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Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

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Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#191

Post by vba »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

Yup combined Christmas and birthday presents and additionally forfeit any money I received from relatives back in the year 2000. Had to fight for it and made to feel guilty on how much it cost.

Didn’t become a robotics engineer.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#193

Post by lacker »

mwint wrote: post #150
lacker wrote: post #100

I have many fond memories of Mindstorms... In college I started out a math major. The first CS class I took was a robotics class based on Mindstorms, as a sophomore. I remember it was restricted to only juniors and seniors, but it sounded cool, and I found a bug in the course registration system that let me sign up anyway. It was a great class. It's fun that in computer science there are so many different ways to sol…

> I found a bug in the course registration system that let me sign up anyway. Hah, that’s an awesome filter… if I ever start a college, signing up for any 200+ level CS class will require spoofing a POST request.

The bug here was more mundane, that the registration process went like:

1. Choose your individual classes, which reserves a spot for you

2. Click the overall "Finalize your class selection"

3. All validations run, including both things like "are you taking the right number of credits" and "do you meet the prerequisites for each class"

Classes that were restricted to juniors and seniors opened up to everyone if they didn't fill up by the start of the semester. So I chose my classes and didn't finalize until the semester started. Muahaha.

In the modern era this is typically solved via these "your cart will only reserve your items for 15 minutes" type warnings, but back in the olden days when I was an undergrad, that level of technology wasn't widespread yet.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#194

Post by mort96 »

stinkytaco wrote: post #190
mort96 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm looking at their Spike Prime stuff now, and nothing I'm finding seems that... interesting? I got my start in programming with the Mindstorms NXT set (this thing: http://www.robotreviews.com/reviews/lego-mindstorms-nxt-8527... ), where you got all the parts and instructions needed to build a walking, programmable lego robot. The Spike Prime set looks like... some motors, some sensors, the controller brick, and som…

It's more geared towards organized lessons or competitions. In something like FLL, kids are given problems to solve on a board (move this from here to there, trigger this mechanism, etc) and they need to use the robot to solve it. So they are not building bipedal robots but tools geared toward a specific "mission" (an FLL term). When my kid did it the team needed to do everything, including building the robot, and ne…

Right, that seems plausible to me. That confirms my impression that Spike fills a completely different niche than Mindstorms, and that the people who would get into programming and/or mechanical engineering through Mindstorms won't through Spike. That's a bit sad IMO.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#195

Post by euroderf »

scionthefly wrote: post #182
nicoburns wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are, but unlike in 1975, LEGO now makes it very difficult for people to actually buy just bricks. They won't sell plain packs of bricks to shops unless they buy large numbers of the themed sets.

I used to buy Technix sets (sp?) and spend days playing with gear and pulley and wheel and motor systems. I don't think a single time in all my childhood did I ever sit down with a Lego set and build some themed toy that they suggested on the box. All I really want is bricks, plates, shafts, couplers, gears, pulleys, motors, sensors, and assorted things. I'll come up with the projects myself. They don't seem to want…

Try some old Meccano.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#196

Post by euroderf »

frognumber wrote: post #129

Part of the problem is Lego is horrible for robotics. It's very hard to build complex mechanical systems in Lego. It's also degenerating; newer kits are less and less creative (kids follow instructions and build models, rather than creative inventing). The kits I use with my child are Engino Discovering STEM. Each kit lets you build a bunch of interesting, complex mechanical systems. It's not just a little better tha…

Lego is horrible for bots cos the stuff comes apart. Go with metal kits with screws.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#197

Post by euroderf »

WalterBright wrote: post #9

I always preferred the Gilbert erector sets.

I bought three big Meccano kits on closeout years ago. They lie in wait for robotification. If anyone has pointers to how to bring them to life with appropriately-sized motors and batteries and remote control, I'd be grateful.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#198

Post by PeterisP »

k__ wrote: post #58
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

What would you recommend to kinds these days?

I had some fun with this device - https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-hobby/products/rover... - the general platform is geared more towards IoT, sensors and what you can do with software, but perhaps that's even a more relevant direction than just motion.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#199

Post by sieste »

colechristensen wrote: post #69
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

As I grown man who has built actual robots with all the skills to do embedded programming and mechanical engineering to make robots... I'm still envious of Mindstorms and yet never purchased any despite having the funds to do so. I think this is the same part of my brain that still thinks getting a PDA is a good idea despite having had a smartphone for I don't know how many years now. Is there a word for holding on t…

FOMO?
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