Description

New! Upgraded and Stronger than ever!

LEGO Mindstorms NXT is back and better than ever: new models, more customizable programming and all-new technologies! Mindstorms NXT 2.0 combines the versality of the LEGO building system with all-new technologies, an intelligent microcomputer brick and intuitive drag-and-drop programming software. The new 2.0 toolkit features everything you need to create your first robot in 30 minutes and then thousands of other robotics inventions that do what you want!

The intelligent NXT LEGO brick features 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display, 4 input and 3 output ports, and Bluetooth and USB communication link

Amazon.com Review

Take LEGO to the next level with MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0. Combining the versatility of the LEGO building system with a microcomputer brick and intuitive programming software, this building kit enables you to construct robots that see, speak, feel, and move. Designed for ages 10 and up, the 2.0 robotics tool set features everything you need to create and program your first robot in approximately one hour. After that, you can create an endless lineup of robots that do what you want--if you can dream it, you can build it.

MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Ages: 10 and up Pieces: 619 Requires: 6 "AA"/LR6 batteries (not included)

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Brings LEGO to life. The Challenging: Booklet only includes instructions for one basic robot. In a Nutshell: Everything you need to build and program robots -- jump starts inventive play.

With MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0, you can construct robots that see, speak, feel, and move. View larger.

Use the included software to program your robot and watch it come to life. View larger.

Build, Program, Go
Creating a MINDSTORMS robot is challenging -- but not too difficult -- with an illustrated step-by-step booklet and software showing the way. The booklet gives you instructions for building a basic "Quick Start" robot only, which is an easy introduction to the MINDSTORMS experience. This robot took our two adult testers about 30 minutes to build and 30 minutes to program. After that, they spent a lot of time just playing with their creation and testing its abilities.

Once you master the basics of MINDSTORMS, you'll need to use the included software to get instructions for more advanced creations. You can also use the MINDSTORMS web site to find instructions for many other robots, or you can create robots on your own. No matter what you choose to create, the principles are the same: just build the robot using the LEGO elements in the kit, and program it on your computer using the software. Then watch your robot come alive.

NXT Technology Brings LEGO to Life
MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 features the latest in robotic technology: an advanced programmable microcontroller, Interactive Servo Motors, smart sensors, icon-based drag-and-drop programming software, interactive challenges, and wireless Blue tooth and USB connections -- all the smart technologies you need to create your custom robot.

First, the brain of the MINDSTORMS robot is NXT, an intelligent, computer-controlled LEGO brick that features a 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display, input and output ports, and a speaker.

Second, three Interactive Servo Motors give you precise control over the robot and ensure that the robot moves with precision -- the built-in rotation sensor can measure one-degree steps.

Third, there are four robotic sensors. The first is the Ultrasonic Sensor, one of two sensors that gives your robot vision. You can use it to make your robot avoid obstacles, sense and measure distance, and detect movement.

And fourth of all, two Touch Sensors give your robot a sense of touch. They detect when they are being pressed or released, and you can use them to make your robot pick up things or act on command. For example, by pressing a Touch Sensor you can make your robot walk, talk, close a door, or turn off your TV.

There's also a Color Sensor that functions three ways: it distinguishes colors -- black and white, as well as a range of bright and pastel colors -- it distinguishes light settings, and it can be used as a color lamp.

And finally, the MINDSTORMS Software lets you program your robot. Use the software to create a program, and then download the program to the NXT by using the USB cable or the wireless Blue tooth connection. Mac- and PC-compatible drag-and-drop software gives you 16 building and programming challenges, from beginner to expert.

Overall, this set scores an excellent rating for its clever design elements. Our testers enjoyed the way the set brought a new level of interaction to their LEGO experience, and appreciated how easy it was to create their first robot. They also loved the way this set encourages inventive play -- all the cool hardware that makes up the set can be used to build any robot you dream up. Finally, our testers liked how this set offers a great balance of learning and fun, and encourages interest in science, computers, and engineering.

Microsoft Windows Requirements
• Windows XP Professional or Home Edition with Service Pack 2 or newer
• Intel Pentium processor or compatible, 800 MHz minimum (1.5 GHz or better recommended)
• Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or newer
• Intel Pentium processor or compatible, 1 GHz minimum (1.5 GHz or better recommended)
• CD-ROM drive

Apple Macintosh Requirements
• Apple MacOS X v10.4 or v10.5
• PowerPC G3, G4, G5 processor, 600 MHz minimum
• Intel processor (1.3 GHz or better recommended)
• DVD drive

General System Requirements
• 512MB of RAM minimum
• 700MB of available hard-disk space
• XGA display (1024x768)
• 1 available USB port
• Compatible Blue tooth adapter (optional)

Customer Reviews

 Mindstorms for the younger child - Jul 26, 2010

The box says 10+, but I am sure there are some other people with children younger than 10 who are interested in mindstorms.

