-radius turns. Here is a video:

Bryce - Tek-kid

Hey Guys,
From now on, my brother is Tek-kid. Our robots are both further progressing, and I am working on armor for my robot right now, he is still trying to build his. I don't know what hes going to build, but its going to have to be good! The battle will hopefully happen tonight, stay tuned!
P.S. He seems to have quite a mess to clean up afterwords! (See picture below)

Bryce - New Parts

Hey Guys,
I have just ordered NXT caterpillar treads and hubs. (Can be found here). I have a few creations in mind for these treads... Also, my brother is being very slow building his creation for our battle, though he assures me that its going to beat me. I guess we'll just have to see.



P.S. This is Mindstorms Worlds 100th Post!

Clgfive & Bryce - The Battle 2!

It's finally here! Bryce vs. Clgfive Battle #2 with Tm4040 is finished, and I have finished editing! This video has all the elements we wanted to use last time - and more! Here are the credits: Supplies - Courtesy of FLL Team, Titles - Windows Movie Maker, Editing - Pinnacle Ultimate, Editor - Clgfive, Camera - Clgfive, Music (In Order) - No You Girls (Franz Ferdinand), Out of Exile (Audioslave), Fell In Love With a Girl (The White Stripes).

Bryce - Battle Preview

Hey Guys,
I have a picture of my robot, completed, unfortunately, my brother is still building his robot, battle soon!

Bryce - Battle Bot

Hey Guys, I am currently building a robot to compete, (and hopefully win) against my brothers power functions. We are both still building, and when we do have a battle, I will record it, and upload it to Blogger for us all to see!
P.S.
Bryce VS TM4040 VS Clgfive Battle coming soon, very soon, stay tuned!

Opinion - Top 5 Tools Needed When Working With NXT

Hey Guys,
Today, I'm going to show you some of the top things that I often use when working with my NXT.

First, you always need a knife, a good sharp knife, for if you need to cut a piece to make it fit somewhere, make sure the knife is sharp, and that you KNOW how to use it.

Second, you need pliers. These are always great for pulling pieces out of something, and they are a lifesaver.

Third, you need a flash drive/jump drive. This is always the best tool for carrying around your programs, videos and pictures of your NXT.


Forth, have a Bluetooth dongle. You can get one for about 5 USD online, and they work great, way better than connecting the USB cable every time you need to update your program, it saves you a lot of time.

And last, you will want to have extra pieces. I know, its very easy to lose peices, and when you don't have enough, it ruins working with the NXT, because you have to downsize, and that's no fun! Always be sure to have your extra pieces on hand, they come in handy!

Tutorial - More Modded Legos...

Hey Guys,
Sorry for not posting, I've been discovering the wonders of modding Lego pieces. I have made changes to pins, and to a gear. Check out these videos showing how.

Clgfive - My Second NXT!

Today I got a second NXT! As an early birthday present, I actually got a second NXT kit today! You guys can expect bigger and better creations then ever before! I am finishing up on a surprise Video Contest project right now, and I think I may start a LEGO version of RHex right after that (you can search RHex in Google for more). Maybe I will even finish it in time for the video contest!

Tutorial - How to Get a Gear Inside the Turntable!

I have finally succeeded in getting the 24t gear inside the turntable gear! check out this video I made to see how! And yes, this is a new title topic!

Clgfive & Bryce - Battle #2!

That's right; we really are releasing a new battle! Today our construction process finished and we will be filming the battle on Wednesday. This time there is a catch- we have a third participant! FLL team member Tm4040 is going to be the third member of this battle! So here's how it will work: all three robots will be remote controlled like last time, and will fight using their two weapons which can be switched out in between rounds. The goal will be to push the opponents outside the tape, sort of like a sumo competition. Some early practice rounds have proved that casualties will be high and parts will be flying. The addition of RCX motors has also added a new element. This battle WILL use the green screen we promised last time (we have figured out how to use it) and more surprises. We want to make this one perfect, so it will be released some time next week as long as everything goes well on Wednesday. Sadly I can't set a firm date and time at this point because of problems we had last time. Here are pictures of the three robots, they go in order Clgfive, Bryce, Tm4040.

Opinion - NXT VS NXT 2.0

Hey Guys,
I have been reviewing the NXT and the NXT 2.0, (the one coming out soon). Here are some features of both.

