Connecting two or more EV3 bricks. LEGO Mindstorms EV3

- Who would you like - a son or a daughter?
- Son!
- Why?
- I want a radio-controlled helicopter!!!

Carefully! The publication may cause an irresistible desire to have a son.

History lesson

The story behind the creation of the company, released by Pixar for LEGO's 80th Anniversary:

The company now produces about 20 billion parts per year, that is, more than 630 pieces per second. In the current model range more than 600 different construction sets and it just so happens that the Mindstorms series is a kind of pinnacle of technical thought, the most sophisticated construction set. In short, it allows you to make fully-fledged robots.

According to Wikipedia, series LEGO Mindstorms was first introduced in 1998. 8 years later (in 2006), the LEGO Mindstorms NXT 1.0 set was born, and already in 2009, the LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 set. Today we will talk about LEGO Mindstorms EV3– the last (third) generation of the terminator designer, which was presented almost a year ago, on January 4, 2013 (it went on sale only six months later).

Differences between EV3 and NXT 2.0

Another difference is that the NXT series was sold in several versions (in different years) and represented different sets, basic and resource. The new EV3 has it easier with this - for now it is sold in the basic version - (601 parts), from which you can make a bunch of things. But if you wish, you can purchase a basic set (541 parts) with additional sensors and parts (no one bothers you to use parts from ordinary designers). By the way, pay attention to five-digit article numbers - the company switched to this numbering in 2013.

As for compatibility, everything possible has been done here. All NXT sensors and motors are compatible with EV3 and are recognized as NXT. EV3 sensors do not work with NXT, but EV3 motors seem to be compatible. An NXT brick can be programmed with EV3 software, but some functions may not be available, but it will not be possible to program an EV3 brick with NXT software without third-party solutions.

Inside the box

Part of the box is actually (if you cut it) a track with different color zones that can be used for color sensor robots.

All the parts are neatly placed in bags, the kit includes instructions and a set of stickers. Let's take a quick look at what's included in the kit.

Myself EV3, aka an intellectual block, aka the heart of the system, aka a “brick” or a “cube”. Serves as a control center and power station for your robot and has the following functional elements:

– Multifunctional monochrome display with a resolution of 178x128
– Six-button control interface with backlight changing function (3 colors) to indicate operating mode
– 4 input ports (1, 2, 3, 4) for connecting sensors
– 4 output ports (A, B, C, D) for executing commands
– 1 miniUSB connector for connecting EV3 to a computer
– 1 USB host port (for connecting several EV3 in one chain, for example)
– 1 slot for microSD memory cards (up to 32GB) – to increase the amount of available EV3 memory
– Built-in speaker

The EV3 Brick also supports Bluetooth, WiFi (via the NETGEAR WNA1100 Wireless-N 150 USB adapter), and has software interface, allowing you to create programs and configure data logging directly on the EV3 Brick.

» Large EV3 servomotor (2 pieces). Designed to work with the EV3 microcomputer and has a built-in rotation sensor with measurement accuracy up to 1 degree. Using this sensor, a motor can be coupled with other motors, allowing the robot to move at a constant speed. In addition, the rotation sensor can also be used in various experiments to accurately read distance and speed data.

– Built-in rotation sensor with measurement accuracy up to 1 degree
– Maximum speed up to 160-170 rpm
– Maximum torque of 40 Ncm

» Medium EV3 servomotor. Ideal for tasks where speed and responsiveness, as well as the size of the robot, are more important than its carrying capacity.

– Built-in rotation sensor with measurement accuracy up to 1 degree
– Maximum speed up to 240-250 rpm
– Maximum torque of 12 Ncm
– Automatic identification software EV3

» Color sensor (EV3). Capable of detecting 8 different colors, although it can also be used as a light sensor.

– Measures reflected red light and ambient ambient light, from complete darkness to bright sunlight
– Captures and identifies 8 colors
– Polling rate up to 1 kHz
– Automatic identification by EV3 software

» Touch sensor (EV3). Allows the robot to respond to touches, recognizes three situations: touch, click and release. It is also able to determine the number of clicks, both single and multiple.

