Boys will be boys, with their toys, and when the question was asked, "What do you want for Christmas?", the reply heard was, "A LEGO Mindstorms NXT!"
The product - which, actually, is very far from a toy - came available some while ago but, of course, comes into its own at this time of year.
It's an "intelligent"-robot building kit that centres on a 32-bit ARM7 processor, with 256KBytes of flash memory and 64KBytes RAM. Features include Bluetooth wireless comms, a 12Mbit/sec USB port, four types of sensor (for touch, sound, light and ultrasonics), three servo motors, a 100x64 LCD panel, a speaker, controller software for WinXP and Mac OS X and a whole lot more besides.
Here are some of the innumerable configurations possible:
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And here is some of the stuff that comes in the kit (sensors along the bottom, servos up top and the brain of the beast in the centre, with its LCD panel):
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Where to buy? Well, the LEGO Mindstorms NXT is widely stocked but you might care to check out Firebox.com for starters (as a thank-you for giving us the heads-up), where it's pitched at £179.95, including VAT but not delivery. That only adds £3.95 if it's one-to-three working days but if you want it NOW, you'll have to pay a bit extra.
Want one or know someone who does? Tell us your ideas in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.
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