Mario Ferrari Giulio Ferrari - 10 Cool LEGO Mindstorms Ultimate Builder Projects - Amazing Projects You Can Build in Under An Hour (2002) PDF

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10 Cool LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ Ultimate Buider Projects
Copyright © 2002 by Syngress Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
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v
Contributors
Stephen Cavers began his secret life as a LEGO MINDSTORMS builder in

March 2001, when he bought the Robotics Invention System 1.5. Since then, he
has been slowly expanding his LEGO collection and his skills at building little
plastic robots.
Before his MINDSTORMS addiction took hold, Steven received a bachelor’s
degree in Theatre at the University of British Columbia. His longtime interest in
computers and technology led him into the software industry, where he has
worked as a technical writer since 1994.
Stephen currently lives in Vancouver, Canada, and enjoys consuming copious
amounts of sushi between LEGO projects.
Stephen is the creator of Robot 1: The WideBot, Robot 2: SumoBug, Robot 3:
Hopper, and Robot 4: HunterBot.
Dr. Soh Chio Siong (commonly known as CSSoh on the Internet) is a Public
Health Physician who has a penchant for things scientific, mechanical, and elec-
tronic. Since he was a child, he has built crystal sets, microscopes, telescopes,
steam engines, digital clocks, and computers, among other things.
Dr. Soh became interested in using LEGO as a tool for creative learning in
1998, with the purchase of some LEGO Dacta sets and, later on, the MIND-
STORMS RIS set. He developed a special interest in pneumatics, particularly
pneumatic engines, and is author of the world-renowned site on LEGO
Pneumatics (www.geocities.com/cssoh1). He is an active member of the LUGNET
community and has led many interesting discussion threads.
His current interest is the use of LEGO in the teaching of science and cre-
ativity. He thinks robotics should be the fifth R, after Reading, wRiting,
aRithmetic, and computeR. He lives with his wife and daughter in Singapore.
Other LEGO claims to fame for Dr. Soh include:
In September 1999, Dr. Soh’s RCX Controlled Air Compressor Tester
(www.lugnet.com/robotics/?n=7407) created quite a stir on the LUGNET Robotics
Discussion list.
CSSoh’s LEGO Pneumatics Page (www.geocities.com/cssoh1) was voted
LUGNET’s Cool LEGO Site of the Week for January 9–15, 2000. This was the
first site from Singapore to receive this recognition from LUGNET.
In June 2000, Dr. Soh, in collaboration with P.A. Rikvold and S. J. Mitchell of
Florida State University, participated in a poster presentation at the Gordon
Conference. The presentation, entitled “Teaching Physics with LEGO: From
vi
Steam Engines to Robots,” can be viewed at www.physics.fsu.edu/users/rikvold/
info/gordon00a.html.
Dr. Soh is the creator of Robot 5: Nessie, and Robot 6: Nellie.
David Astolfo recalls that Lego first stimulated his imagination at about 4 years
old. It was not long before he received my first Lego Technic set. As a person
who loves to take things apart, figure out how then work, and sometimes put
them all back together, Technic was the ideal toy,. he would spend hours
building various Technic trucks, cranes and tractors, only to tear them apart and
start something new. One of his earliest Technic creations was a front wheel
drive steering-capable mechanism built from the parts of the 853 Technic Auto
Chassis set (1977).
A few years ago, David discovered that Lego had been working with MIT to
produce a “smart brick”., he knew then, that his “dark period” was over and he
was going to have to dust off the bricks and start building again. Soon after, he
picked up his first MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System set I could get my
hands on. David now owns 5 RIS sets and a number of other Technic sets
totaling a part inventory over 25000 pieces.
David lives with his wife Rebecca in Burlington Ontario Canada. Currently
employed at ASI Technologies Inc. as Manager of Applications Systems, David’s
specialties include: Web application development and deployment, mapping with
GIS software tools, database modeling & design and a variety of network infras-
tructure management tasks. His educational background consists of a Bachelor of
Science Degree, as well as a Geographic Applications Specialist (GIS) Certificate.
When not working, David’s hobbies consist of Karate, mountain biking,
and creating robots with LEGO of course. He also occasionally attends robotic
competitions that are held by the rtlToronto group in Toronto. This group offers
some great challenges and a friendly and fun environment to test ones robot-
building skills against others. For information on David’s other Lego creations,
visit his Web site at www.astolfo.com/bots.
David is the creator of Robot 7: The DominoBot.
Dr. Larry Whitman is an Assistant Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing

Engineering at Wichita State University. He teaches and performs research in the
areas of supply chain management, lean manufacturing, virtual reality, and com-
puter integrated manufacturing. He uses LEGO to demonstrate production sys-
tems concepts to classes of college, high school, and middle school students. He
has presented production system concepts using LEGO at industrial engineering
and resource management national conferences. He is a den leader for his son,
Joshua's Cub Scout pack and works with his son to build new designs and
vii
modify other LEGO designs. Larry spent ten years in the defense industry inte-
grating factory automation and also integrating engineering computer aided
design with manufacturing.
Dr. Whitman, in conjunction with Tonya and Alex Witherspoon, is the cre-
ator of Robot 8: The Drawbridge.
Tonya L. Witherspoon is an Educational Technology Instructor at Wichita State

University (WSU) in Wichita, KS. She teaches clay animation, multimedia produc-
tion, Web design, and several robotics and programming courses using the LEGO
MINDSTORMS RIS, Logo, Handy Crickets, and Roamer robots. She has co-
authored several books on integrating technology into curriculum, speaks at
state and national conferences on the subject, and teaches workshops and in-ser-
vice for many schools in Kansas.
Tonya’s interest in robotics peaked during Mindfest, a forum hosted by the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in October 1999. She was inspired
when Dr. Seymour Papert spoke about his work with MINDSTORMS and chal-
lenged everyone to encourage learning and find ways to spread knowledge in
new and exciting ways. Since then, Tonya has received two grants that allowed
her to give teachers in Kansas a MINDSTORMS RIS kit upon completion of a
robotics workshop at Wichita State University. To date, she’s given away over 75
RIS kits and helped many teachers find funding for complete classroom sets. She
hosted a robotics summer camp this past summer for over 65 middle-school stu-
dents; the camp also served as a practicum for teachers to learn how to use the
MINDSTORMS RIS in their classrooms. In collaboration with WSU’s College of
Engineering, she has hosted two annual MINDSTORMS Robotics Challenges,
events in which over 200 middle-school students from Kansas have competed in
robotic challenges. The third annual MINDSTORMS Robotics Challenge will be
hosted in March 2003 (http://education.wichita.edu/mindstorms).
Tonya’s family consists of her husband, Steve, who is a teacher, and five
school-age children: Andrew, Alex, Adam, Austin, and Madeline. She resides in
Wichita, but lives in cyberspace.
Tonya Witherspoon, in collaboration with her son, Alex, contributed Robot
9: The Wrapper Compactor. Tonya was also a special collaborator with Dr. Larry
Whitman on Robot 8: The Drawbridge.
Alex Witherspoon is a middle-school student in Wichita, KS. His brain is hard-

wired for innovation; he has designed numerous creations on notebook paper
since preschool. One of his first creations was a practical Midwestern solution:
an explosive that would counteract and diffuse a tornado. Alex also designed a
multilevel clubhouse, complete with a bed, television, computer, and a
viii
McDonalds on the lower level. He has made that clubhouse a reality in his back-
yard (minus the McDonalds). Alex presented his robot “Catapult Mania” at MIT’s
Mindfest when he was nine and broke the code to unlock the LEGO Knight’s
chain, which was a challenge posed to all Mindfest participants. His reward was
to take home the four-foot LEGO Knight. Upon returning from Mindfest, Alex
and his mother started a school-funded robotics club, at the invitation of Alex’s
elementary school principal.
The journey to MIT showed Alex that his type of creativity has ample appli-
cation in our world, and has spawned different inventions using LEGOs and
other materials to consummate the tenuous relationship between idea and
reality. Alex has participated on robotics teams that have received the top prize
for two years in a row at WSU’s MINDSTORMS Robotics Challenge. This
summer, he sent for a free patent attorney’s kit.
Alex Witherspoon, in collaboration with his mother, Tonya, contributed
Robot 9: The Wrapper Compactor. Alex was also a special collaborator with
Dr. Larry Whitman on Robot 8: The Drawbridge.
Kevin Clague graduated in 1983 from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s of
Science degree in Computer Engineering. For the past 18 years, Kevin has worked
as a Diagnostic Engineer at the Amdahl Corporation. For the last two years, he has
also acted as a Senior Staff Engineer doing verification work at Sun Microsystems
on their Ultra-Sparc V RISC processor. Kevin has two major hobbies: theatrical
lighting and LEGO MINDSTORMS. Kevin has been playing with the RIS 1.5 for
several years now and is currently working on LPub, an application to revolu-
tionize the world of creating online LEGO building instructions.
Kevin Clague contributed Robot 10: Robo-Hominid.
ix
Technical Reviewers
Mario Ferrari received his first LEGO box around 1964, when he was four-
years-old. LEGO was his favorite toy for many years, until he thought he was too
old to play with it. In 1998, the LEGO MINDSTORMS RIS set gave him reason
to again have LEGO become his main addiction. Mario believes LEGO is the
closest thing to the perfect toy. He is Managing Director at EDIS, a leader in fin-
ishing and packaging solutions and promotional packaging. The advent of the
MINDSTORMS product line represented for him the perfect opportunity to com-
bine his interest in IT and robotics with his passion for LEGO bricks. Mario has
been an active member of the online MINDSTORMS community from the
beginning and has pushed LEGO robotics to its limits. Mario holds a bachelor’s
degree in Business Administration from the University of Turin and has always
nourished a strong interest for physics, mathematics, and computer science. He is
fluent in many programming languages and his background includes positions
as an IT Manager and as a Project Supervisor. With his brother Giulio Ferrari,
Mario is the co-author of the highly successful book Building Robots with LEGO
MINDSTORMS (Syngress Publishing, ISBN: 1-928994-67-9). Mario estimates he
owns over 60,000 LEGO pieces. Mario works in Modena, Italy, where he lives
with his wife, Anna, and his children, Sebastiano and Camilla.
Giulio Ferrari is a student in economics at the University of Modena and Reggio