» Digital IR sensor (EV3). To detect the approach of a robot. Also capable of picking up IR signals from an IR beacon, allowing the creation of remotely controlled robots, navigation systems to overcome obstacles.

– Approach/remove measurements within a radius of 50-70 cm
– IR signal detection radius up to 2 meters
– Up to 4 individual signal reception channels
– Receive remote IR control commands
– Automatic identification by EV3 software

» Remote infrared beacon. Designed for use with the EV3 IR Sensor. The beacon emits an IR signal that is picked up by a sensor - can be used as a remote control remote control EV3 microcomputer, transmitting signals to the IR sensor.

– Up to 4 individual signal transmission channels (switch directly on the body)
– Has a button and toggle switch to turn on/off
– When the IR beacon is operating, the green LED lights up
– Automatic shutdown when idle for more than 1 hour
– Range up to 2 meters

A separate bag contains wires for connecting sensors and motors to the cube, as well as a USB cable for connecting the cube to a computer.

There are two worth noting important points. Firstly, there are other Lego sensors such as:

» Gyroscopic sensor (EV3). The EV3 Digital Gyro Sensor can measure the robot's rotational motion, as well as detect changes in its movement and position. Angle measurement mode with an accuracy of ± 3 degrees; the built-in gyroscope detects rotations with a torque of up to 440 degrees/s; polling frequency up to 1 kHz.

» Ultrasonic sensor (EV3). Generates sound waves and records their reflections from objects, thereby measuring the distance to objects. Can also be used in sonar mode, emitting single waves. It can pick up sound waves, which will be triggers for running programs. Measures distances ranging from 1 to 250 cm, and the measurement accuracy is ± 1 cm.

And secondly, it supports sensors and other accessories from third-party manufacturers, such as HiTechnic and Mindsensors - they offer all kinds of joysticks, infrared distance sensors, magnetic sensors, compasses, gyroscopes, accelerometers, timers, multiplexers, ball joints, etc. So, if you ask yourself, you can find a lot of interesting things.

In general, as you already understand, LEGO is for real boys!

First model

At first I was surprised, because even the simplest sets (series like LEGO Creator) always come with several instructions, but then suddenly the paper was spared or there was no space in the box. It turned out... that only on the official website it is proposed to assemble 17 different robots from a set of parts! Therefore, 17 instructions in a box would be really redundant (both for logistics and for nature’s forests). Here are the names of the robots: EV3RSTORM, GRIPP3R, R3PTAR, SPIK3R, and TRACK3R. ROBODOZ3R, BANNER PRINT3R, EV3MEG, BOBB3, MR-B3AM, RAC3 TRUCK, KRAZ3, EV3D4, EL3CTRIC GUITAR, DINOR3X, WACK3M, and EV3GAME - instructions for them will have to be downloaded from the Internet, as well as software for connecting EV3 to a computer.

The instructions are very detailed, it’s difficult to mess up. The son said that the parts in the bags are not packaged very well - on the first page you may need to open 3 different bags, but these are also minor things.

The EV3 cube needs to be powered, for which you can use a battery (not included) or 6 AA batteries. Looking ahead, 2 more batteries (but pinky ones) will be needed to power the IR beacon (aka remote control).

A child (7 years old) assembled the first model in about 30 minutes.

The process turned out to be not as exciting as, for example, assembling LEGO Technics models - the instructions suggest assembling a robot that is far from the most interesting: it only contains large parts, among which were almost all sensors and motors - apparently to demonstrate the operation of each of them.

But the result exceeded all children’s expectations - for the first time he assembled a model that could move on its own: forward and backward, turn, turn on the spot, twist with tentacles...

The launch is carried out from the EV3 brick, for which you need to press a couple of buttons on the front panel. Some actions can be programmed directly on the cube: select the number of iterations, adjust the feed sound signal and so on - you can’t tell everything in one article, smoke manuals.

