Lego robots! The first book that teaches you to program Lego Mindstorms using Java Lego Mindstorms are a new generation of Lego Robots that can be manipulated using microcomputers, light and touch sensors, an infrared transmitter and CD-ROMs. Since Lego launched Lego Mindstorms in late 1998 sales have skyrocketed - with no sign of slowing down. Mindstorms have captured the imagination of adults and children alike, creating a subculture of Mindstorm enthusiasts around the world. The kits are now a staple part of engineering and computer science classes at many high profile Universities. Up until very recently, the only languages available to program Lego Mindstorms were NQC, pbForth, and legOS. This is the first book detailing how to program Lego Mindstorms using the newly released Java Virtual Machine for Lego Mindstorm programming. Programming Lego Mindstorms provides readers with all of the information they need to construct and program Lego Mindstorm Robots. The first book available on how to program Lego Mindstorms with Java Wallet-sized CD contains the programming code in Java The CD will also translate the code into NQC, pbFORTH and legOS for readers who are currently using these languages, but are considering Java The perfect gift for parents and kids alike - out in time for the Christmas rush!
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Super Java challengers:
Lego mindstorms have steadily become the latest craze in robotics across campuses, and are an excellent way to build mechanics and physics skills, the newest series from Syngress is awesome.
Medicore at Best:
This is a medicore book that spends quite a lot of time and chapters on programming Mindstorms with other langagues and APIs. I found "Core LEGO MINDSTORMS Programming: Unleash the Power of the Java Platform" by Brian Bagnall to be a much better book. It is well suited to both beginning and advanced programers. It covers languages basics, but still provides much info to experienced Java developers. It also includes detailed instructions and pictures describing on basic robotics...things like how... more info
A good book, but might be a bit steep for non-programmers:
Personally, I enjoy this book. It's beaten my expectations, and that's a rare treat.
However....
If you have never done any programming in a language like Java, Python, or C++, and if terms like "firmware", "embedded", etc. leave you feeling upset, this book may be a bit of a challenge.
But then again, if you are interested in moving beyond the capabilities of the software that shipped with your Lego Mindstorms kit, this may be precisely what you want.
Also, if you have been trying to learn some... more info