Emilia, where he also studied engineering. He is fond of computers and has
developed utilities, entertainment software, and Web applications for several
companies. Giulio discovered robotics in 1998, with the arrival of MIND-
STORMS, and held an important place in the creation of the Italian LEGO com-
munity. He shares a love for LEGO bricks with his oldest brother, Mario, and a
strong curiosity for the physical and mathematical sciences. Giulio also has a
collection of 1200 dice, including odd-faced dice and game dice. Giulio has con-
tributed to two other books for Syngress Publishing, Building Robots with LEGO
MINDSTORMS (ISBN: 1-928994-67-9) and Programming LEGO MINDSTORMS
with Java (ISBN: 1-928994-55-5). Guilio studies, works, and lives in Modena,
Italy.
x
About This Book
Each of the ten cool robots in this book is presented using a method that makes its con-
struction as easy and intuitive as possible. Each chapter begins with a picture of the com-
pleted robot, accompanied by a brief introduction to the robot’s history, its unique challenges
and characteristics, as well as any concerns that the robot’s creator wants you to be aware of
during construction.
The instructions for building each robot are broken down into several sub-assemblies,
which each consist of an integral structural component of the finished robot. (For example,
the first robot presented in this book, WideBot, is broken down into four sub-assemblies: the
Chassis, the Right Drive, the Left Drive, and the Head.) You will see a picture of each fin-
ished sub-assembly before you begin its construction.
You will be guided through the construction of each sub-assembly by following the indi-
vidual building steps, beginning with Step 0. Each step shows you two important things—
what parts you need, and what to do with them—by using two pictures. The parts list picture
shows you which LEGO bricks you will need for that particular step, as well as the quantity
of parts required, and the color of the parts (if necessary). Since this book is printed in black
and white, we have used the following key to represent the colors:
■ B Blue
■ G Green
■ M Magenta
■ LB Light Blue
■ Y Yellow
■ Ppl Purple
■ TLG Transparent Light Green
■ TY Transparent Yellow
The instructional picture next to the parts list shows how those parts connect to one
another. As the robot’s construction progresses, it gets harder to see where parts get added,
so you’ll see we have made the parts that you add in each particular step darker than those
added in previous steps. Many of the steps also have a few brief lines of text to more fully
explain building procedures that may not be obvious from the pictures alone, or to discuss
what role this step plays in the larger scheme of the robot’s construction.
Once you have finished building all of the separate sub-assemblies, it’s time to put them
all together to complete the robot. The set of steps at the end of each chapter titled “Putting
It All Together” walks you through the process of attaching together the sub-assemblies.
xi
Throughout the chapters you will see three types of sidebars:
■ Bricks & Chips… These sidebars explain key LEGO building concepts and termi-
nology.
■ Developing & Deploying… These sidebars explain why certain building tech-
niques were used with a particular robot and what purpose they serve.
■ Inventing… These sidebars offer suggestions for customizing the robots. Building
robots with LEGO MINDSTORMS is all about creativity, so we encourage you to
experiment with these suggestions, and try different building techniques of your
own.
Building your robots is, or course, only half the fun! Getting them to run using the RCX
brick is what distinguishes MINDSTORMS robots from ordinary models created with LEGO
bricks. Some of the robots in this book will use the programs that come hard-wired into the
RCX brick. Many of them will use unique programs that the authors have written specifi-
cally for their robots. Keep an eye out for the black and white syngress.com icons scattered
throughout the book.
These icons alert you to the fact that there is code for this particular robot available for
download from the Syngress Solutions Web site (www.syngress.com/solutions). The programs
for the robots in this book are written in two of the most common programming languages
used for LEGO MINDSTORMS:
■ RCX LEGO’s official programming language.
■ NQC Standing for “Not Quite C,” NQC is a programming language created by
Dave Baum. Very similar in many ways to the C computer programming language,
NQC is a text-based language that is more powerful and flexible than RCX.
For instruction on uploading these programs to your RCX brick, refer to the documenta-
tion that came with your LEGO MINDSTORMS RIS 2.0 kit.
The Syngress Solutions Web site (www.syngress.com/solutions) contains the code files for
the robots found in 10 Cool LEGO Mindstorms Ultimate Builders Set Projects: Amazing
Projects You Can Build in Under an Hour. The code files are located in a BotXX directory.
For example, the files for Robot 5 are located in folder Bot05. Any further directory structure
depends upon the specific files included for the robot in that particular chapter.
xii
Contents
HunterBot, Robot 4
About This Book xi

Foreword xv
Robot 1 WideBot 1
Robot 2 SumoBug 29
Robot 3 Hopper 51
Robot 4 HunterBot 65
Robot 5 Nessie 91
Robot 6 Nellie 105
Robot 7 The DominoBot 123
Robot 8 The Drawbridge 181
Robot 9 Candy Wrapper Compactor 205
Robot 10 Robo-Hominid 223
xiii
Foreword
My contribution to this book is the result of a series of accidents. First, my par-

ents accidentally started me on the road to LEGO addiction by giving me
countless LEGO kits as a child, which I played with obsessively. Later in my
life, my little brother accidentally left his LEGO kits unguarded, and I rediscov-
ered LEGO even though I was obviously older than the implied “9+” age cate-
gory on the package. The final accident that led to my involvement with this
book occurred in March 2001 when a co-worker—a programmer—told me about
the LEGO MINDSTORMS Droid Developer Kit he had recently purchased. That
triggered my relapse into LEGO addiction, and I had to buy the LEGO MIND-
STORMS Robotics Invention System. Since then, I have been happily designing,
building, and programming dozens of robots.
From time to time, I browse the web to check out the latest inventions by
other MINDSTORMS builders, and I’m often impressed with the creativity and
mechanical complexity that I find. I’m also amazed—and oddly reassured—by
how many MINDSTORMS fanatics are adults who have picked up a fasci-
nating new hobby.
In my first weeks working with the Robotics Invention System, I was a bit
daunted by the robotic masterpieces that I saw on the web: mechanical arms,
climbers, quadrupeds, bipeds, insects, cars, and even kitchen appliances. I won-
dered if I could ever begin to invent such things.
The key, I think, is to start slowly and innovate on existing models.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it also helps you learn the ropes.
Spend some time browsing the web for ideas and see if you can innovate on
them. The projects presented in the LEGO MINDSTORMS Ultimate Builders
Set are an excellent way to pick up new building techniques and learn the
principles of reinforced structures and reduction gearing. With dedication,
anyone can learn to invent robots like a LEGO Master Builder.
xv
Foreword
When I was approached by Jonathan Babcock at Syngress to design robots

for this book, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute some of my
ideas. An important aspect of the MINDSTORMS community, I feel, is the
sharing of ideas and knowledge for the sake of fun and innovation. This book
contributes to that community in the same spirit. I hope that you enjoy the cool
and easy-to-build robots in this book, and use them as a springboard to
designing your own innovative MINDSTORMS creations.
—Stephen Cavers
www.cavers.ca
xvi
Robot 1
WideBot
1
Robot 1 • WideBot
WideBot is a wide-bodied robot designed to pursue light sources. When I

bought my second RIS kit, I tried to think up ways to get two robots to interact
with each other. After a bit of experimentation, I put together a game of robotic
tag called Cat and Mouse.
In this game, two robots sit still most of the time, but at random intervals,
the “cat” robot sends a message asking if the “mouse” robot wants to play. If it
does, the mouse wanders around the floor, evading the cat.
The mouse robot has a bright tail light that shows up very well to the cat
robot’s light sensor. The cat scans left and right, searching for the brightest
point in the room, which it pursues. When the cat tags the mouse, it sends an
infrared message to shut down the mouse. Then they wait quietly until they
feel like playing again.
The WideBot is based upon my design for the cat. Your “mouse” equivalent
can be a flashlight or other source of bright illumination that you can direct.
There are several strategies to programming a light-seeking robot. You might
wish to explore some of these as you experiment with WideBot’s abilities. One
strategy is to rotate the sensor (or the entire robot) from side to side in a sensor
sweep, while recording the brightness values at several points across the sweep.
The robot then determines the brightest direction and moves in that direction
for a distance before performing the sensor sweep again. While this technique
is probably an accurate way to locate the brightest point in a room, it’s difficult
to program properly.
A simpler way to seek for a light source is for the robot to turn steadily in
one direction until the light level exceeds a specified threshold. This behavior is
much easier to program, but doesn’t take variable lighting conditions into
account (if a room is too dark, for example, the robot may never register a light
source bright enough to pursue).
2
Robot 1 • WideBot
WideBot uses the latter method, the same principle as the cat in the robotic
tag game. By rotating on its wide wheelbase, WideBot can carefully scan a
room for the light source. WideBot’s width isn’t just for looks: The wide turning
circle makes a side-to-side scanning motion that is slow and easily controlled.
You can find the program for WideBot on the Syngress Solution Web site
(www.syngress.com/solutions). It is a simple light-seeking program. The robot
will keep turning in one direction until either the light exceeds the
LIGHT_THRESHOLD value or until one of the bumpers is hit. The direction
the robot turns is determined by which bumper is hit (if the left bumper is hit,
the robot seeks to the right and vice-versa). The robot moves straight ahead
while the light is above the threshold.
3
Robot 1 • WideBot
The Chassis
The chassis sub-assembly is the frame on which WideBot is built. It supports the RCX brick and pro-
vides a solid connection for the other parts. Using the open-centered transparent bricks, you can
quickly build WideBot’s sturdy frame.
Chassis Step 0
Add the pins to the 6x8 open-

centered transparent brick.
4
Robot 1 • WideBot
Chassis Step 1
Add the two 4x6 open-centered

bricks. The transparent blue
connector block will ultimately
support WideBot’s head.
5
Robot 1 • WideBot
Chassis Step 2
Attach the two 1x16 TECHNIC beams,

which reinforce the chassis and
provide attachment points for the left
and right drive sub-assemblies.
Chassis Step 3
Assemble and attach the

skids. Because WideBot is
a two-wheeled robot, it
needs skids in order
to turn freely.
6
Robot 1 • WideBot
Inventing…
Casters, Skids, or Sliding?
Because WideBot uses skids it runs best on a smooth surface. If
a smooth surface is not available you could try to adapt the
caster wheel that appears in Robot 5, Nessie, or the sliding
wheel that appears in Robot 6, Nellie.
Chassis Step 4
Attach the RCX

brick to complete the
chassis sub-assembly.
7
Robot 1 • WideBot
The Right Drive
The right drive sub-assembly is a complete drive unit that includes the motor, gearbox, and right
wheel. The gearbox turns the rotation angle 90 degrees and reduces the rotation speed by a ratio
of 5:1. In other words, for every five revolutions of the motor, the wheel turns only once.
WideBot has two drive sub-assemblies, the right and the left, which include connectors and
supports for the chassis.
Right Drive Step 0