NXT:
Same NXT stuff
Light sensor, US sensor, Hearing sensor, Touch sensor
3 motors
NXT - G software

NXT 2.0
Comes with small extra balls, and a ball holder for projects
COLOR SENSOR, US Sensor, 3 Touch sensors, No light, (color replaces that) no hearing sensor, (does not work well)
3 motors
NXT - G 2.0 Software

All in all, I think its best to wait for the 2.0, you get the color sensor, you can buy the light sensor if you want for an extra 20, instead of buying the NXT original package, and buying the color sensor for 54.99 USD. Also, the NXT - G 2.0 software, (included)so you don't have to buy it separately, that's about 50 USD.
Hearing sensor is not worth buying the old NXT kit for, Buy the NXT 2.0. You get the most out of your money.

Bryce - Crane

Hey Guys,
I finished uploading the NXT Crane video, and here it is. I'm now working on something special, it should be up soon, maybe tomorrow or the next day.

Opinion - Power Functions Connections

Today I have more of a call to action than an opinion post. So, I was looking at the Power Functions part of LEGO.com and I noticed that the extension cable is in 9V format. So does this mean it can hook up to the NXT? So, since I don't personally have Power Functions, I want you guys to try it. Here is what I want you to do: take a PF motor, a PF extension cord, a RCX/NXT converter cable, and an NXT and hook it all up! Post a comment below (remember, open comments!) with your result and/or a link to a video you made of this to either prove or disprove the theory. I will post the best video on this blog! So get commenting!

Bryce - Crane

Hey Guys,
I have just finished my NXT Crane. I am editing the video, and it should be up soon. In the mean time, I am working on something special, stay tuned to see what.
P.S. It's going to be awesome.

Other People - Tilted Twister

This is an amazing Rubik's Cube solving robot that I found which doesn't use a seperate computer for creating a solve algorithm! The entire process is done from the NXT! Here is the video:

Bryce - Clawbot, Dog Bone Taker, and NXT Sound Sensor

Hey Guys, I have just successfully made a video of a Claw-bot, that I made today. I have abandoned my dog bone taker, because that had already been made many times by other people. And my experiences with the NXT sound sensor weren't that good, it works with sounds, like piano keys, but it does not work with voice very well. If you are going to use it, do not speak, use specific sounds.
A video of the Claw-Bot:

Bryce - NXT Length Calculator

My NXT Length Calculator, I Got this project, and the program from NXT Programs. All credit goes to them.

A video:

Opinion - Black NXT Brick

Hey Guys,
I want to know, whats all the fuss about the Black NXT Brick. It's the same thing as the regular NXT Brick, but its in black. I know its for Mindstorms 10th anniversary, but for 20 dollars more? I'll Pass! Both Bricks are the same thing, and while it would be cool to have a Black brick, I'll keep my money and buy another sensor, or motor.

Other People - Ogre, The Black NXT Tank

Well, today I have a special treat. You may or may not have seen the video over on The NXT Step, but Brian Davis released Ogre, a robot designed around the limited edition Black NXT Brick. It is one of the coolest robot's I've seen in a really long time. See for yourself:



Pretty cool, huh?

Clgfive & Bryce - New Peices Ordered

Our FLL team has just ordered a few new Lego things. We have ordered:
1 Lego Mindstorms NXT Education Version
2 Extra Motors
Some More Pins (Not sure how many)
1 New Lego Software 2.0 (Newest Version)

We should be better prepared for next year, hope all this helps.

Clgfive & Bryce - The Battle Is Here!

Here's the video of our vicious battle. Sorry for the delay, apparently my message failed to get through on email, and I just got home. Sorry! Stay tuned for more battles!

Clgfive & Bryce - Sorry...

I apologize for the delay, for whatever reason Bryce (who has the video) hasn't posted it yet. Hopefully it will still be released tonight.

Clgfive & Bryce - Battle Tonight!

Just a reminder that our battle will be released tonight at 6:00 EST. We had a load of fun making it and can't wait to have more challenges. Feel free to post a comment displaying your prediction of the winner (obviously we already know). Remember, we have open comments now!

Bryce - Dog Bone Taker

I have decided to make a dog bone taker. Just for laughs. It should be up in..maybe a few days to a week. There's the video of it (that someone else made).