I can definitely recommend mindstorms for children who are interested but some years under the recommended age. My six year old has had more joy from the mindstorms 2.0 than any other toy. At this age she builds robots from instructions rather than inventing her own robots and although she modifies programmes she has yet to create her own from scratch. However this growth of use should allow the set to be still entertaining as her abilities grow.

The set itself is restrictive though. The memory limitations show an update is really needed and some form of multiplexing to allow more sensors would really expand what can be created.

But a great purchase for 6-10 year olds who are over the conventional lego sets which often build only one thing and then they are of little further interest.

 the MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 rocks! (A KID`S REVIEW) - Jul 22, 2010

I think that this is the best toy ever. I got for my birthday and I`ve been playing with it everyday since. I would really recommend this to people who like Technic and power functions some places on the internet have free building instructions and pre-made programs to download. one of those places is [...].

 I'm a seventeen year old girl and I love my robot :) - Jul 17, 2010

I first saw this product last week. I volunteered as a counselor at a math and science camp, and one of the workshops was robotics. They used the Lego Mindstorms NXT 1.0, and I absolutely fell in love with the little robots. Each group of kids had to engineer a robot to navigate an obstacle course, and because I was a counselor, I was supposed to just let the kids engineer and program the robot on their own, so I wasn't allowed to play with the robots on my own. However, I thought that they were so much fun that I came home and asked my dad to get me one for my brother (who is younger) and me.

The toy is a lot of fun. I definitely recommend it for young kids (ages 8+, for younger kids, adult supervision is highly recommended) who like to build things and see them work. Most of the lego diagrams are well done and easy to follow, but it is easy to make mistakes. However, what is nice about these kits is that there is room for error, and sometimes the toy will still work even if there is a missing piece. It allows for creativity and experimentation, which is more fun then just following a guide book.

I think that because I am older (17), the program was really easy for me to learn to use. Younger kids may have a more difficult time with it, but the program does come with "getting started" guides and there are instructions for programming the robot for the different designs it provides, which is really helpful for understanding how the program works (ie. the sensors, loops, switches, etc.). I gave the educational value a "4" because this is really graphical programming, geared towards younger kids. Fortunately, programs can also be written in C++ and Java, or so I have been told by my friends. :) So, potentially, there is a greater educational value for kids interested in computer science or programming. There are also people that are more advanced with programming, and they can program the NXT to solve a sudoku or a rubiks cube (you can look up videos on youtube.)

Also, the thing is, you don't really learn much "robotics," like the stuff they do on high school teams. But this is definitely a good product to get your kids interested in building and programming.

The legos are durable, as lego pieces are... Sometimes the power of each motor is not exactly the same, so you may have to compensate for the unevenness of the movement when doing the program. A minor drawback is that the NXT "brick" eats batteries like a monster, so be sure to have 6 AA batteries on hand when it runs low (and don't forget to turn off the brick when you're done playing with it!)

So far, I have built the shooterbot using the ultrasonic and light sensors, and they work beautifully. It's a lot of fun, and rather impressive when things work out just the way you want them to. I think that this would be a great birthday or Christmas gift.

 Eats up batteries! - May 07, 2010

Well, as my son says, "It's Lego. All the Lego stuff is pretty durable." He does complain that it goes through batteries like crazy. He saved up a year to buy this toy - so of course he has no money to go buy rechargables and charger. Also, it takes 6 AA batteries - so would probably need two chargers or double set of 6 batteries. As I write this he has just informed me we need to go buy more batteries!!

My complaint as a parent is that it turned out this item was to be delivered while we were out of town for the weekend. I was concerned that UPS would just drop the package off on our front door even if we weren't home. Then my son would be out all of the money he had saved to buy this product. I tried to contact UPS and schedule a later delivery date by a couple of days but was told that I had to contact the sender. So, I contacted Amazon and they basically said there was nothing they could do. But they assured me that they have contracts with their shippers to not just drop off any items if nobody is home if said item costs more than $100, which of course this does. So we got home and found that my son's mindstorm had been left in front of our house behind our trash can! Luckily it was still there!