Attach the 1x12 TECHNIC beam to the
motor using the 1x2 plates, and slide
the 12t beveled gear onto the motor.
1x2 plate
1x2 plate
8
Robot 1 • WideBot
Right Drive Step 1 Slide the pieces onto the #6 axle in

this order: half bushing, 20t
gear, full bushing, half
bushing, 8t gear. The
12t gear on the
motor should
mesh with
the 20t
gear.
Bricks & Chips…

Beveled Gears
The Ultimate Builders Set includes three kinds of beveled gears,
which allow you to turn the angle of rotation 90 degrees.
Right Drive Step 2
Slide the 24t gear and bushings onto the

second axle, and place the axle so that the 24t
gear meshes with the 8t gear on the first axle.
These gears further reduce the rotation speed.
9
Robot 1 • WideBot
Right Drive Step 3

Slide the second 1x12 TECHNIC beam
onto the axles, and secure it to the
motor using the 1x2 plate.
Right Drive Step 4

Add the various plates
and bushings as shown.
The 1x4 TECHNIC brick
provides more strength to
the assembly.
10
Robot 1 • WideBot
Right Drive Step 5
Bricks & Chips…

Using 1x1 Round Plates as Spacers
Models in many MINDSTORMS and TECHNIC kits stack two
1x1 plates to separate beams. This ensures that the holes line
up when you add a vertical beam, and is a lighter and more
attractive solution than filling the gap with long plates.
11
Robot 1 • WideBot
Right Drive Step 6
Add the 1x3

liftarm to
pins on the
far side of the
robot. The liftarm
secures the upper
beam to the lower beam.
Then add the pins to the side
of the assembly opposite of
the liftarm as shown.
Right Drive Step 7
Attach the remaining

liftarms, pins, and the wire.
Make sure that the wire is
oriented so that it hangs
over the back of the motor.
In the final assembly, the
three-quarter-length pins
will attach to the RCX brick.
12
Robot 1 • WideBot
Right Drive Step 8
Finally, slide the wheel onto the forward

axle and fix it in place with a bushing.
Now you’re ready to build the left drive
sub-assembly.
The Left Drive
The left drive sub-assembly is a mirror image of the right drive sub-assembly, with the exception of
the gearbox. To ensure that the wheels drive in the same direction, the gearbox setup is identical in
both motor assemblies (that is, it is not a mirror of the right drive, but is exactly the same).
13
Robot 1 • WideBot
Left Drive Step 0
Begin assembling
1x2 plate the left drive sub-
assembly as you did
for the right drive
sub-assembly.
1x2 plate
Left Drive Step 1
14
Robot 1 • WideBot
Left Drive Step 2

Here is the first difference between
the two drive sub-assemblies: The
axle extends out to the left instead
of the right.
Left Drive Step 3
15
Robot 1 • WideBot
Left Drive Step 4
Left Drive Step 5
16
Robot 1 • WideBot
Left Drive Step 6
Insert the pins and attach the liftarms

so that they are the opposite of the
right drive sub-assembly.
Left Drive Step 7
17
Robot 1 • WideBot
Left Drive Step 8

Complete the sub-assembly by sliding the left
wheel onto the axle with a bushing. Now that
the drive sub-assemblies are done, you can go
ahead and build WideBot’s head.
The Head
The head sub-assembly provides WideBot with two senses: touch and sensitivity to light. With touch
sensors behind the left and right bumpers, WideBot can respond appropriately when it bumps into
an object. The light sensor measures brightness directly ahead.
18
Robot 1 • WideBot
Developing & Deploying…

Using a Light Sensor as a Proximity Sensor
A forward-pointing light sensor can be used as a proximity detector.
As the sensor approaches an object, the red light from the sensor
reflects back to the sensor, much like radar.
Head Step 0 Head Step 1
Assemble the parts on

the transparent blue
connector block. The
green bricks with
axle holes are
the attachment point
for the light sensor. Slide the 3L liftarms and half-
bushings onto the upper axle.
Inventing…
Heads Up or Heads Down?
If you want to build a line-following robot instead of a light-following
robot, rotate the bricks with axle holes 90 degrees forward. The light
sensor can then point downward instead of forward.
19
Robot 1 • WideBot
Head Step 3
Head Step 2
Insert the
#4 axles
into the
angle
connec-
Slide the axles into the liftarms. tors and slide
them onto the
assembly. Make sure that the
half-bushings don’t squeeze the angle
connectors—they should pivot freely.
Head Step 4 Head Step 5
Slide the 1x3

liftarms onto
the axles.
Slide the
two touch
sensors
onto the
axles, and
attach the
light sensor
to the green bricks so that
it faces forward.
20
Robot 1 • WideBot
Head Step 6
Secure the touch sensors with
the 1x2 liftarms, and slide the
1x4 liftarm onto
the axle pins at
the back of the
assembly.
Head Step 7
The blue and yellow liftarms act as bumpers:

When the robot encounters an object, the
left or right bumper will push the yellow
button on the touch sensor. In
this way, the robot can
tell which side the
obstacle is on.
Inventing…
Customizing the Bumpers
WideBot uses the blue and yellow liftarms as bumpers, but you can
use other parts, such as flexible tubes or a combination of axles and
connectors.
21
Robot 1 • WideBot
Head Step 8 To provide a place to attach

WideBot’s eyes, add the notched
#2 axles to the liftarms at the
back of the head
sub-assembly.
Eyes are
purely
decorative, but
they can make any
robot endearing to
friends and family!
Head Step 9
22
Robot 1 • WideBot
Head Step 10
Head Step 11
Complete the head sub-

assembly by attaching the
eyes.
23
Robot 1 • WideBot
Putting It All Together
You’re almost there. Now that you’ve built the chassis, head, and left and right drive sub-assemblies,
you can put them together to complete WideBot.
Final Step 0
To begin the final assembly,
start with the chassis sub-
assembly. Attach the
right drive
sub-assembly
to the right
side of the
chassis as
shown.
24
Robot 1 • WideBot
Final Step 1
Now, attach the left drive sub-
assembly the same way to the
left side of the chassis.
Bricks & Chips…

Changing the Batteries
To change the batteries, remove both drive sub-assemblies and
separate the RCX brick from the chassis.
Final Step 2
Snap the head sub-assembly
onto the yellow double pin at
the front of the chassis.
25
Robot 1 • WideBot
Final Step 3
Light Sensor to
Input Port 2
Left Touch Right Touch

Sensor to Sensor to
Input Port 1 Input Ports 3
Left Motor Wire Right Motor Wire

to Output Port A to Output Port C
Now attach the wires.

Connect the left and right touch sensors to Input Ports 1
and 3, and connect the light sensor to Input Port 2.
Connect the left motor wire to Output Port A and the
right motor wire to Output Port C. Be sure to orient the motor
wires as shown: The wires should hang over the back of the
RCX brick. WideBot should move forward when both motors
run in the forward direction.
WideBot is now complete! Load the program and have
some light-detecting, obstacle-bumping fun.
26
Robot 1 • WideBot

A Light-following Program
You can download the program for WideBot from the Syngress
Solutions Web site (www.syngress.com/solutions).
27
Robot 2
SumoBug
29
Robot 2 • SumoBug
One of the popular pastimes of LEGO MINDSTORMS builders is a challenge

called Robotic Sumo, which emulates Sumo wrestling. In these challenges, two
robots face each other in a ring and employ a combination of cunning and
brute force in a bid to shove their opponent out of the ring. With the Robotics
Invention System (RIS) Test Pad, you can stage your own Sumo matches within
the Test Pad’s large, black, oval “ring.”
SumoBug is designed with the strategies of Sumo in mind. Although it’s a
bit of a lightweight in Sumo terms, SumoBug keeps its weight over the front
axles for greater traction. The slow-turning tractor treads keep it stuck to the
ground and moving forward.
SumoBug gets its power from a 24:1 gear ratio, which means that it moves
slowly but has lots of torque. Although some Sumo robots try to crash head-
long into an opponent, SumoBug’s strategy is to stay low to the ground and
push slowly and steadily to win the match.
SumoBug is versatile, too. If there are no opponents handy (or if you don’t
want to buy a second RIS just yet), you can program SumoBug to detect and
follow lines on the floor and navigate obstacles—it works with almost any pro-
gram for a robot with two bumpers and a light sensor, such as the programs
that come with the RIS 2.0 software.
Here’s how you can set up a Sumo match on your RIS Test Pad. Build two
SumoBugs and download the SumoBug program from the Syngress Solutions
Web site (www.syngress.com/solutions). The program is available in both NQC
and RCX. The two versions are very similar, so you can use either version in a
Sumo match. These programs allow two dueling Sumo robots to attempt to
force each other out of the black oval on the LEGO MINDSTORMS Test Pad.
30
Robot 2 • SumoBug
The SumoBug program requires that both opponents have the following char-
acteristics:
■ Left and right front bumpers with touch sensors attached to Input
Ports 1 and 3
■ A downward-pointing light sensor attached to Input Port 2 and
mounted on the rear of the robot
■ Left and right motors connected to Output Ports A and C, respectively
Place the two robots so that they are facing each other across the length of
the Test Pad. Run the program to start the match. If your SumoBug is forced
backward over the black line, it loses the match and sends a “you win” mes-
sage to the victor. If your SumoBug receives a “you win” message before
crossing the black line, it does a little victory dance and plays a tune.
Bricks & Chips…

