
UNDERSTANDING THE LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT PIECES 39
I mentioned earlier that the cross-holes in beams
(and other pieces) specifically accommodate axles, so you
might think that you only use axles in situations involving
cross-holes. Using an axle with one or more cross-holes
does create a very rigid connection, as the leftmost part of
Figure 4-15 demonstrates. However, using an axle with one
or more round-holes allows the axle to spin freely, as the
rightmost part of Figure 4-15 demonstrates. (Note that we
would normally keep the axle in place with other pieces.)
Powered by motors, rotating axles are the basis of nearly all
forms of movement in ...