History of LEGO Mindstorms

[evank]

There's more info about the early history on my website at http://www.brickhacks.com/0.php.

[Toastie]

I find this thread most valuable and relevant - and it will be, as far as I am concerned, one - if not the - most comprehensive coverage of LEGO Mindstorms!

@Coder Shah: I believe that it will add much value to this thread (my personal judgement only!) if you'd edit your OP and add the link Evan Koblenz @evank has provided in his very recent post above:

"There's more info about the early history on my website at http://www.brickhacks.com/0.php."

What I find most interesting on that page is, that there is a book with the title "Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas" from Seymour Papert - published in 1980!

What do you think?

Best;
Thorsten

Edited June 25, 2023 by Toastie

[Coder Shah]

On 6/26/2023 at 5:17 AM, Toastie said:

I find this thread most valuable and relevant - and it will be, as far as I am concerned, one - if not the - most comprehensive coverage of LEGO Mindstorms!

@Coder Shah: I believe that it will add much value to this thread (my personal judgement only!) if you'd edit your OP and add the link Evan Koblenz @evank has provided in his very recent post above:

"There's more info about the early history on my website at http://www.brickhacks.com/0.php."

What I find most interesting on that page is, that there is a book with the title "Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas" from Seymour Papert - published in 1980!

What do you think?

Best;
Thorsten

Sure thing! Have added to the first page. Yes I know of the book, that was the inspiration for the name LEGO Mindstorms.

Mindstorms History 26
2008 - LEGO held a celebration to mark the 10 years anniversary of LEGO Mindstorms, where golden RCX and NXT pbricks were given out.

https://bricknerd.com/home/going-for-gold-the-story-of-the-golden-lego-rcx-and-nxt-9-9-21

http://lego.brandls.info/ww/m10/m101.htm

[evank]

@Coder Shah, thanks for putting together this thread! I wish Lego themselves would dive deeper into history on their corporate website. Most of it is just glossed over.

[Coder Shah]

13 hours ago, evank said:

@Coder Shah, thanks for putting together this thread! I wish Lego themselves would dive deeper into history on their corporate website. Most of it is just glossed over.

Not only that, but they're also actively removing content (I can't find their 15th anniversary LEGO Mindstorms video on YouTube any more). Glad you like it though!

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 27
2013 - The next generation of the LEGO Mindstorms set, LEGO Mindstorms EV3, was released.

 

 

[evank]

On 7/1/2023 at 4:43 AM, Coder Shah said:

Not only that, but they're also actively removing content (I can't find their 15th anniversary LEGO Mindstorms video on YouTube any more). Glad you like it though!

A lot of companies merely pay lip service to their own history, if at all. It's sad. Lego * could * have an amazing history website!

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 28
2013 - LEGO produced a video celebrating 15 years of LEGO Mindstorms.

@evank I found the video on the Wayback Machine and reuploaded it to YouTube, hopefully it doesn't get taken down.

[evank]

Unfortunately the video doesn't mention any of the 8-bit stuff from the 1980s. :(

[Mr Jos]

On 7/13/2023 at 3:49 AM, Coder Shah said:

Mindstorms History 28
2013 - LEGO produced a video celebrating 15 years of LEGO Mindstorms.

@evank I found the video on the Wayback Machine and reuploaded it to YouTube, hopefully it doesn't get taken down.

The title of your YouTube video has a small typing error [Mindstorns --> n instead of m]

Good that you are able to save/share those nostalgic videos.

[Coder Shah]

@evank If you have Netflix, there is a series called The Toys That Made Us. Their LEGO episode did cover some of the early 8 bit stuff.

https://www.netflix.com/my-en/title/80161497

@Mr Jos Good catch, fixed!

Mindstorms History 29
2018 - LEGO held a LEGO Mindstorms exhibition at the LEGO House to celebrate 20 years of LEGO Mindstorms.

 

 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 30
2018 - Video on display during the LEGO Mindstorms exhibition at the LEGO House showing the robots in action

 

[Mr Jos]

10 hours ago, Coder Shah said:

Mindstorms History 30
2018 - Video on display during the LEGO Mindstorms exhibition at the LEGO House showing the robots in action

 

Nice, a lot of machines I hadn't seen before!

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 31
2018 - LEGO produced a video celebrating 20 years of LEGO Mindstorms

 

[ZdenekBricks]

On 6/15/2023 at 3:22 AM, Coder Shah said:

Mindstorms History 24
2009 - LEGO released set 8547, an updated Mindstorms NXT set.

 

I remember that I wanted something more than PowerFunctions but the gray NXT robot looked too boring so I had been hesitating for many months until I saw rumours about EV3 in 2013. It was like a marketing miracle – they finally made robots that looked huge. For kids, that worked perfectly. It was because of a bigger intelligent brick, better contrast of chosen colors and more Technic panel pieces with clever stickers. What do you think about current Mindstorms  @Coder Shah?

[evank]

On 1/23/2023 at 7:15 AM, alexGS said:

remember the Interface A was an educational product designed in England to work with the BBC Micro first.

Yes! When I commented a few weeks ago, I hadn't read the earlier comments. But you are absolutely right.

@Coder Shah it is imperative that any Mindstorms history recognizes how Interface A was NOT invented at  MIT or by Lego, but from the English organizations mentioned on my website.

It's a coincidence that MIT was separately working on their own Lego robotic designs around that time.

This is all preceded by Lego's own analog robotic system from the 1980 Idea Book, #8888. 

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by evank

[Mr Jos]

7 hours ago, evank said:

Yes! When I commented a few weeks ago, I hadn't read the earlier comments. But you are absolutely right.

@Coder Shah it is imperative that any Mindstorms history recognizes how Interface A was NOT invented at  MIT or by Lego, but from the English organizations mentioned on my website.

It's a coincidence that MIT was separately working on their own Lego robotic designs around that time.

This is all preceded by Lego's own analog robotic system from the 1980 Idea Book, #8888. 

...

Did you manage to get the hopper system work for the cards? Sounds like a fun project.

[evank]

I haven't tried yet. 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 32
2019 - LEGO Education introduces LEGO SPIKE Prime.

 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 33
2020 - LEGO introduces LEGO Mindstorms 51515 Robot Inventor.

 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 34
2022 - Nine fan models were added to the LEGO Mindstorms 51515 Robot Inventor app.

 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 35
2022 - LEGO discontinues LEGO Mindstorms.

http://blog.robotmak3rs.com/2023/01/mindstorms-retires.html

 

[Coder Shah]

Today in Mindstorms History 01
1 Sept 1998 - The first LEGO Mindstorms hit the market 25 years ago today.

https://lan.lego.com/news/overview/lego-mindstorms-reflections-–-what-happened-before-the-announcement-in-january-1998-r173/

 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 36
This video is from the special pre-release CD-ROM entitled "explore invent master" which was released as a teaser for the Lego Mindstorms series.

 

[Coder Shah]

Mindstorms History 37
1998 - LEGO released set 8482 Cybermaster. It came with a RF operated programmable brick, and is similar in concept to LEGO Boost.