SumoBug Is All Torque and No Action
By reducing the rotation speed, you increase the torque, which makes
for a slow but very powerful robot. Finding the right gear ratio means
balancing the need for power and the need for speed.
31
Robot 2 • SumoBug
The Right Drive
To begin, you will build the right drive sub-assembly, which includes the motor, gearbox, and right
tractor tread. The gearbox uses a worm gear and a 24t gear to reduce the rotation speed by a ratio
of 24:1. In other words, for every 24 revolutions of the motor, the wheel inside the tractor tread
turns only once.
SumoBug’s two drive sub-assemblies, the left and right drives, include connectors and supports
for the RCX brick.
Right Drive Step 0
Slide the axles through the

holes in the 1x16 TECHNIC
brick. Add the bushings and
the 24t gear to hold the
axles in place. The 24t gear
is secured on the axle with
the half-bushings.
32
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Right Drive Step 1
Add the second

1x16 TECHNIC
brick, and secure it
with the bushings.
Right Drive Step 2
Slide the worm

gear, bushing, and
axle joiner onto the
#5 axle and attach the axle
to the motor shaft before mounting the
motor on the TECHNIC bricks.
Right Drive Step 3
Add the 1x1 round

plates, TECHNIC
bricks, and pins, as
shown. The 1x1
round plates act as spacers
to ensure that the holes line up
when vertical beams are added.
33
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Right Drive Step 4

Slide the 16t gear onto the front axle.
Mount the sprocket wheels on to the
axles with a bushing on each to hold
them in place.
When you connect the wire to the
motor, make sure that the orientation is
correct: The wire should hang off the
back of the motor.
The liftarms on each side strengthen
the drive unit and provide the
connection point for the RCX brick.
Right Drive Step 5 16t gear goes onto

axle before wheel.
Slide the tread over the

sprocket wheels.
34
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Right Drive Step 6
To complete the right drive

sub-assembly, add the
connector blocks and pins
as shown.
The Left Drive
The left drive sub-assembly is almost a mirror image of the right drive sub-assembly, and includes
the motor, gearbox, and tractor tread.
35
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Bricks & Chips…

Saving Your Good Designs
It’s a good idea to design self-contained drive sub-assemblies—
you can easily reuse them in your future robot designs.
Left Drive Step 0
Slide the
three axles though
the 1x16 TECHNIC brick
and secure them with the
bushings and the 24t gear.
36
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Left Drive Step 1
Secure the second TECHNIC brick with the bushings

and add the pins on either side, as shown.
Left Drive Step 2
Slide the axle joiner, worm gear, and

bushing onto the #5 axle and attach the
axle to the motor shaft before mounting
the motor on the TECHNIC bricks.
37
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Left Drive Step 3
Add the spacers and TECHNIC

bricks, which comprise the
frame of the drive sub-assembly.
Left Drive Step 4
Attach the blue liftarms to each side of

the left drive sub-assembly. Slide the
16t gear onto the rear
axle. Then attach the
yellow liftarm
for support.
38
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Left Drive Step 5
Attach the
sprocket wheels
to the three axles using the
bushings, and slide the tractor
tread onto the sprocket wheels.
Left Drive Step 6
Slide the tractor tread onto the sprocket

wheels. Both drive sub-assemblies are
now complete, and you’re ready
to build SumoBug’s head.
39
Robot 2 • SumoBug
The Head
SumoBug’s head is more than just a pretty face. It holds the light sensor and two bumpers equipped
with touch sensors. During a match, SumoBug uses the light sensor to see the black line on the RIS
Test Pad. Separate bumpers let SumoBug know which side the opponent is on.
Head Step 0
First, attach the pins to the

transparent blue connector box.
Then connect the liftarm. Slide the
#10 axle through the center hole
on the liftarm, and the #12 axle
through the top hole. Next, add
the green bricks with axle holes.
40
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Bricks & Chips…

Keeping a Low Profile
An important strategy of Robotic Sumo is to stay close to the ground. If
an opponent’s robot gets underneath yours, it’s game over. SumoBug’s
head is mounted close to the floor.
Head Step 1
Slide
the remaining
liftarms and bushings onto
the axles.
Head Step 2
Slide the
#4 axles
through the
liftarms
added in
Head Step 1
as shown.
Next, using the angle
connectors with the #5
stamped on the side, add these to both
ends of each axle. The angle connectors allow
the front bumpers to pivot freely on the axles. Finally,
add the pins to the exterior axle connectors on each
side and the #2 axles to the interior axle connectors
on each side.
41
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Head Step 3
Use the
half-bushings to
secure the angle connectors.
Head Step 4
Connect a wire to each of the two
touch sensors, and slide them onto
the axle under the black liftarms.
Once the bumpers are attached,
the pivoting angle connectors will
cause the bumper to push the touch
sensor’s yellow button when SumoBug
encounters an obstacle.
Head Step 5
Use the 1x3 grey

liftarms to secure the
touch sensors on each
side, and add the three-
quarter-length pins.
42
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Head Step 6
First, slide the bushings

and 1x7 black liftarms
onto the #10 axle.
Then connect the axle
to the head sub-
assembly using the
yellow bent liftarms as
shown. The black
liftarms help
secure the head to
the rest of the
SumoBug.
43
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Head Step 7
Attach the
light sensor to the
green bricks with axle
holes so that the end of the
light sensor extends slightly below the
bottom of the touch sensors.
44
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Head Step 8
Complete SumoBug’s head

by attaching the eyes.
Inventing…
Customizing SumoBug’s Head
Although SumoBug’s big, googly eyes are cute, not everyone will like
them on their wrestler robot! Play around with different decorations,
like antennae or smaller eyes to give your robot a different expression—
or none at all!
45
Robot 2 • SumoBug
The RCX
Next, you’ll be attaching yellow liftarms to the RCX brick.
RCX Step 0
Insert three-quarter-length
pins into each of the four
holes on the RCX brick.
Bricks & Chips…

Looking Forward or Backward
Many MINDSTORMS builders orient the RCX brick so that the
infrared window faces backward. Although partly an aesthetic
issue, the important thing is to ensure that communication with
the infrared tower is unobstructed.
46
Robot 2 • SumoBug
RCX Step 1
Snap the
yellow liftarms
onto the pins on
each side of the RCX, as
shown. You’re now ready to
begin the final assembly!
Now that you’ve completed all four major components—the left and right drive sub-assemblies,
the head sub-assembly, and the RCX sub-assembly—you can go ahead and begin the final construc-
tion steps.
Bricks & Chips…

Where Is Your COG?
When traction is important, try to keep your robot’s
center of gravity (COG) over the drive wheels.
47
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Final Step 0
To begin the final assembly, take the

right and left drive sub-assemblies
and attach them together using
the black pins in the
transparent blue
connector block.
Bricks & Chips…

Keeping Your Eyes on the Road
Notice how close the light sensor is to the
ground. This lets the robot detect the
brightness of the surface more accurately
than if it were higher up.
Final Step 1
Mount SumoBug’s head onto

the yellow double-length pin in
the blue connector block. The
three-quarter-length pins connect
the black liftarms to the drive sub-assemblies
to reinforce SumoBug’s head.
48
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Final Step 2
Using four long, blue pins

with stop bushings, attach
the RCX sub-assembly to the
vertical liftarms on the drive
sub-assemblies.
Bricks & Chips…

To change SumoBug’s batteries, disconnect Output Ports A and C,
then pull out the blue pins halfway to release the RCX brick.
49
Robot 2 • SumoBug
Final Step 3
Light Sensor to
Input Port 2
Left Touch Sensors Right touch Sensors

to Input Ports 1 to Input Ports 1
Left Motor to Right Motor to

Output Port A Output Port C
Now it’s time to connect the wires to the RCX

brick. Connect the left and right touch sensors Developing & Deploying…
to Input Ports 1 and 3, and connect the light Programming SumoBug
sensor to Input Port 2. Connect the left motor The programs for SumoBug
to Output Port A and the right motor to are located on the Syngress
Output Port C, making sure that the wires are Solutions Web site
oriented as shown. (www.syngress.com/solutions). In
addition to competing in robotic Sumo
challenges, SumoBug can also be pro-
grammed as a line-following robot.
Either type of program works with
the RIS Test Pad.
50
Robot 3
Hopper
51
Robot 3 • Hopper
Hopper is a four-legged robot designed to move in a loping, hopping motion.

Unlike most robots with legs, Hopper’s design is extremely simple, which
makes it an excellent starter project, and its unique gait makes it a fun robot to
play with and program.
I spent quite a while trying to select an appropriate name for this robot.
Having rejected such names as FleaBot, Skipper, and even Dennis (the Hopper),
simplicity won out. Sometimes naming a robot can be the most difficult part of
the invention process.
Hopper’s hopping action is generated by the spinning action of the large
pulley wheels, which drive the legs down and back, then retract them quickly.
Although Hopper doesn’t actually leave the ground on each hop, it does drive
itself forward, and even has the ability to turn left and right. Positioning the
weight correctly is crucial to achieve the desired hopping motion: Place the
heavy RCX brick too far forward and there is too much weight on the front
legs for Hopper to move; place it too far to the rear and the robot will flip
onto its back.
Programming Hopper poses an interesting challenge. In order to hop for-
ward, the legs need to move synchronously despite the fact that the motors run
independently. You can synchronize the legs by simply allowing a small rest
time between movements, during which the robot’s own weight will return the
legs to the resting state before starting movement again. If you’re programming
using the NQC (Not Quite C) programming language, use the Float command
in place of the Off command. Float allows the motors to turn freely when they
are turned off, which lets the legs return to the resting state in about half a
second. If you program using the LEGO RCX language, allow at least a second
or so between movements because the motors tend to resist turning.
The program for Hopper is designed to let it hop around the RIS Test Pad,
following the black oval and hopping on the green rectangles. Due to the way
the legs move, Hopper will only work on a smooth surface, so the Test Pad is
an excellent place to let it roam. You can download the Hopper program from
the Syngress Solutions Web site (www.solutions.com/syngress).
52
Robot 3 • Hopper
The Left Drive
The left drive and right drive sub-assemblies are used to rotate the large pulley wheels which pro-
vide the hopping action for the legs. The beveled gears turn the angle of rotation 90 degrees and
reduce the speed.
Left Drive Step 0
On the 1x8 TECHNIC brick, begin

assembling the parts as
shown. Make sure that you
leave a small space
(about 1/16 of an
inch, or 1.5 mm)
between the large
pulley wheel and the
beam. This prevents the pulley from
becoming stuck on the beam.
53
Robot 3 • Hopper
Inventing…
Choosing the Gears
Your choice of gears determines speed and torque. You should
experiment with different gear ratios—for example, if you replace
Hopper’s gears with an 8t gear and a 24t crown gear, Hopper will
move more slowly.
Left Drive Step 1