Software

The easiest way for a child to start is with the software offered by the manufacturer, which is available for both Windows and OS X. In the second case, the distribution weighs 666 MB, and installed application will take up a gigabyte. It is called LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Home Edition and was developed jointly with the well-known company LabView. There are quite a lot of educational programming materials on the LEGO website.

Immediately after launch, an interactive “garage” of robots appears in front of us, which can be assembled from a set:




We choose the one we like and start assembling: we will see interactive assembly instructions, videos, as well as a selection of various missions that can be completed with the assembled robot. That's why the distribution weighed so much.








I don’t see the point in describing everything in detail: you’ll quickly download the application yourself and see what’s there and at what level. I’ll just mention one of the shortcomings that I remember most: the interface is not the most friendly (especially for children) - the application smells like some kind of bank client.

It should be noted once again that the EV3 cube can be controlled from a smartphone in operating rooms Android systems or iOS, for which there are separate applications.

If all this was not enough, you can increase the degree of hardcore. There are various firmwares for the EV3 brick that allow you to expand its capabilities, speed, etc. Here, for example, is the alternative firmware leJOS EV3 - firmware with jvm, which allows you to program EV3 in Java. Do you want it in another language? Okay, Google - you have almost 60 options to choose from: ASM/C/C++/Perl/Python/Ruby/VB/Haskell/Lisp/Matlab/LabVIEW and much, much more.

I won’t talk about this in more detail for several reasons: firstly, I’m a complete false programmer (all my hopes are in my son), secondly, so far we’ve only managed to assemble one model (and we’ll take on the second one this weekend), and - thirdly - you have already placed an order for this designer and will soon find out everything yourself;) But seriously, the article is already huge - it’s better to study two links: once and twice.

Well, another big plus is LEGO communities, of which there are plenty all over the world. You can be sure that at any stage of experiments with robots you will always be able to find like-minded people and those who can help with solving the problem. In addition to friendly communities, there are a huge number of various instructions, models, sources, videos and training materials. All this means one thing: with Mindstorms you won't get bored.

Pros and cons

But I found only one really significant disadvantage: the price. Back in the summer, LEGO Mindstorms EV3 could be bought for 14-15 thousand, but the rapid growth of the evergreen president’s exchange rate increased the price to 17 thousand. Someone will say: " yes, a cool designer... BUT EXPENSIVE!"And he will be right. While studying the kit and its capabilities, I was blown away by the amount of resources that were invested in its creation; I understand that there is a lot of electronics and everything else... but I still can’t come to terms with the cost of the designer. For this money you can get a person out of prison (with) choose many other gifts: a quadcopter, a radio-controlled internal combustion engine model, a full-size electric motorcycle, a year of classes in the sports section, a tablet... and a lot of things! But you can go to sports at any time and this seems to be not exactly a gift, but the same quadcopter will buzz until the first serious breakdown. In this regard, Lego is a much more long-lasting gift, combining business with pleasure, with unrealistically great potential. Yes, you can also learn to program on the same tablet, but when you don’t have the opportunity to actually touch the result of your work with your hands, it’s not so exciting. So decide for yourself.

Oh yes. The manufacturer positions this set for children from 10 years old, but even a 7-year-old child was interested in playing - the process of rapid development has begun. How much do you think these guys and when will they buy their first Porsche?)

The end

Happy New Year!

USB connection

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 can connect to a PC or other EV3 via a USB connection. Connection speed and stability in in this case better than any other method, including Bluetooth.

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 has two USB ports.

Communication between LEGO EV3 and other LEGO EV3 blocks in daisy chain mode.

Daisy chain mode is used to connect two or more LEGO EV3 blocks.

This mode:

• designed to connect more than one LEGO Mindstorms EV3;
• serves to connect more sensors, motors and other devices;
• allows communication between several LEGO Mindstorms EV3 (up to 4), which gives us up to 16 external ports and the same number of internal ports;
• makes it possible to control the entire chain from the main LEGO Mindstorms EV3;
• cannot function with active connection Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

To enable the daisy chain connection mode, go to the project settings window and check the box.

