Smart Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor

Book description

Discover how to use the LEGO MINDSTORMS Inventor kit and boost your confidence in robotics

Key Features

  • Gain confidence in building robots using creative designs
  • Learn advanced robotic features and find out how to integrate them to build a robot
  • Work with the block coding language used in robotics software in a practical way

Book Description

LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor is the latest addition to the LEGO MINDSTORMS theme. It features unique designs that you can use to build robots, and also enable you to perform activities using the robot inventor application.

You'll begin by exploring the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS, and then delve into various elements of the Inventor kit. Moving on, you'll start working on different projects which will prepare you to build a variety of smart robots. The first robotic project involves designing a claw to grab objects, and helps you to explore how a smart robot is used in everyday life and in industry. The second project revolves around building a working guitar that can be played and modified to meet the needs of the user. As you advance, you'll explore the concept of biomimicry as you discover how to build a scorpion robot. In addition to this, you'll also work on a classic robotic challenge by building a sumobot. Throughout the book, you'll come across a variety of projects that will provide you with hands-on experience in building creative robots, such as building a Dragster, Egg Decorator, and Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants.

By the end of this LEGO book, you'll have got to grips with the concepts behind building a robot, and also found creative ways to integrate them using the application based on your creative insights and ideas.

What you will learn

  • Discover how the Robot Inventor kit works, and explore its parts and the elements inside them
  • Delve into the block coding language used to build robots
  • Find out how to create interactive robots with the help of sensors
  • Understand the importance of real-world robots in today's landscape
  • Recognize different ways to build new ideas based on existing solutions
  • Design basic to advanced level robots using the Robot Inventor kit

Who this book is for

This book is for robot enthusiasts, LEGO lovers, hobbyists, educators, students, and anyone looking to learn about the new LEGO Robot Inventor kit. This book is designed to go beyond the basic build through to intermediate and advanced builds, and enables you to add your personal flair to the builds and codes.

Table of contents

  1. Smart Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor
  2. Contributors
  3. About the author
  4. About the reviewer
  5. Packt is searching for authors like you
  6. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Download the example code files
    5. Code in Action
    6. Download the color images
    7. Conventions used
    8. Get in touch
    9. Reviews
  7. Chapter 1: History of Mindstorms
    1. Technical requirements
    2. 1998 – LEGO Mindstorms: The Robotics Invention System (RCX)
    3. 2006 – LEGO Mindstorms NXT
    4. 2013 – LEGO Mindstorms EV3
    5. 2020 – LEGO SPIKE Prime
    6. 2020 – LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor Kit
    7. Summary
    8. Further reference
  8. Chapter 2: Getting Started with the Robot Inventor Kit
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Overview of the kit
      1. The cables for motors and sensors
      2. The Intelligent Hub
      3. Elements
      4. Sensors
      5. Motors
      6. Hub connection
    3. Programming
    4. Creating a rock, paper, scissors wrist game
    5. Coding a rock, paper, scissors wrist game
    6. Making your own game
    7. Summary
  9. Chapter 3: Building an Industrial Robot Claw
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the claw
      1. Building the frame for the Intelligent Hub
      2. Setting up the motor frame to move right and left
      3. Setting up the motor frame to move up and down
      4. Framing the motor that operates the claw
    3. Writing the code
      1. Identifying the ports
      2. Remote-control robot program
    4. Making it your own
    5. Summary
  10. Chapter 4: Building a LEGO Guitar
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the stand
      1. Building the base
    3. Building the guitar
      1. Assembling the neck
      2. Building the color sensor slide bar
      3. Assembling the guitar body
    4. Writing the code
      1. The ports
    5. Playing the guitar
    6. Making it your own
    7. Summary
  11. Chapter 5: Building a Scorpion
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the scorpion body
      1. Establishing the the base
    3. Building the tail
      1. Connecting the color sensor
    4. Adding the color sensor detection triggers
    5. Building the scorpion claws
    6. Building the scorpion's exoskeleton
    7. Designing the tail
    8. Writing the code
      1. Connecting sensors and motors to the ports
      2. Writing an autonomous robot program
      3. Writing a remote-control program
    9. Making it your own
    10. Summary
  12. Chapter 6: Building a Solid Sumobot
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the robot
      1. Preparing the main frame
      2. Increasing the torque of the robot's wheels using gears
      3. Adding the sensors
      4. Building the back bumper
      5. Strengthening the frame with outside supports
    3. Writing the code
      1. The ports
      2. Sumo robot program
    4. Make it your own
    5. Summary
  13. Chapter 7: Building a Dragster
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the dragster
      1. Building the motor frame
      2. Adding the wheels with a gear
      3. Developing the body of the dragster
      4. Adding the body design
    3. Programming the dragster
      1. The ports
      2. Dragster code program
    4. Make it your own
    5. Summary
  14. Chapter 8: Building an Egg and Ornament Decorator
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the robot
      1. Building the base frame
      2. Building the motor parts
      3. Adding the motor parts to the main frame
      4. Adding adjustable pieces to fit the size of object
      5. Putting it all together
    3. Writing the code
      1. The ports
      2. The decorator robot program
      3. Maintenance tip
    4. Making it your own
    5. Summary
  15. Chapter 9: Creating Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants – Part 1
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Building the robot
    3. Building the base of the frame
    4. Adding the motors for the arms
    5. Adding the color sensor
    6. Assembling the mouth
    7. Attaching the Intelligent Hub
    8. Summary
  16. Chapter 10: Creating Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants – Part 2
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Adding the aesthetic details
      1. Building the arms
    3. Writing the code
      1. The ports
      2. Plankton robot program
    4. Making it your own
    5. Summary
    6. Why subscribe?
  17. Other Books You May Enjoy
    1. Packt is searching for authors like you
    2. Leave a review - let other readers know what you think

Product information

  • Title: Smart Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor
  • Author(s): Aaron Maurer
  • Release date: May 2021
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781800568402