Attach the 12t gear to the
motor’s drive axle, then slide
the motor into place, so that
the 12t gear meshes with the
20t gear. Attach the 1x16 beam.
Make sure that the wire is

oriented correctly, as shown.
54
Robot 3 • Hopper
The Right Drive
The right drive sub-assembly is a mirror image of the left drive sub-assembly.
Right Drive Step 0
Assemble the parts for the right drive

sub-assembly as you did for
the left drive sub-
assembly. Notice that
the arrangement of
gears is identical to that
of the left drive sub-
assembly. This ensures that the
motors turn in the same direction.
55
Robot 3 • Hopper
Right Drive Step 1
With the two motor sub-

assemblies completed, you’re
ready to begin Hopper’s chassis.
Add the remaining parts.

Again, make sure that the
wire is oriented as shown.
56
Robot 3 • Hopper
The Chassis
Hopper’s chassis is a simple frame onto which of all of the other parts are added.
Chassis Step 0
Add the various pins and

plates onto the three
1x16 TECHNIC bricks as
shown.
57
Robot 3 • Hopper
Chassis Step 1
Flip the chassis over

and add the
following parts as
shown. First, add the plates and the 1x6 TECHNIC
bricks, then add a bushing to each #4 axle before
sliding them into place.
Chassis Step 2
Add the blue axle connector

to each of the axles, and
attach the liftarms. The
yellow liftarms are
Hopper’s front legs.
58
Robot 3 • Hopper
Bricks & Chips…

Using Skids Instead of Wheels
Hopper’s front legs act as skids, which let the front end slide forward
and side-to-side. When you use skids on a robot, avoid using rubber
parts, such as tires, because they won’t slide easily.
The RCX
Before the RCX can be mounted onto Hopper’s chassis, you need to add liftarms, which provide the
attachment points.
RCX Step 0
Insert the three-quarter-

length pins into the four
holes on the RCX brick.
59
Robot 3 • Hopper
RCX Step 1
Add the four 1x7 black

liftarms and pins as shown.
RCX Step 2
Attach the blue 1x5

liftarms onto the
pins you added in
RCX Step 1. Make
sure you mount these
parts correctly. If they are
out of position by even a
single hole, Hopper’s balance will
be altered, causing it to wobble
around or even keel over
backwards when it moves.
Inventing…
Choosing Part Colors
Your choice of part colors can influence the overall look of your robot.
If you prefer, you can use the blue 1x7 liftarms that came with the
Ultimate Builders Set. I chose the black ones simply for looks.
60
Robot 3 • Hopper
Now that you’ve built the left and right drive, chassis, and RCX sub-assemblies, you’re ready to start
Hopper’s final assembly.
Final Step 0 Final Step 1
To begin, locate the left

drive sub-assembly and
orient it as shown here. Locate the right drive sub-assembly
and attach it to the left drive sub-
assembly as shown.
Final Step 2
Attach the chassis

sub-assembly to
the underside of
the drive sub-
assemblies and
fasten it in place
with the blue 1x5 liftarms.
61
Robot 3 • Hopper
Final Step 3
Add the yellow

bent liftarms onto the
pins on the sides of the
robot. These will attach to
the RCX brick later on.
Attach the black 3L
liftarm as shown, and slide the
#4 axle into it.
Final Step 4
Build
Hopper’s head by
adding the sloped
bricks before sliding the
two green bricks with axle
holes onto the axle under-
neath. To make the right eye,
slide a wheel on to one end of a
#6 axle and slide it through the first hole in the beam
as shown.
Using the #10 axles and bushings, build the legs on
both sides of the robot.
62
Robot 3 • Hopper
Final Step 5
Complete the head by

adding the left eye, 3L
liftarm, and light sensor as
shown. Slide the small pulleys and the blue liftarms
with quarter ovals onto the legs as shown.
Inventing…
Starting Off on the Right Foot
Your choice of parts for the feet can change
how Hopper moves. Try different parts in place
of the ones shown to see what happens.
Final Step 6
Using the long blue

pins with friction,
fasten the RCX sub-
assembly to the yellow
liftarms as shown.
63
Robot 3 • Hopper
Bricks & Chips…

To change the batteries, disconnect the wire
from Input Port 2 and remove the blue pins.
Final Step 7
Light Sensor
to Input Port 2
Finally, connect the light sensor to
Input Port 2, and connect the left
and right motors to Output Ports
A and C.
You’re done! Once you down-
load the program, you’re
ready get hopping.
Left Motor to Right Motor to

Output Port A Output Port C

Programming Hopper
You can download Hopper’s program
from the Syngress Solutions Web site
(www.syngress.com/solutions).
64
Robot 4
HunterBot
65
Robot 4 • HunterBot
HunterBot is a treaded robot designed to locate and grab objects. It’s based on
one of my favorite robots—a wheeled robot with a claw, two RCX bricks, three
touch sensors, two light sensors, and a rotation sensor. All of this hardware
works towards the single objective of gathering pop cans.
Here’s how it works. I wrapped a piece of blank, white paper around a few
empty cola cans. I then placed the white cans in strategic spots on the floor.
Using only the patterns on the floor to navigate, the robot would locate the
cans, grab them, and check to see if its claws held something white. If the
object wasn’t a white can, the robot opened its claws and continued the search.
Several schools have set up similar challenges in which the robots have to
locate the cans and move them to a specified location. This is an excellent way
to test your skills at building and programming with MINDSTORMS.
I designed HunterBot with this challenge in mind. The HunterBot’s main
features are the grabber arms, which can close firmly on objects, and the pow-
erful tractor treads, which help the robot drag cans to another location. The
bumpers play an important role, too. As HunterBot wanders around the floor, it
will eventually bump into something—like a pop can, for example. When this
happens, it turns and grabs the object.
A robot, of course, is only as good as its programming. Using the HunterBot
program, which is an NQC program that you can download from the Syngress
Solutions Web site (www.syngress.com/solutions), this robot can successfully grab
and move cans or other small objects, should it happen to bump into them.
Given an efficient search pattern, HunterBot should be able to bump into several
cans. Consider this a starting point for a more sophisticated search strategy.
Your challenge is to observe HunterBot in action, think up ways to improve
its ability to find cans, and modify the HunterBot program accordingly. Try
altering the search pattern so that it’s more efficient. If you fill the RIS Test Pad
with objects, how long will it take HunterBot to remove them?
66
The Right Drive
The right drive sub-assembly includes the motor, gearbox, and right tractor tread. The gearbox
reduces the rotation speed to a one–fifth of the motor’s speed.
Right Drive Step 0
On the two 1x16 TECHNIC beams,

assemble the axles and other parts,
as shown. This is the frame on
which you build the rest of the right
drive sub-assembly.
67
Right Drive Step 1
Attach the 12t beveled gear to the

motor. Then, attach the motor
onto the motor mounts and
secure it with the 1x6 plate. Next,
attach the other axles, bushings,
pins, and connectors as shown.
68
Right Drive Step 2
Slide a #6 axle through the first

hole of the 1x8 TECHNIC brick and
secure the axle with a half-bushing.
Then, slide the gears and bushings
onto the axle as shown. The 8t
gear should mesh with the 24t
gear added in Right Drive Step 0, while
the 20t beveled gear should mesh with the
12t beveled gear on the motor.
Right Drive Step 3
Continue building on the drive’s

frame by adding TECHNIC beams.
69
Right Drive Step 4
The blue liftarms serve two purposes: They hold

the beams together securely, and they will act as
spacers between the left and right drive sub-
assemblies in the final assembly. The black 3L
liftarm will support HunterBot’s head.
Right Drive Step 5
Add the sprocket wheels and the

tractor tread as shown. Secure
sprocket wheels with bushings.
When you connect the wire to
the motor, make sure that the
wire points toward the back of
the motor.
Now you can start the left
drive sub-assembly.
70
Inventing...
Wheels or Treads?
HunterBot is designed to run on treads, but you could adapt
it to run on wheels with very little modification.
The Left Drive
The left drive sub-assembly mirrors the right drive sub-assembly, but notice that the gears are
exactly the same in both modules. This ensures that the wheels drive in the same direction when
the motors run forward.
71
Left Drive Step 0
Begin assembling the left

drive sub-assembly as
you did the right one.
72
Left Drive Step 1
73
Left Drive Step 2
Just as with the right drive

sub-assembly, the blue
liftarms secure the module’s
beams, and the black 3L liftarm will
support HunterBot’s head.
74
Left Drive Step 3
Complete the sub-

assembly by adding the
sprocket wheels, bushings,
tractor tread, and connecting the
wire to the motor. Make sure that the wire
points towards the back of the motor.
Bricks & Chips...