When this mode is selected, then for any motor we can select the EV3 block that will be used and the necessary sensors.

The table shows options for using EV3 blocks:

Connection via Bluetooth

Bluetooth allows LEGO Mindstorms EV3 to connect to a PC, other LEGO Mindstorms EV3, smartphones and other Bluetooth devices. Communication range by Bluetooth channel– up to 25 m.

You can connect up to 7 blocks to one LEGO Mindstorms EV3. The EV3 Master Brick allows you to send and receive messages to each EV3 Slave. EV3 Slaves can only send messages to the EV3 Master Brick, not to each other.

EV3 connection sequence via Bluetooth

In order to connect two or more EV3 blocks to each other via Bluetooth, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Open a tab Settings.

2. Select Bluetooth and press the center button.

3. We put Checkbox visibility Bluetooth.

4. Check that the Bluetooth sign ("<") виден на верхней левой стороне.

5. Do the above procedure for the required number of EV3 Bricks.

6. Go to the Connection tab:

7. Click on the Search button:

8. Select the EV3 you want to connect to (or to which you want to connect) and press the center button.

9. We connect the first and second blocks with the access key.

If you do everything correctly, the icon " will appear in the upper left corner<>", connect other EV3 blocks in the same way if there are more than two of them.

If you turn off LEGO EV3, the connection will be lost and you will need to repeat all the steps.

Important: each block must have its own program written.

Example program:

First Block: When the touch sensor is pressed, the first EV3 Block transmits the text to the second Block with a delay of 3 seconds (Main Block).

Example program for block 2:

The second block waits to receive the text from the first block, and once it receives it, it will display a word (in our example, the word "Hello") for 10 seconds (the slave block).

Connect via Wi-Fi

Longer communication is possible with Wi-Fi connection Dongle to the USB port on EV3.

To use Wi-Fi, you need to install a special module on the EV3 block using a USB connector (Wi-Fi adapter (Netgear N150 Wireless Adapter (WNA1100), or you can connect a Wi-Fi Dongle.

Description of the presentation by individual slides:

1 slide

Slide description:

2 slide

Slide description:

EV3 Brick Interface The EV3 Brick is the control center that powers your robots. With the screen, Brick control buttons, and the EV3 Brick interface, which contains four main windows, you have access to a stunning variety of unique EV3 Brick features. These can be simple functions, such as starting and stopping a program, or complex functions, such as writing the program itself.

3 slide

Slide description:

Interface: The EV3 Menu has a menu that consists of 4 parts: Recent Programs File Navigation Brick Applications Brick Settings

4 slide

Slide description:

Recent Programs Launch programs recently downloaded from your desktop PC. This window will remain blank until you start downloading and running programs. This window will display the programs you have launched recently. The program at the top of the list, which is selected by default, is the program that was launched last.

5 slide

Slide description:

File Manager Access and manage all files stored in the microcomputer memory, as well as on the memory card. From this window you will access and manage all files in your EV3 Brick, including files stored on the SD card. The files are organized into project folders, which, in addition to the actual program files, also contain the sounds and images used in each project. Files can be moved or deleted using the file navigator. Programs created using the module programming environment and module data logging applications are stored separately in the BrkProg_SAVE and BrkDL_SAVE folders.

6 slide

Slide description:

EV3 Control Box Applications has 4 pre-installed applications: A. Port View. B. Motor control. B. IR control. D. Module programming environment.

7 slide

Slide description:

A. Port View In the first window of the Port View application, you can quickly see which ports have sensors or motors connected to them. Use the EV3 Brick control buttons to navigate to one of the occupied ports and you will see the current readings from the sensor or motor. Install several sensors and motors and experiment with different settings. To view or change the current settings for installed motors and sensors, press the center button. To return to the main application window of the module, click the “Back” button.

