Learning Lego Mindstorms

Course details

Love LEGOs? The next generation is ready to play. LEGO Mindstorms is a robotics kit designed for all experimenters—not just kids. Its advanced programming capabilities and robust hardware—sensors, motors, and intelligent EV3 brick—make LEGO Mindstorms a fun and challenging microcomputer system for programmers and tinkerers of any age. In this course, Olivia Chiu helps you "open the box" and build your first functional robot with LEGO Mindstorms.

Learn how to unpack the hardware, connect to the programming interface, run prebuilt programs, and control the motors and sensors. Chapter 6, "Adding Flow to a Program," covers advanced programming topics such as transferring data between blocks, using variables to store temporary data, programming conditional logic, and looping actions to run again and again. By the end of the course, you'll have the skills to bring your own robotic creations to life.

Learning objectives
Installing the LEGO Mindstorms software
Exploring the programming interface
Connecting to the EV3 brick
Downloading and running prebuilt programs
Coordinating motor movement
Calibrating the sensors
Transferring data with data wires
Adding logic with switch blocks
Looping actions
Troubleshooting problems with LEGO Mindstorms
Broadcasting sounds and displaying images
Updating LEGO Mindstorms

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you should know
03 - Using the exercise files

1. Getting Started

04 - Install Mindstorms on Windows
05 - Install Mindstorms on Mac
06 - Explore the Mindstorms Lobby

2. Hardware

07 - The EV3 brick is the brains
08 - Motors and sensors
09 - IR sensors
10 - Navigate the EV3 brick UI

3. Explore a New Project

11 - Explore the programming interface
12 - Explore the palettes and blocks

4. Connect with the EV3 Brick

13 - Connect to the EV3 brick
14 - Explore the hardware page
15 - Download and run a program

5. Program Movement and Sensing

16 - Data flow execution
17 - Program your robot to move
18 - Coordinate the motors to drive
19 - Measure a motor's movement
20 - Feel the environment
21 - Sense the light
22 - Calibrate the Light Sensor
23 - Locate objects and beacons with infrared light

6. Adding Flow to a Program

24 - Use data wires to transfer data
25 - Variables
26 - Switch cases
27 - Switch with a threshold value
28 - Looping actions
29 - Follow a line

7. Document Your Work

30 - Content editor
31 - Project properties

8. Troubleshoot Problems

32 - Errors and warnings
33 - Debug unexpected behavior

9. Extra Tools

34 - Create and edit sound files
35 - Create and edit image files
36 - Create custom blocks
37 - Update EV3 brick firmware

Conclusion

38 - Next steps