Do You Have Clearance for That?
The LEGO treads look pretty cool, but they put your robot’s body
quite close to the ground. Consequently, HunterBot and other
treaded robots may not have enough ground clearance to move
easily on deep carpet.
75
The Grabber Arms
Now you begin the interesting part of HunterBot: the grabber arms. The business end of the grabber
“claw” is a simple assembly of four angled liftarms on a series of axles. When the 24t gears rotate,
the grabber arms open or close.
Inventing...
Arming Your Robot
For HunterBot’s arms, I chose the black, angled liftarms. You
may prefer the brightly-colored ones that came with the
Ultimate Builders Set.
76
Grabber Arms Step 0
This may look like a daunting

step, but it’s really not difficult.
Simply slide each part onto the
axles, as shown, starting from
the bottom.
77
Grabber Arms Step 1

Starting at the bottom, add two
of the liftarms to the gray axle
pin. To that, add the blue
axle connector. Then finish
with the upper black
liftarms and the second axle
pin.
Grabber Arms Step 2
Slide the axles through the black axle

joiners, then add the half-
bushings. The axles provide the
connection points for the
grabber’s motor sub-assembly,
which you will build next.
78
The Grabber Motor
The grabber motor sub-assembly powers the grabber arms using a worm gear.
Grabber Motor Step 0
Assemble the parts on the

motor, as shown.
79
Slide the white clutch

gear and the bushing
onto the #8 axle, then
attach it to the motor
through the black 1x4
beam. A half-bushing
holds the axle in place
on the other side of
the beam.
Bricks & Chips...

Using the Clutch Gear
A very important feature of this sub-assembly is the clutch
gear. Without the clutch gear, the assembly simply wouldn’t work—
or worse, the motor could jam and become damaged. Make sure that
you use the clutch gear and not a regular 24t gear.
Slide the bushings and worm gear onto the

axle. Ad the remaining bricks, plates, and
long pins with stop-bushings to the
underside of the motor.
80
Attach the 1x10 TECHNIC beams to the

sides of the module to hold it
together. Now set this sub-assembly
aside for a moment while you build
HunterBot’s left and right bumpers.
The Bumpers
These are probably the simplest bumpers you will ever build. While they aren’t pretty, they work
reliably, and they’re very easy to put together. You will need to build two of these.
81
Bumper Step 0
Attach
the
TECHNIC bricks
and touch sensor to
the two 2x4 plates with
holes, as shown.
Bumper Step 1
Slide the #4 axle through

until it is almost touching
the touch sensor’s yellow
button, and secure it with a bushing on the interior of the frame. Slide the gray
axle joiner onto the front end of the axle, leaving enough space for the axle to
slide in and out freely. If the axle can’t push the button, your bumper won’t work!
Bumper Step 2
Finally,
complete
the bumper with
the #8 axle and
bushings, and connect the
wire to the sensor. Remember
to build two of these
bumper sub-assemblies!
82
The RCX
The RCX brick needs a beam on either side so that it can be attached to the body of the robot.
RCX Step 0
Insert the three-quarter-

length pins into the
holes on the RCX.
RCX Step 1
Snap the 1x8 TECHNIC beams

onto the pins you just
attached.
83
This is the moment you’ve been working towards—the final assembly! This is the easiest yet the
most satisfying part of building a robot.
First you’ll create the HunterBot’s head, which includes the grabber motor, grabber arms, and
bumper sub-assemblies you built earlier, plus a light sensor. The various angled liftarms will connect
the head to the body later in the final assembly.
Final Step 0
Locate the grabber
arms sub-assembly
that you built
earlier.
84
Final Step 1
This step may be a little tricky. Locate the
grabber motor sub-assembly that you
built earlier, and slip the motor’s axle with
the worm gear between the two 24t
gears. The axle should fit securely inside
the blue axle connector on the front of
the grabbers. The worm screw should
mesh with the gray gears.
As you do this, make
sure that the left and right
arms are open about the
same distance.
Final Step 2
Using yellow L-shaped

liftarms, secure the grabber
motor sub-assembly to the grabber arms, as
shown. The yellow double-bent liftarm also
adds stability to the assembly.
85
Final Step 3
Now add the blue bent liftarms and pins.
Final Step 4
Attach two more of the double-

bent yellow liftarms onto the
blue liftarms, as shown.
Attach the eyes to the
protruding axles of the grabber
sub-assembly.
86
Final Step 5
Finally, locate the two bumpers

that you built earlier and snap
them onto either side of the
head. On the left bumper,
attach the light sensor.

Using the Light Sensor
HunterBot uses the light sensor to prevent the arms from
opening too far: The light sensor detects when the black
grabber arm is near.
87
Final Step 6
Put the head you just built
aside for a moment. Locate
the right drive sub-assembly.
Final Step 7
Connect the two drive
sub-assemblies together
as shown.
Inventing...
Space Available
Connector blocks, like the transparent blue ones that hold
HunterBot’s drive modules together, are often used to attach
other accessories. Have a look at the RIS 2.0 Constructopedia
for some ideas for things to attach to HunterBot.
88
Final Step 8
Position the head

you finished in
Final Step 5 onto the
black L-shaped
liftarms, as shown.
Secure it with four
blue, long pins with
stop-bushings.
Final Step 9
Position the RCX sub-

assembly as shown, and
insert the four blue
pins with stop-
bushings to hold it
in place.
89
Bricks & Chips...

Using Long Pins with Stop Bushings
Long pins with stop bushings are excellent for attaching sub-assem-
blies in a way that makes it easy for you to remove them later. If you
want to remove a sub-assembly—like the head, for example—simply
pull out the pins.
Left Touch Light Sensor to

Final Step 10 Sensor to Input Port 2
Input Port 1
Right Touch Sensor
to Input Port 3
Grabber Motor
to Output Port B
Right Motor to
Left Motor to Output Port C
Output Port A
Connect the wires to the RCX brick as shown.

Connect the left and right touch sensors Developing & Deploying...
to Input Ports 1 and 3, and the light sensor to
Input Port 2.
Programming HunterBot
Connect the left motor to Output Port A You can download the NQC program
and the right motor to Output Port C. for HunterBot from the Syngress
Solutions Web site (www.syngress.com/
Connect the grabber motor to Output Port B.
solutions).
Make sure that the motor wires are
oriented on the RCX as shown, with the wires
pointing forward.
You’re done! HunterBot can’t wait to get
out there and start grabbing things!
90
Robot 5
Nessie
91
Robot 5 • Nessie
Nessie was built as a simpler yet versatile alternative to the RoverBot that can
be found in the RIS 2.0 Constructopedia. Nessie is a small robot base that can
be configured for a variety of functions. It makes a good beginner’s model
because it uses few parts and can be built within half an hour. In this imple-
mentation, Nessie is equipped with a dual light sensor for line following, for
which it is eminently suitable. The two light sensors enable Nessie to negotiate
a sharp 90-degree bend in both a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction.
The two light sensors also create a variety of programming options.
Nessie is powered by two of the LEGO geared motors in a differential drive
arrangement. The motors are placed in front, creating a sort of front-wheel
drive, for better traction and ease of turning. A gear reduction of 3:2 (or 1.5:1) is
used to give Nessie a balance between speed and reliability when used as a line
follower. Nessie also features a trailing caster wheel, which gives it great
maneuverability, which is an important factor for line following.
As we said, Nessie’s base can be easily customized—we encourage you to try
the following changes, observing the effect on the robot’s performance:
■ Motor placement Move the motors back relative to the driving
wheels.
■ Gear ratio Try different combinations of gears.
■ Wheels Try different types of wheels.
■ Trailing wheel Replace the trailing caster with other wheel arrange-
ments, such as a sliding pulley wheel. We will show you how to build
this type of wheel in Robot 6, Nellie. Nellie is a close cousin of Nessie.
■ Sensors Attach bumpers that activate touch sensors, to turn the robot
into an obstacle avoidance vehicle. We will also show you how to
incorporate a rotation sensor when building Nellie.
92
Robot 5 • Nessie
The Caster Wheel
This is the caster wheel sub-assembly that gives Nessie its great maneuverability, which is so impor-
tant for line following.
Bricks & Chips…

Building Caster Wheels
There are many ways to build a caster wheel. However, do not use a
coupled caster wheel, as Mario Ferrari pointed out in his book Building
Robots with LEGO MINDSTORMS. For this robot, it’s best to use only a
single, freely rotating wheel.
Caster Wheel Step 0 Caster Wheel Step 1
Start by building the

caster wheel sub-
assembly.
93
Robot 5 • Nessie
Caster Wheel Step 2
Caster Wheel Step 3
94
Robot 5 • Nessie
Caster Wheel Step 4
Make sure the wheel rotates

freely on its axle. The caster
wheel must also turn a full
360 degrees freely on its
vertical pivot.
Caster Wheel Step 5
Caster Wheel Step 6
The 1x4 green TECHNIC bricks will be

used to attach the caster wheel sub-
assembly to the main robot base.
95
Robot 5 • Nessie
The Base
This is the main robot base, which can be customized for various functions.
Base Step 0
Start by building the side frames of the robot
Base Step 1
Double up
each of the side
frames with the long
beams. Attach the
long plates to the
bottom of the beams, then pass
the axles through the beams.
96
Robot 5 • Nessie
Base Step 2
Make sure the axles with

the gears turn freely.
Base Step 3
The
plates
in front
form a well, which
will accommodate
the rounded
bottom of the
motors.
Base Step 4
The motor has been raised one plate

high to allow the 16t gear to mesh
with the 24t gear.
Note that the gear meshing is not perfect,
but it is close enough for our purposes.
97
Robot 5 • Nessie
Base Step 5
Bricks & Chips…

Using Wheel Variations
You may want to try other types of wheels,
in particular the ones with the big wide tires.
Base Step 6
Use the green beams of the caster

wheel sub-assembly to mount
the sub-assembly onto
the main robot base.
Note that the mounting
of the caster wheel is
not rigid, but allows it a
degree of springiness,
thus acting like a
shock absorber.
98
Robot 5 • Nessie
Base Step 7
In this step, you will

connect the electric
cables to the
motors. The
wires to the left-
side motor
should point
backward. The wires
to the right-side motor
should point forward.
Base Step 8
99
Robot 5 • Nessie
Base Step 9
Brace the
back of the
robot base
in order to
keep the caster
wheel sub-assembly
firmly in place.
Base Step 10
The wires for the right-
side motor connect to Connect the left-
Port C on the RCX. side motor wires to
Port A on the RCX.
To attach the RCX, first separate

the two sections. Put the top
section aside. Place the bottom
section on top of the green
plates, and press down firmly.
Replace the top section of the
RCX (with the batteries),
making sure the IR port faces
forward.
Make sure the electric
cables are oriented as
shown.
100
Robot 5 • Nessie
Base Step 11
These pins are

used for bracing.
Base Step 12
The yellow liftarm helps to

keep the RCX in place. This
completes the construction
of the main robot base. You
may want to add some
decorative parts such as eyes or wings.
101
Robot 5 • Nessie
Bricks & Chips…