8 slide

Slide description:

B. Motor Control Control the forward or reverse movement of any motor connected to one of the four output ports. There are two different modes. In one mode, you will be able to control motors connected to port A (using the Up and Down buttons) and to port D (using the Left and Right buttons). In the other mode, you control motors connected to port B (using the Up and Down buttons) and port C (using the Left and Right buttons). Switching between these two modes is done using the central button. To return to the main application window of the module, click the “Back” button.

Slide 9

Slide description:

IR Control Control the forward or reverse motion of any motor connected to one of the four output ports using the remote infrared beacon as the remote control and the infrared sensor as the receiver (the infrared sensor must be connected to port 4 on the EV3 Brick). There are two different modes. In one mode you will use channels 1 and 2 on the remote infrared beacon. On channel 1 you will be able to control motors connected to port B (using buttons 1 and 2 on the remote IR beacon) and port C (using buttons 3 and 4 on the remote IR beacon). On channel 2 you will be able to control the motors connected to port A (using buttons 1 and 2) and to port D (using buttons 3 and 4). In another mode, you can control the motors in the same way, using channels 3 and 4 on the remote infrared beacon instead. Switching between these two modes is done using the central button. To return to the main application window of the module, click the “Back” button.

10 slide

Slide description:

Brick Programming Environment The EV3 Brick comes with software installed on it. The application is similar to software installed on your computer. These instructions contain the basic information you need to get started.

11 slide

Slide description:

EV3 Brick Settings This window allows you to view and adjust various general settings in the EV3 Brick.

12 slide

Slide description:

Adjusting Volume You can increase or decrease Volume in the Settings tab in EV3.

Slide 13

If you have any questions that you would like to know about the new designer (how something specific works, conduct an experiment with sensors or motors) - write to us - we will try out your suggestions. This way you can learn much more about EV3 even before it goes on sale.

Now it all starts with a review of the EV3 block software (EV3 firmware).

One of the features of the new unit is that it takes a long time to turn on and off. In terms of time, the process is comparable to turning on a cell phone or home router, i.e. 20-30 seconds. After switching on, the following menu appears:

As you can see, compared to the NXT block, a lot has changed: the quality of fonts has improved, graphic elements have been more drawn, and the window interface has improved. First of all, this is due to the fact that the screen size has now increased - it has become 178 by 128 pixels, instead of 100 by 64, like the NXT block. Having a windowed interface with inherent buttons and scroll bars suggests that devices like an external touchpad will now even make more sense.

From the first window it is possible to call programs loaded onto the block, as well as programs created directly on the block. Those. in order to start the program you now need to perform fewer clicks than on the NXT block.

Navigation through loaded programs, as well as to the second and subsequent screens (menu items), is carried out using control buttons, of which there are now 4.

Second screen - allows you to navigate through file system objects on the block. The file system now supports the traditional hierarchy: files and directories.

The third screen contains a submenu - applications that allow you to perform various actions with the block:

In the current version of the block software there are four such applications:

• View sensors
• Motor control
• Remote control
• Programming on the block

Selecting a specific menu item/application occurs with the middle button on the keyboard. And to exit any menu item or application, you need to press the “Exit” button, which is now located separately from the main buttons - on the left side under the screen.

Now you should go back to the third screen and start getting acquainted with the applications. So, the application "View sensors" (Port View).

Unlike a similar mode on the NXT block, you can now see information about all 8 devices connected to the block at once. Moreover, the declared functionality of automatic detection of sensors allows you to not manually indicate which sensor is connected where.

Information from motor encoders is displayed at the top, information from sensors is displayed at the bottom. In the center of the screen is information about a specific device (in a specific port), which can be selected by pressing the control buttons on the keyboard. The information includes a graphical representation of the sensor, its name and current readings:

Touch sensor:


Gyro sensor:


Color sensor in reflected light mode:


Ultrasonic distance sensor:

Here, by the way, you can see that the sensor now claims that it can measure distances with an accuracy of millimeters, and the minimum measured distance is now 3 cm.

