It's easy to see how the idea might appeal to everyone from ski resorts and theme parks, to farmers and airlines, to manufacturers of snowmobiles and long underwear. The toy sets come with more than 700 Lego pieces. In addition to the regular Lego pieces, the sets, called Lego Mindstorms, include a microcomputer and sensors that detect obstacles. They also come with small motors for moving arms and legs. Putting everything together, kids can design and program robots that adapt and react to their environment.
Users first build a robot.
Then, on a personal computer, they create a program for their invention using a simple programming language. They download their program to the Mindstorms microcomputer using a special infrared transmitter. The sets contain a Constructopedia building guide, which provides guidance on how to build working robots in less than an hour, as well as tips and inspiration for undertaking more complicated inventions. Lego features advice from its Master Builders on the Mindstorms Web site. The experts may not tell you everything you need to know to build a robot.