Testing Your Robot
Test the movements of Nessie using RCX built-in program #1. The
robot should go forward at quite a fast speed. Next, test Nessie out
using built-in program #4. Nessie should move in random directions,
and should be able to turn freely on its caster wheel.
Adding the Light Sensors
With two light sensors, line following is a cinch. Nessie will negotiate a sharp 90-degree bend in
both a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction. Furthermore, Nessie can be programmed to detect
a T-junction on the line, where she can be made to stop, change direction, or carry out a specified
task such as dumping a cargo into a receptacle.
Light Sensors Step 0

Start with the base sub-
assembly.
Insert an axle pin into
the front most hole of
the beam extension.
Place a 1x3 liftarm onto
it. Do the same for the
other side.
102
Robot 5 • Nessie
Pass a #12 axle through

the beams and the liftarms.
Secure it with two bushings on the outside.
Attach a pair of green

1x2 bricks with axle hole
to the axle. Place a blue
2x2 plate on the bottom
surface of the bricks. Repeat
this on the other side.
103
Robot 5 • Nessie
Attach a light sensor to

the bottom of each of the
blue 2x2 plates. Attach the
wires from the light
sensors to Output Ports 1
and 3. The direction of
the wires at the Input
Ports is immaterial.
This method of attaching
the light sensors makes for a
very strong mount.

Ready for More?
In Robot 6, Nellie, we will explore different building techniques to
enhance line following. In Nellie, you will replace the caster wheel sub-
assembly with a sliding wheel sub-assembly and add a rotation sensor.
Not sure what this means? Have a friend build Nellie, and compare how
Nessie and Nellie measure up in a line-following competition!
104
Robot 6
Nellie
105
Robot 6 • Nellie
At first glance, Nellie closely resembles Robot 5, Nessie. However, as you build
this robot you will see that Nellie employs a significant change in how it moves
by replacing the caster wheel with a sliding rear wheel. Nessie used a freely
movable caster to give it great maneuverability for turning, which is advanta-
geous for line following. However, as you may have already realized, following
a straight line offers results that could be considered poor.
Nellie differs from Nessie by using a sliding rear wheel and an additional
rotation sensor. The wheel rotates freely when the robot is going straight. The
sliding wheel receives it name from the turning action of the robot. When
Nellie makes a turn, the wheel doesn’t rotate but instead slides (or skids) over
the surface of the floor. Thus, for the sliding wheel to work there should be
very little friction between the wheel and the floor. To achieve this minimal
friction we will use a wheel without a tire. The addition of the rotation sensor,
and a rear-sliding wheel will allow you to program your robot to travel a given
distance. Nellie uses a rotation sensor paired with a light sensor, and can be
programmed to follow a line until it reaches a designated point where it can
then carry out a specified task.
106
Robot 6 • Nellie
The Slider
The sliding wheel and rotation sensor are incorporated in this sub-assembly, which is then attached
to the main robot base.
Slider Step 0 Slider Step 1
Attach
a 2x2 plate with holes to
the bottom of the rotation
Insert a long pin with friction sensor. Be sure to position the rotation
into a 1x12 TECHNIC beam. sensor with the wires pointing upward.
Push the plate onto the free end of the
long pin with friction. Align the axle hole of
the rotation sensor with the holes in the
TECHNIC beam.
107
Robot 6 • Nellie
Slider Step 2
Pass a #8 axle through the axle

hole of the rotation sensor. Slide a bushing
onto the axle until it is flush with the side of the
rotation sensor.
Slider Step 3 Slide a medium pulley onto the

axle until it meets the bushing.
The medium pulley will act as
the sliding wheel. Slide
another bushing onto the
axle, leaving a space as
shown.
108
Robot 6 • Nellie
Slider Step 4
Add a 1x12 TECHNIC beam to form the

other side of the slider sub-assembly.
Attach a 2x8 plate with holes to
the bottom of the beams as
a cross brace.

Increasing the Reliability of the Rotation Sensor
For the rotation sensor to track accurately, the wheel must stay in contact
with the floor at all times. This requires a wheel with a tire. However, adding
a tire will degrade the turning ability of the robot.
There is a trade off between maneuverability and accuracy of the rota-
tion sensor tracking.
Normally, the rotation sensor will track properly with a plain wedge belt
wheel (or medium pulley) as the sliding wheel. To increase the reliability of
rotation sensor tracking, a white band can be fixed around the groove of the
wedge belt wheel. If slipping of the wheel is a problem, then an O-ring tire
should be fitted to the wedge belt wheel.
Try using Nellie with and without the white band as a tire on the pulley.
See which assembly suits your needs best.
109
Robot 6 • Nellie
The Base
This is the main robot base of Nellie. This is similar to the base that was built in Robot 5, Nessie. Be
sure to follow these steps closely as there are minor variations between the two.
Base Step 0
Insert a pair of pins with friction

into each of two 1x16 TECHNIC
beams. This will form the side
frames of the robot base.
110
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 1
Snap another pair of 1x16 TECHNIC

beams to the frame. Doubling the
beams like this allows for
better purchase for the
driving axles.
The beam extension at the
front will be used for mounting the
light sensors. The extension at the
rear is to provide clearance for the
slider sub-assembly.
Base Step 2
Attach a 2x8 plate with

holes to the bottom of the
beams.
Pass the #8 axles through
each side of the frame. This will
provide the cross bracing for the
frame.
111
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 3
Slide one bushing onto the end of each axle

located in the interior of the base frame.
Then, moving to the ends of the axles on
the outside of the frame, slide a 24t gear onto
each of the axles and secure the gears with
the remaining bushings.
Base Step 4
Attach two 2x8 plates with holes four

studs from the end of the rear TECHNIC beams
as shown.
Next, attach the two 1x8 plates and two
2x2 plates to form the support frame for the
motors.
112
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 5
Attach a motor to each

side of the chassis and
attach a 16t gear to the motor
shaft. The 16t gear will mesh with
the 24t gear on each side.
The meshing of the gears is not exact LEGO
geometry; however, for practical purposes it is
close enough.
Base Step 6
Fit a pair
of yellow wheel hubs with the
large notched tires. Slide the wheels onto the axles
on each side of the base with the concave sides of
the tires facing outwards.
Then, attach a pair of 1x4 TECHNIC beams on
each side at the rear of the chassis. This will form
the rear support for the RCX.
113
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 7
Attach the slider sub-assembly to
the base. Check that the sliding
wheel is able to rotate freely.
Base Step 8
Add another 1x4 TECHNIC beam
to each of the stacks of 1x4
beams attached in Base Step 6.
Attach a short connector wire to
each of the motors.
The wire for the left

motor should point
towards the back The wire for the right
and will connect to motor should point
Input Port A on the RCX. forwards and will
connect to Input
Port C on the RCX.
114
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 9
Place four 2x8 green plates to

form the support for the
RCX. Insert a pair of dark
gray three-quarter length pins to
each side of the vertically stacked
1x4 beams.
Base Step 10
Attach a 1x5
liftarm on each side
of the stack of 1x4 beams.
These liftarms provide
vertical bracing for the base.
115
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 11
Attach the RCX to the top supporting plates

of the robot base. To do so, separate the
two sections of the RCX. Position the
bottom section over the supporting plates
and press down firmly. Replace the top
section of the RCX (with the batteries)
carefully over the bottom section.
Connect the free ends of the electric
cables from the left motor to Input Port A,
and attach the wire for the right motor to
Input Port C.
The wire from the rotation sensor is
connected to Input Port 2 on the RCX. The
direction of this wire is immaterial.
116
Robot 6 • Nellie
Bricks & Chips…

Mounting the RCX
It is not good practice to simply press the whole body of the
RCX onto the chassis mount as it may damage the insides.
Base Step 12
Insert an axle pin into the

side frame and a dark gray
three-quarter length pin
into the RCX on each side.
117
Robot 6 • Nellie
Base Step 13
Use the pins to attach a double bent liftarm

to brace the sides of the robot.
Check out the robot base using the built-in RCX
Program #1. Nellie should move forward in a reasonably
straight line. You can also use the built-in RCX Program #4 to see
how the robot turns with the sliding wheel.
The robot can be used as it is, or you can attach a light sensor
or even two light sensors. We show how to attach dual light
sensors in the next sub-assembly. With two light sensors and the
rotation sensor, this robot can be used in competitive challenges.
Bricks & Chips…

Benefits of Bracing
It is always good practice to brace your robot as much as
possible, so that if you pick up your robot by holding the
RCX, the rest of the robot will not come off.
118
Robot 6 • Nellie
The Light Sensors
The dual light sensors are identical to those found on Nessie.
Start with the main robot base with

rear sliding wheel and rotation
sensor.
Insert an axle pin into the front
most hole of the beam extension.
Place a 1x3 liftarm onto it. Do the
same for the other side.
119
Robot 6 • Nellie
Pass a #12 axle through the beams and

the liftarms. Secure it with two bushings
on the outside.
Fix a pair of green1x2

bricks with axle holes to the
free end of the axle. Place a blue
2x2 plate on the bottom surface of
the 1x2 bricks to hold them
together. Repeat for the other side.
120
Robot 6 • Nellie
Attach a light sensor