Clgfive - My Video Contest Ideas

Hey everyone! There's been a slight change in plan and I have decided that I am going to go right to the video contest project. Now what I need is some ideas. I started working on one project, but with the supplies I had the gearing was nearly impossbile, and It could get enough torque to run. So I need you guys to help me come up with an idea! Post your idea as a comment to this post if you want a say in what I do! Remember that I have pneumatics, and the link to the contest rules can be found here.

Tutorial - NXT VS RCX Motors

Hey Guys,
I finally got the video edited and uploaded, and here it is, its a demonstration of the speeds, and strength of the NXT and RCX motors.

Bryce - NXT Remote Demonstration

Hey Guys,
I've been waiting to test this for a while, now that I have Bluetooth, I can. I made a video of my NXT using the Remote Control. This program is easy to use!
P.S. A video of NXT VS RCX motors coming soon...hopefully tonight.

Clgfive - CrossBot Final

Alright, everybody. It is official: I am done with the CrossBot. I completed posting the Project Archives page which can be found here. I will start a new project this week, and hopefully it will be quick so I can start my Video Challenge Project!

Bryce - Bluetooth Dongle

Hey Guys,
Sorry for not posting, I've been away for a while, but upon my arrival back at home, I found the Bluetooth Dongle that I had ordered was here. After playing around with it for a while, I got it to work with the NXT remote control (posted earlier by Clgfive). For 3 dollars, it works great, I also took some pictures and will post them. I'll make a video demonstrating the remote control (hopefully today). (You can buy it Here or Here).

Clgfive - I Am Entering the Video Contest!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I am going to enter the NXT Log Video Challenge! I haven't decided what I will build yet, but I'd love it if you guys gave me some ideas! Just post a comment to this video to be heard!

Clgfive - The CrossBot

It is finally here! My CrossBot is complete, just stay tuned for building instructions and programs this week!

Other - Search Mindstorms!

Hey everybody! I have added a custom Google search box to the sidebar which uses the keywords of things that have to do with LEGO Mindstorms. Want some new Mindstorms stuff but can't find a specific? Search something and check out the advertisements on the right of your results. Want some LEGO or robotics stuff? Click around on the advertisements on the sidebar!

Bryce - Forklift Updates

Hey,
I've been working on my forklift, and have made some updates, and made a new demonstration.

Other People - NXT to RCX Communications

Here is a video of some NXT to RCX and vice-versa communications. It really should be a lot easier than this (hint, post a comment if you know how to make it easier).

News - Custom NXT Cables

Hey Guys,
Do you find that you have a lot of time on your hands? Well, then this project is just right for you, making your own cables of custom length! It may take a while, but it's well worth it, because now, you don't have cables getting in the way of your building. Here are some instructions.
PHILO Method
More Details Here

Other People - Self Parking Car

EDIT- I now have information that there are directions for this comercially available in one of the Mindstorms books. Credit for the design should not go to the maker of this video.

Sorry I haven't posted much the past few days, been real busy. As I said in my last post, some final CrossBot stuff should come out on Sunday, and I will wrap it up with the finished Project Archives page some time next week. Anyway, after some YouTube searching I came across this: The Self Parking Car (SPC for short). I guess by using the Ultrasonic sensor it can detect its limits and squeeze its self in. This would be a helpful program for a lot of my four-wheelers!

Bryce - Forklift

Hey Guys,
It's finaly here! My NXT Forklift has been completed, and after many modifications, here it is.

Bryce - Bluetooth Dongle

Hey Guys,
I have just purchased a Bluetooth USB Dongle, It should make working with the robots easier, and faster. I will inform you and show you pictures when it gets here (about a week or so). My Forklift is complete! I am now in the programing proccess and will put up a video in a few hours (hopefully).

Clgfive - CrossBot Update

I apologize for this, but, for those of you waiting for videos and what not, my CrossBot programming has been having some problems downloading. So, do to commitments, I won't be able to work on it again until around saturday/sunday/monday. But I will continue posting until then you just won't be getting and CrossBot updates or anything.

Bryce - Forklift

Hey Guys,
Sorry for not posting, I've been working on a Mindstorms Forklift. It should hopefully be ready for today.

Bryce - Smooth Follow

Finally got the video to upload to Youtube, here it is.