The product itself is pretty much what my son thought it was going to be and he loves it!

 Awesome Robotics set - Apr 21, 2010

Bought this set to share with my 11 year old grandson. Wasn't sure that he would be able to handle it on his own so thought it could live at my house if he needed help with it. He took off when he opened the box. Started with one of the harder models and flew through assembly to get to the programming. Created the program as specified in the manual in a flash and then started to improvise on both the model and the program. Had a bit of trouble with debugging modifications to the program, but with some basic instruction on programming and debugging (my husband and I are both in the computer industry), we was independent in no time. The set went home with him and he is continuing to work with it. Great educational value, fun toy.

 Educational and Fun - Apr 09, 2010

I bought Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 directly from Lego, and the shipment arrived quickly. They make building and programming robotic devices simple, so it has great educational value in that it emphasizes key concepts without being caught up in the details if learning from more detailed robotic kits. The building instructions were generally quite clear and easy to follow. There were a few minor steps that were a bit difficult to construct, and the general instructions on using the kit and software could have been better. Nonetheless, they have done a fantastic job compiling together such a complicated set of robotic parts and software. For anyone interested, I am also currently uploading some videos of what I have made, and those videos cans be found by clicking on the web page included in my Amazon profile (click on "sciencesuccess" under the title of this review, and then on the left column of my profile, you can find the web page link).

 I wish I had this toy for myself! - Mar 19, 2010

I gave it to my now 9 year old brother for his birthday and he totally loved it. I even helped him build and program his first robot. For a time when being tech savvy at a young age is such a demand with growing technologies and their complexities, this was perfect for my brother to have fun and learn and play with the coolest toy around. There are lot of tiny pieces so watch out if you have kids who like eating toys. Other than that, the toy is AWESOME!!

 LEGO Mindstorm kit - Feb 11, 2010

My son loves LEGOs and this is a great learning device. He can do things that he likes (build with LEGOS) and learn something about robots and how they work at the same time.

 Great toy... - Feb 09, 2010

This is a great educational toy, they can build several different robots and program them. I would recommend buying a container for all of the pieces, I actually got a couple little tackle boxes for them. My son built the robo gator and displayed it at his school lego show. It was a very big hit....

 This is NOT A TOY - Feb 09, 2010

This is not traditional Lego. It is computorized programable robotics. You must have a computor to program this and you must be able to follow directions. Thank goodness my husband is tech savvy because my son, who is 12, needed much guidance. It is very educational, but after his first `robot' he has lost interest. It is frustrating if you don't understand programming and it falls short on explaining it. Wish I had not spent the money.
It would be better suited for 14 or older (my husband liked it)

 Engineer Dad - Feb 06, 2010

I know and work with PLC's and computer simulations. We were looking for an educational toy for our 10 yr. old daughter. Her school also has a First Lego Robotics Club, so this would be a good first step. Overall, this filled the bill. There are simple robots that help the child get a fast start and build confidence. As with all Lego products, there are lots of small parts and completed robot assemblies are small in size. The robots work as expected and the building and programming experience are excellent. There are plenty of books and on-line support for Lego robotics, with plans, instructions, and examples for help and continued learning. I did find that the instructions had some errors, particularly involving crossed wiring. Since I am an engineer, I was able to figure it out quickly, but a child on their own or a non-rech parent could have spent a lot of time and been very frustrated.

This is not pure toy. It involves some work, dedication, and practice - all of which are important skills for a developing mind and growing child. With Lego robotics, the upside potential for continued learning and advanced capabilities are immense. Of course, as with all Lego products, there is a significant cost involved - especially if you wish to expand your robot with additional sensors and mechanical arms, wheels, gears, etc. I wish that Lego would offer add-on kits that feature specific projects, designs, etc. with the needed extra parts. That would make the second step easier, instead of expecting a more experienced child to instantly master all skills. Bottom line - I would recommend this toy/learning product very highly. Just be ready to assist your child a lot. It takes a concerted effort on the part of the child and the parents combined.

 Great kit - Feb 06, 2010

My son loves this kit. He's 11 and is having a great time building the various robots.

 Lego's is a great toy to educate your kids. - Feb 05, 2010

Lego's is a great toy to educateyour kids. Great Job to the Lego's makers. My son has learned a lot from this toy.

