As you no doubt have learned, robotic development and programming are not only challenging but a whole lot of fun. While this book has taught you a lot about Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 and how to use it to develop all sorts of robotic creations, there is a lot more to this development framework than can possibly be covered in any one book. The purpose of this appendix is to provide you with a collection of online resources to which you can turn for more information about Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0. In addition, you will find resources listed for Lego in general and LDraw, the CAD (Computer Aided Design) software used in this book to generate 3D images and design instructions. With it, you can create documentation for your own robotic creations.
There is a lot of information about Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 available on the Internet if you know where to look for it. To help you get started, this appendix provides you with a list of essential web sites that you should frequent regularly in order to keep abreast of the latest information on Lego, Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0, and LDraw.
The official Lego Mindstorms web page is located at http://mindstorms.lego.com, as shown in Figure B.1. This site provides extensive information on Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0. You can sign up for a free Lego Mindstorms newsletter and participate in different building challenges. You can watch short movies, view fan-built projects, post and read questions and answers on forums, and even download free sounds for use in your projects.
Another excellent source for information on Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is the Mindstorms web page at the open directory project, located at http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Sports_and_Hobbies/Toys/Lego/Mindstorms//, as shown in Figure B.2. Here you will find links to all kinds of topics.
Another great way of keeping abreast of the latest happenings with Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is to regularly visit the NXT Step—Lego Mindstorms NXT Blog available at http://thenxtstep.blogspot.com/as shown in Figure B.3.
Figure B.3. This blog facilitates an ongoing global conversation for Lego Mindstorms NXT enthusiasts.
The site also provides access to the NXT STEP Forum, where you can participate in a host of different types of discussions.
The nxtprograms.com web site, shown in Figure B.4, provides you with access to instructions for building all kinds of robotic creations. Each project comes complete with color building instructions. You can even download the programs needed to bring these robots to life.
The Wikipedia Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 page, shown in Figure B.5, is located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Mindstorms_NXT_2.0. It provides a good overview of Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 and is a great source of references and links to online content, including articles and links to other web sites.
The nxtasy.org web site (http://nxtasy.org/), shown in Figure B.6, is dedicated to being a source of news and information exchange for Lego Mindstorms NXT users. It is rich with technical information and discussion. It also hosts different challenges—worldwide competitions that you can participate in. This site also hosts a forums area where you can post and read information shared among thousands of Lego Mindstorms enthusiasts.
If any of the electronic pieces belonging to your Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit break and need to be replaced or if you find yourself working on projects that require more electronic parts than came with the kit, you can purchase what you need from the Lego Shop located at http://shop.lego.com. Once there, do a search on Mindstorms and you’ll see a listing of all available parts as demonstrated in Figure B.7. In addition, you can also purchase sensors not supplied with your kit. These sensors include the gyroscopic sensor, infrared sensor, accelerometer sensor, compass sensor, sound sensor, and light sensor.
While you can create untold number of robots using just the pieces and parts that come with the Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit, there is no reason for you to limit yourself to just these resources. If you want, you can incorporate other types of Lego blocks and pieces into your creations, further expanding the types of things you can build.
While this book has provided you with a lot of good information on Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0, it has not focused much on the rest of the Lego Universe, which is amazingly extensive. To learn more about Lego, you should visit http://www.lego.com, as shown in Figure B.8. Here you will find information about Lego bricks, play sets, Mindstorms, and much more.
There is no better way to stay in touch with the greater Lego community than by joining the Lego Club, located at http://club.lego.com, as shown in Figure B.9.
Figure B.9. The Lego club is the place where Lego lovers around the world congregate and share information.
Here you can play games, post and read questions and answers on the site’s message boards, and sign up for the free club magazine.
Another source of information for Lego is the Lego Page at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego), shown in Figure B.10. Here you will find historical information about Lego as well as references to tons of online resources and Lego books.
If you want to document your own Lego robotic creations, one option is to use LDraw. LDraw is a free CAD-like software application that can be used to model Lego creations in 3D. Alternatively, you can use the LEGO Digital Designer program.
Wikipedia’s LDraw page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ldraw), shown in Figure B.11, provides an overview of LDraw. This site provides a good overview of the different software components that make up LDraw and provides information about books that cover LDraw.
LDraw’s main web site is www.ldraw.org, as shown in Figure B.12. This site provides a history of LDraw and provides information about books, online resources, and all things LDraw. You can download and install LDraw from this site. Instructions are provided for installing LDraw. There are also tutorials that you can read to learn all about LDraw and its operation.
LEGO Digital Designer, or LDD, is a free CAD program developed by Lego Group. As shown in Figure B.13, you can download a copy of it at http://ldd.lego.com/download/. It works on both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.
If you enjoyed this book and are interested in learning about other game developer options or other programming languages, visit my web site located at http://www.tech-publishing.com, as shown in Figure B.14. While you are there, drop me a message to let me know what you think of the book or how you think it might be improved.
Figure B.14. Visit www.tech-publishing.com to learn more about game development and to provide your feedback on this book.