Bryce - Many Demonstrations

Hey Guys,
I've been working hard, and I've just finished editing a few videos. (Sorry no NXT fight yet). I have modded (cut) some NXT Pieces, made a video of the Smoothe Follow program and line follower robot (Program and building instructions can be found Here), and I have broadcasted my NXT base, which I use in most of my creations. (Sorry, Smooth follow coming soon, I'm having trouble uploading it)

Clgfive - CrossBot v1

Today I finished the CrossBot v1, which transports and fires the crossbow you have seen in past posts. Probably tomorrow I will have the Search/Destroy program and NXT Remote settings as well as video of the robot! Here are some pictures I took (sorry they don't look to0 good, I had little time to edit them):

Bryce - Transporter Bot

A quick video of my latest build, the transporter bot. It moves things around for you. Fairly easy to make. Enjoy.
P.S. Stay tuned for our NXT battle, we filmed it today, and are currently in the editing process.

Clgfive - Goodbye, SegCar GS

After looking at the polls and my gut feeling, I have decided to disassemble my SegCar GS, for now that is. I wrote an LDD file and notes for it, which you can find here, though, so at some point I can come back to it. But, for now, you can be expecting to see my Cross Bow robot fairly soon!

Other People - Tank

Hey Guys,
Check out this tank! It stabs, shoots, and cuts. Imagine what you could do with this thing!

Clgfive - SegCar GS...

Hey everyone! The SegCar GS, the project I had such high hopes for, has problems. I just can't get the programming right, and with my current knowledge of only NXT-G, it has been really hard. So recently my robot has been gathering dust, and I don't want that. I feel like I want to take it apart and come back to it another time, but I just don't know. So I am going to let you guys help. Post your opinion in the survey on the sidebar by Saturday at 11:00 AM EST to be heard!

Clgfive - CrossBow With Pneumatics

A few days ago I posted some pictures of my crossbow hooked up to all the pneumatics. Here is a video:

Other - Battle

Hey everyone. Sorry about the confusion, but the battle discussed in the last post will actually be posted on Wendsday, February 25 at 6:00 PM EST (Eastern Time). Be ready- we began the building today and it should turn out really well!

Other - Battle Coming Soon

Hey,
Clgfive and I have decided to have a battle between our 2 robots. We are starting the building process tonight, and will develop a wide array of weapons in the next few days. The video will be coming Tuesday- stay tuned!

Other People - iPhone Controlled NXT

Hey Guys,
I've seen a lot of things while working with the NXT Mindstorms. I've seen a robot solve a Rubik's Cube, and I've see a robot sort different colored Lego's then put them away. But I've never seen anything like this. This is a remote controlled NXT...from an iPhone! Apparently, some guys figured out how to use safari, and the light sensor on the NXT, to make the two communicate. Check out this video!!

News - NXT Log Video Challenge

Recently a new NXT Log challenge was announced- The Video Challenge! It seams to ask you to build a robot that stars in a sort of "show". Then you film it and post it with a certain tag. Sounds fun! Here is the intro to what LEGO posted:

Lights, camera, action! We want you to make your LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot the star of the show. This NXTLOG contest challenges you to direct the most creative and innovative video that shows off your NXT creation!

Post a comment about any robots you may enter into the competition!

Bryce - Tread Bot

Hey Guys,
I've recently been working with the Treads that can be purchased from Lego Education. These can go over almost anything, and have a lot of strength. Here I show them going over rubber wheels. Enjoy.

Other - Welcome!

For anybody who found this blog through The NXT Step, welcome! We are a regularly updated blog (about a post or two a day) which started last month. I am Clgfive and my co-author is Bryce. We blog about FLL, other peoples creations, our creations, NXT news, and more! You can look to the sidebar for any information you may need, and stay tuned for lots of great posts! Oh yeah, and check out our old posts, too. They are just as great! (You may notice that before the title of this post it says other. This is because of a sorting system we have. See the sidebar for more.)

P.S. Feel free to follow our blog! Just hit the button on the sidebar!

Clgfive - My 2008-2009 FLL Robot

For any one who is interested, here is a picture of my Climate Connections robot. Sorry it is so blurry, I never thought to take a picture of it before I took it apart, so this is zoomed in from a picture taken of me holding it. Our team had three robots, and this was the one that I, with the help of another teamate, built. It was called C-Bot