Laura

 Great educational toy for youth! - Feb 05, 2010

It comes with what you need but works with other parts kids already have. They love it. Now one has joined a club at school to compete with it.

 Great Young Boy Robot Kit - Jan 28, 2010

We bought this platform for my 11 year old son for christmas. It has endless combinations to build everything from a walking robot, truck, tank, ect. very good for kids with mechanical aptitude, the system programing from all of the servo motors and sensors is very easily down on a PC. We us a PDA as a remote control via blue tooth.

 And now I shall sing of my unabashed love for this toy - Jan 25, 2010

I honestly get a little choked up thinking about Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0. I believe this brilliant little system is going to open up a lot of opportunity for a lot of kids.

Last night my bright eight-year-old son begged me to wake him up at 5:00 this morning so he could spend some more time perfecting his latest robot. (Sure enough, his eyes popped open when I shook him at 5:00 and he went straight to work.) I see this toy awakening new passion and skill in my son, and for that I have nothing but gratitude.

Let me back up a bit. My son received this as a Christmas gift this year. (Thanks grandma!) We have no experience with previous Mindstorm kits. I was concerned about the difficulty level, as the box recommends a minimum age of 10 years and my son is eight. He is a huge fan of Lego Bionicle toys, and can follow the instructions to build the more complex Bionicle models without my help. I hoped that that might be a good litmus test for his readiness to jump into some robot building.

It turns out I was right. With some concentration, he worked through the instructions to build the first basic car-like robot, and then the shooterbot. I was, to be honest, a little dissappointed that he didn't want my supervision... but thrilled that this expensive toy was clearly not going to gather dust in my house.

Next came the programming. Again, I was a little worried, as this was an area where neither I nor my son were experienced. I loaded the software on my computer (works on a Mac! Bless you Lego.) and clicked around a bit. Despite the visual nature of the programming language, I could see that it was a rich system with lots of options and nuance. Hmmm. This might take some work.

Most reviews here have not commented on a feature that I think is pretty neat: you can actually do some very simple programming on the brick itself -- without the computer. By clicking around the little navigation screen on the brick, my son was able to program some simple instructions. (For example, if the robot "sees" a wall, back up, turn a quarter turn, and then continue.) This turns out to be an easy little introduction to the "if/then" statements that comprise the more full-featured computer software.

Later robots offer a step-by-step guide to the programming. ("First drag this command into place; next drag this command" and so on.) In the process, there are lots of opportunities to tweak the settings. Before I knew it, my son was getting the hang of this somewhat complex software.

Today we are still experimenting with the basic robots, and using the predesigned programs that come with each. He can change options and parameters within the software. His confidence is growing, as is his endless motivation to build totally jamming robots that HE can control. Yep, he can do this.

I share all of this because you, like me, may be trying to evaluate whether to make the considerable investment in this toy. I do think it's a great choice for a sharp eight-year-old who has demonstrated a love for building with other Lego projects. (What about a seven-year-old? Hard to say. My guess is that my kid would not have been quite ready for this a year ago.)

But I can't tell you how cool, how wonderfully satisfying it is to see my son turn off the dang Spongebob reruns and lose himself for hours in this beautiful toy. It feels like THIS is what learning, and what childhood, is supposed to be.

I know from my own childhood that sometimes the right opportunity comes along and can awaken passion and skill that a child didn't know he had. It's a sacred thing when little spirits get a taste of what they might be good at, and how they might exercise their imaginations in this world. Will Mindstorms NXT be that kind of seminal opportunity for my son? I don't know yet. But thank you, thank you, Lego, for giving him the chance to find out.

 Pricey Robotics Fun - Jan 23, 2010

Overall, this is a great toy! I'm a software engineer who often works with automation and robotics. It was fun to share this with my son.

Awesome Stuff:
* There is a CD full of instructions for various robots and more on the website! The instructions are in 3-D and very easy to follow.
* The designs are very versatile. You can build the basic projects and then change sensors or components to make what you want.
* Very easy to understand. Inputs and outputs are clearly labeled. Even my 9YO could understand the instructions.
* Pieces are extremely durable.
* Programming interface is a very simplified version of LabView. My son was able to figure it out easily and experiment with programming.
* Lots and lots of parts to work with.
* A creative kid can make pretty much anything he/she wants to with this.

Could've been done better:
* Extra parts are really expensive.
* Flimsy box: We had to buy another box for storage
* Batteries: A rechargable battery pack would've been great.