Information from the left motor encoder.


The next application is motor control. Essentially, it allows you to use buttons to rotate the motors. With the central button you need to select which motors to rotate. And then use pairs of buttons up and down or left and right to rotate specific motors.

It was not possible to try the third application, since the standard delivery of the educational version of the EV3 kit does not include an infrared distance sensor and an infrared beacon. But apparently, on this screen you can configure which motors will be controlled from the infrared beacon.

Of course, the most interesting application is block programming. It has been significantly redesigned: a program can now contain up to 16 program elements (blocks), and created programs can be saved and, of course, reopened for modification.

When the program writing application opens, an empty execution loop is displayed (only one iteration will be executed) and a proposal to insert the first block. You can insert a block using the "Up" button.

In the block selection window that appears, 17 blocks are available (6 action blocks and 11 wait blocks) plus the action of deleting the current block.

The order of selection and sequence of blocks is determined by the programmer. It does not imply that after each action block there must be a wait block, as was previously the case with the NXT block.

The selected block in the program looks like this:

The behavior of the block can be specified by pressing the center button. For this block, for example, you can change the angle and direction of the robot’s rotation or stop the motors altogether (for example, after the previous waiting block).

By moving the “cursor” to the left or right, you can insert another block:

For example, an event wait block on a distance sensor:

And change its behavior (the event will occur if the distance becomes more than 60 cm):

Blocks can be inserted between existing blocks or even at the beginning of a program.

Here are more examples of wait blocks:

Time waiting block (you can set exactly how long to wait):


Or a block for waiting for an event from a gyroscopic sensor (you can set the angle of rotation of the sensor).


It should again be noted that the sensor auto-detection functionality simplifies the programming process on the unit. There is no longer any need to adhere to the rule that certain sensors must be connected to certain ports.

If the program must be executed several times, the number of iterations of the control loop can be changed:

The program is launched by selecting the very first block:

When you start the program, the following will be displayed on the screen:

The program can be saved, and you can specify a file name for later search:

Letters are selected using the keyboard (hello, touchpad!)

If you try to close an unsaved program, the following not very clear message will be displayed and an unpleasant sound will be produced:

You can later open the created program and make changes to it.

Naturally, only programs created on the block are opened.

In conclusion, I would like to show what turning off a block looks like:

In this article we will talk about a new version of the designer - LEGO Mindstorms Education EV3. But before we talk about the innovations of EV3, let's take a closer look at the LEGO Mindstorms series of construction sets.

LEGO Mindstorms is a robotic construction set for children aged 10 years and older. LEGO Techniс parts are used as building blocks for the robot - many children are already familiar with them from the construction sets “Technology and Physics”, “Pneumatics”, . But building a robot frame is not enough: you need to “teach” it to receive information from the environment and react to it. For this purpose, special devices are used - sensors: they allow you to determine color, illumination, distance to nearby objects and much more. The robot can react to “irritants” with the help of motors - either go somewhere, or do something - for example, bite the offender’s finger. And the “brain” of the robot is a special programmable unit, to which all motors and sensors are connected.

Let's move on to the composition of the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set. Here's what's included in the educational version of the kit:

• 1 programmable block
• 3 motors:
• 2 large motors
• 1 medium motor
• 5 sensors:
• 2 touch sensors
• 1 color sensor
• 1 ultrasonic distance sensor
• 1 gyroscope
• Battery for robot
• 528 Lego Technic pieces

Sensors and motors

Let's take a look at what has changed in EV3 compared to the old NXT version.

The set will contain 3 motors, but one of them will differ in both size and technical characteristics.

The sound sensor has been replaced with a gyroscope. Other types of sensors remain the same.

Another feature is the auto-detection of sensors and motors when they are connected to the block - I will talk about this feature in the section describing the new EV3 programming environment.

The characteristics of the sensors and motors are presented below.

Very similar to the previous version sensor. It detects when a button is pressed or released, and it can also count single or multiple presses.