Other Notes:
* More inputs/outputs/sensors would've been nice, but that would add complexity. Keeping in mind that this is a toy for children and not a complex design and construction kit for professionals, I'd say Lego did an awesome job. My son and his friends love his set.
* There is some explaination about how parts work, but if you want to teach your kid more, you are going to have to explain without lego help. If you are not an engineer, go to google or google scholar and do a little research. Learning with kids is fun too!
* This set is mostly compatible with other sets and lego technic, but google before you buy.
* The programming interface is pretty obvious, let your kids figure it out without your help, kids are very technology-saavy and it will be faster that way.
* Read the instructions. Everything is clearly explained, labeled and there's no boring stuff embedded into the instructions.

Overall, this is an awesome toy for the budding engineer. Great way for younger kids to learn about robotics, programming, engineering, circuits and reading directions.

 a Mom's review - Jan 22, 2010

I bought this for my 11-year-old son after he competed in the First Lego League robotics competition. It is a wonderful, mind-expanding machine. It helped that he learned to work with it as part of a team, and with a mentor who understood its potential. But now that he's on his own with it, my son really loves to work with it, tries millions of different designs and challenges. It's a great product.

 Nice buy! - Jan 22, 2010

I bought this for my son, he's so excited. I would like to buy some Mindstorm books for him to learn the modern science.

Very quick delivery and good product. Recommend!

 Best of Christmas! - Jan 21, 2010

We got this for our 12 year old son for his "big gift" this Christmas. The things he has created with it are incredible. There are many instructions online to build many more things than the awesome instructions that came with the package. He's built a "regular" robot that looks like a cross between Wall-E and Johnny Number 5 (from the movie Short Circuit), an alligator, two versions of color sorting 'bots, and the favorite was the guitar! He can actually play "Smoke On The Water!"
Too complicated for younger Lego artists, but I think ages 10 and Up is just perfect.

 Awesome learning tool, fun and a lot easier then you'd think! - Jan 20, 2010

True to form, Lego has produced something really elegant with the Mindstorm NXT kit. i bought it for my son, and we opened the box, and had the first robot running around in 30 minutes, which is pretty impressive.

This is an amazing, perfectly engineered kit, with a lot of possibilities in this box, and a lot of opportunities to expand with parts, etc.

If you're into robotics or lego, this is a great great toy.

 Replay value very high, hours of fun. - Jan 18, 2010

Lots to do with this robot toy, my son is having hours of entertainment with it.

 Worth it if your kid loves robotics and has a long attention span - Jan 07, 2010

Very educational but has a bit of a learning curve to really enjoy. My son loves robotics and is very patient so after much work he really got into it. But I could see some kids losing interest. It helps if they are big Lego fans and love to build -- especially Bionicle or Technic-type legos as this toy builds similarly to these. Be sure you have a computer easily accessible for the kid to use because it's really absolutely necessary at all times.

 Robotics makes a great hobby! - Jan 03, 2010

I am a high school science teacher and this is my second LEGO Mindstorms robot kit. I originally bought the RCX and then got a grant for my school and purchased 20 more for my science research and design class. Due to a move to a different school district, I suddenly found myself out of robotics for a couple of years. Then my new school district became interested in adding robotics to the gifted and talented program and that opened up a new opporturnity for me to get back into robotics. When I realized that the new LEGO NXT had been introduced, I knew I wanted to upgrade, and I did. The NXT is much more advanced and everything I have built and programmed so far has worked to perfection. I plan to teach robotics to our the gifted and talent classes next semester. It is a terrific way to get started in robotics and I plan to seek some more education grants and if that is successful, also introduce it into my Design Technology Classes. My students all love this educational toy. There are numerous robotics competitions and contests that have corporate sponsors that can open doors for my students into scholarships and robotics careers.

 Great toy if you get one that works - Dec 30, 2009

I purchased this toy for my son for Christmas. It was a disappointment to find that the computer part or "Brick" was defective from the start. The display was blank and despite following all of the troubleshooting procedures we could not get the display to work. We could program the brick and my son was able to use it until a replacement arrived. If you do a google search for "NXT 2.0 Blank Display" you will find that many many people who purchased this product have had the same problem. It is a shame that a company like LEGO who is normally known for quality can put our such an unreliable product. According to my research they have had this problem for years and yet they still keep pumping out the same defective product. The good thing about buying this product through Amazon is that they replaced the product promptly and the return process was not painfull.