Color sensor

The EV3 Color Sensor recognizes 7 colors and can detect the absence of color. As in the previous version, it can work as a light sensor.

Gyroscope

The EV3's gyro sensor measures the robot's rotational motion and changes in its position.

Ultrasonic distance sensor

The EV3 Ultrasonic Sensor has added one more function to its main function - it can also “listen” to ultrasonic vibrations emitted by other ultrasound sensors.

Big motor

The EV3 large servo motor is very similar to the previous version of the NXT motor, but the motor housing is slightly larger (virtually it now occupies 14x7x5 holes versus the former 14x6x5). The mounting locations of the motors and their type were also changed.

Medium motor

The EV3 medium servo motor is based on a similarly sized Power Function motor. The only additional space required was the rotation angle sensor and the connection port. This motor is perfect for working under low loads and high speeds.

NXT sensors, motors and cables are compatible with EV3, so all previously built robots can be controlled by the new unit.

Programmable EV3 Brick

Serious changes have occurred with the EV3 microcomputer. Compared to the NXT, the EV3 unit has a faster processor and more memory. The firmware of the EV3 block is based on the freely distributed Linux OS, which makes it possible to create your own firmware for the block. It is now possible to connect the robot to a computer not only via USB and Bluetooth, but also via Wi-Fi. Robots can also “communicate” with each other via USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Below is a comparison table of the characteristics of NXT and EV3:

Programming environment

EV3 comes with a new graphical development environment based on LabView, similar to NXT-G. It will work, like NXT-G, on Windows and Mac OS.

The EV3 development environment has been significantly improved. Now all materials for the robot: robot programs, documentation, experimental results, photos and videos can be stored in the project. A zoom tool has also been added, which allows you to zoom in on the program to, for example, see the entire program. It is worth noting that the NXT block can be programmed using the new EV3 environment, however, the old block does not support all the features of the new programming language.

We list the main innovations of the EV3 programming environment:

• Tight integration of the programming environment with the block:
• Added a special page with connected equipment. It allows you to monitor the status of the EV3 block and receive values ​​from sensors in real time.
• Sensors and motors are recognized automatically when connected, thanks to the auto-id function. This allows you not to indicate that such and such a sensor or motor is connected to such and such a port.
• New debug mode:
• While the program is running, the block being executed is highlighted. This allows you to accurately understand the behavior of the program.
• A special symbol lights up on the software block if another sensor or motor is connected to this port.
• Added the ability to view values ​​transmitted through data wires.
• New features of program blocks:
• By interlocking the blocks with each other, the “execution beam” on which the blocks were located in the NXT-G environment was eliminated.
• Blocks have no such thing as a settings panel - behavior is now configured directly on the block, which has led to their increase in size. The program is now much easier to read - you can immediately see how the sensors and motors are configured.
• “Wait for changes” blocks have appeared, which allow you to react to the fact of a value change, and not to a change to a certain value as in NXT-G.
• Improvements in block-to-block data transfer make it easier to convert types (you no longer need to manually convert, for example, a number to a string).
• Added the ability to work with arrays.
• Early exit from the cycle became possible.

In addition to the new programming language, programs for Android and iPhone\iPad have appeared to control the robot. Also based on the Autodesk Invertor Publisher program, a program has been created for creating and viewing step-by-step 3D instructions. In this program, you can scale and rotate the model at each stage of assembly, which allows you to build more complex robots according to instructions.

Basic robots

The educational kit includes instructions for assembling 5 robots:

Color Sorter
A classic task of sorting objects (in this case, Lego pieces) by color.

Gyro Boy
A Segway robot that uses a gyroscope to balance.

Puppy
A robot dog that you can pet and feed. She also knows how to sleep and relieve herself :) Reminds me of a Tamagotchi.

Robo hand
Allows you to move objects.

For the EV3 set, a LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 resource set has been prepared, allowing you to build other models using new parts.

When writing this article, materials from the blog nnxt.blogspot.com were used.