to the bottom of
each of the blue 2x2
plates. For some reason, the light
sensors are more stable when they
are attached with the stud surface of
the sensor adjoining the bottom surface
of another brick.
Attach the wires from the light sensors to Input
Ports 1 and 3 respectively. The direction of the wires
at the input ports is immaterial.
This method of attaching the light sensors gives
a very strong mount
121
Robot 7
The DominoBot
123
Robot 7 • The DominoBot
The process of laying dominoes by hand takes a great deal of time, accuracy,
and patience. I was interested in seeing what it would take for a robot to do
the same. The idea behind DominoBot was to create a robot that could be
loaded with dominoes and program it to follow a black line on a white back-
ground while laying dominos at a preset distance along the path. This proved
to be more of a challenge than I imagined!
In order to build this robot, you will require a set of dominos. The domi-
noes used for this design are Double Nine Color Dot Dominoes. These domi-
noes are approximately four LEGO studs in width by seven studs in height. It is
possible that other dominoes of similar size will work as well.
To perform this task, some important details had to be worked out. There
are three major components to the DominoBot that enable it to accomplish its
many simultaneous actions. First, there is the drive mechanism, which consists
of left and right track drive units that serve the purpose of moving the
DominoBot in any direction. The drive also contains the second major compo-
nent, the distance sensor. The distance sensor uses a differential connected
between the two drive units. This component detects the distance the
DominoBot has traveled by way of registering clicks to a touch sensor (set up
as a PULSE touch sensor in NQC). The differential allows for clicks to be regis-
tered only when both drive tracks are moving forward; it does not register
clicks if the DominoBot is turning. This was an important feature since I did
not want the dominos being placed too closely or too far apart.
The third major components are the loader and loader arm. These parts are
responsible for the main domino-placement action. The loader takes a stack
of dominoes and places each one. It does this by use of a touch sensor to
124
determine when a domino has been ejected out of the loader and also when
the loader arm has reset itself. The loader arm proved to be the greatest chal-
lenge in designing this robot. Since the dominoes did not fit snugly in any part
of the loader mechanism, I had to find a way to accurately and carefully place
each domino as it slid out of the loader. Some patient experimenting revealed
that the LEGO flexible hoses would do the trick for the placement process. The
loader arm consists mostly of these flexible hoses arranged in such a way that
they form a path for the domino to slide down and stand up on the ground.
The ability of the hoses to flex allows for the orientation of each domino to be
corrected if it does not come out of the loader smoothly.
Another challenge was the limited number of available motors for this
project. I had to find a way to make all this work with one motor (the two
others are used to drive the robot). The design that I came up with allows for
all domino-placement actions to be done with one motor and touch sensor. The
loader and loader arm both run in sync with each other from the motor, while
the touch sensor is used to inform the RCX when a domino has been released
and when the loader mechanism has reset itself.
The NQC program for the DominoBot is available for your use and modifi-
cation on the Syngress Solutions Web site (www.syngress.com/solutions).
Programming DominoBot consists of a few core routines. When DominoBot
first begins, its will move left to right in a sweeping patter while it calibrates
light sensor values. Since the LEGO light sensor reads light values based on
surrounding light, it is hard to use specific values to identify black and white.
Once it has calibrated light, it begins moving forward along the black line.
This action is monitored by the checklight() task. While doing this the distance
sensor is incremented each time it is tripped by the cam gear. Testing revealed
that three clicks would be an adequate distance for placing each domino. The
checkdistance() task is responsible for this.
Once the checkdistance() task counts three clicks, it calls on the
dodomino() task. This task stops all other tasks while it proceeds to place a
domino. It makes sure that the loader arm has reset itself so that it does not
clip the just-placed domino when beginning to move forward again.
All the above tasks are repeated for each domino in the loader. You will
have to keep the loader full of dominos while DominoBot is navigating the
course. You will also have to stop DominoBot once the dominos have all been
placed.
125
The Loader
The loader sub-assembly delivers a domino from the stack to the loader arm by using a push mech-
anism. It also uses a touch sensor to alert the program that a domino has been delivered.
Loader Step 0
Take note of these

two friction pins. In
Final Step 1, these
will be the joining point
for the two flexible hoses
used to deliver each domino
to the loader arm.
126
Loader Step 1
Loader Step 2
127
Loader Step 3
Loader Step 4
128
Loader Step 5
129
Loader Step 6
The 1x3 plate that you insert into the

inner wall helps keep the domino
somewhat straight in the loader
and prevents it from being
dispensed at an angle.
Loader Step 7
130
Loader Step 8
Loader Step 9
131
Loader Step 10
This part of the loader serves an important role.

The two arms that are mounted to the 40t gear create
the upper and lower limit used to trigger the loader sensor.
Loader Step 11
This part of the loader is responsible for pushing

each domino out. Insert the #2 axle into the
bottom of the blue quarter-oval TECHNIC liftarm.
The liftarm is connected to the #3 axle that in
turn is connected to the 40t gear. Make sure that
the liftarm rotates freely.
132
Bricks & Chips..

Loader Sensors & Limits
By using this approach, a single sensor is all that is needed to detect
when a domino has been dispensed, as well as when the loader has
reset itself and is ready to dispense the next domino.
Loader Step 12
Loader Step 13
Similar to
Loader Step
12, create
another layer. Note
the additional 1x2 gray
plates attached to the 1x8
TECHNIC beam.
133
Loader Step 14
134
Loader Step 15
135
Loader Step 16
136
Loader Step 17
137
Loader Step 18
Liftarm
138
The Right Drive
The right drive sub-assembly provides motion to the DominoBot. Tracks provide the ability to turn
on a tight radius.
Right Drive Step 0
Right Drive Step 1
139
Right Drive Step 2
Right Drive Step 3
140
Right Drive Step 4
141
Right Drive Step 5
142
Right Drive Step 6
Right Drive Step 7
143
Right Drive Step 8
144
Right Drive Step 9
145
Right Drive Step 10
146
Right Drive Step 11
Right Drive Step 12
Adding the 1x7

liftarm ensures that
the motor has a solid
mount to the drive sub-
assembly. This reduces the
possibility of gear slippage.
147
Right Drive Step 13
Designing & Planning…

Planning Mobile Robots
When planning a robot that requires mobility, it is important to determine the
type of movement needed. Will the robot need to turn quickly? Will it need to
have traction? Will it need to move fast? The mobility needs of the DominoBot
required that it turn on a center rotation point like a tank. For this type of turn,
tracks are used. Tracks are also useful because they allow a single hub to drive
the whole unit. This is an important feature for DominoBot since the hub at the
other end is used to drive the distance sensor.
148
The Distance Sensor
The distance sensor allows the DominoBot to track how far forward it has moved. The program will
need this information in order to place the dominoes an equal distance from each other.
The differential enables the mechanism to register a click only when both the left and right
drive units are moving forward. If either drive is in reverse (when steering or turning), the differen-
tial will keep the cam gear idle.
Distance Sensor Step 0
149

The touch sensor plays a role in the
DominoBot NQC program. It is set up
as a pulse sensor and registers a pulse
each time the cam touches it. These
pulses are counted, and a domino is
placed for every third pulse.
150
The Left Drive
The left drive sub-assembly connects to the right drive sub-assembly to form the driving base of the
DominoBot. Or course, its purpose is to give it mobility.
151
Left Drive Step 0
Left Drive Step 1
Left Drive Step 2
152
Left Drive Step 3
Left Drive Step 4
153
Left Drive Step 5
Left Drive Step 6
154
Left Drive Step 7
Insert pins here.

Building to Take Things Apart
In the DominoBot, the long blue pegs with friction are used
frequently in key areas. They allow for the builder to disas-
semble the DominoBot into its key sub-assemblies quickly.
This is done for the purpose of modularity.
Left Drive Step 8
155
Left Drive Step 9
Left Drive Step 10
156
Left Drive Step 11
Left Drive Step 12
157
Left Drive Step 13
Place the blue light sensor in the middle

of the rear axle. It should be able to
rotate around the axle. Later, when
testing your DominoBot, you can rotate
it to help calibrate the sensor.
158
Left Drive Step 14
159
Left Drive Step 15
160
Left Drive Step 16
161
The Base
The base sub-assembly consists of the left drive sub-assembly, the right Drive sub-assembly, and the
distance sensor sub-assembly. You will connect them together in the following series of steps.
Base Step 0
Locate the right drive sub-

assembly and the distance
sensor sub-assembly built
previously, and connect them
as shown. The axles should all
line up. Connect the wire to
the top of the touch sensor.
162
Base Step 1
Connect the left drive sub-assembly to

the structure. The order of connecting
the parts is a bit complex. Start by
hooking up the differential, and then
inserting the 12t bevel gear.
163
Base Step 2
The Loader Sensor
The loader sensor sub-assembly completes the essential function of identifying to the RCX when the
loader mechanism has dispensed a domino, and when the loader has reset and is ready for the next
domino.
164
Loader Sensor Step 0 Loader Sensor Step 1
Loader Sensor Step 2

The white circular plate
has an important
function. In Final Step 6,
you will insert a yellow
flex tube from the loader
to this plate. This will
provide spring to the
sensor unit to allow it to
consistently maintain
accurate readings while
dominoes are being
dispensed.
The Loader Arm
165

Domino Play for LEGO
Because the DomnioBot uses standard dominoes rather than LEGO bricks,
the sizes are not to LEGO specifications. In order to mimic the actions of a
human hand placing a domino, an unconventional approach must be taken.
The flex hoses allow for some “play” (or movement) when a domino slides
into the loader arm. This play ensures that while each domino might not
follow the same path down to the base of the arm, the flex tubes can
straighten the placement.
Loader Arm Step 0 Loader Arm Step 1
Mount the blue

perpendicular
axle joiners so
that one end is
inserted into the
yellow liftarm,
while the other
end floats freely.
166
Loader Arm Step 4
167
Loader Arm Step 7
When inserting the

green flex hoses,
make sure that they
rest on the black axle
joiners, as shown.
This is important for
the guidance of the
domino to work
correctly.
168
Loader Arm Step 8
Insert the parts as shown, leaving

the yellow elastic band for last. The
elastic goes between the green and
purple flex hoses and wraps around
the black friction pegs (below) that
are inserted in the yellow double-
bent liftarm. Its purpose is to hold
the purple hoses against the front
of the loader mechanism. This is
important, so study the image
carefully.
169
Loader Arm Step 9
Loader Arm Step 10
170
Loader Arm Step 11
Finally, put the entire DominoBot together. Here you will take all the components that you have
built and put them together to complete the DominoBot!
171
Final Step 0
Locate the loader and

base sub-assemblies
built earlier. Connect
the loader sub-assembly
to the base sub-
assembly using four,
long, blue friction
pegs. Take note of
the location where
the pegs are
inserted. It is the
same on both
sides.
Final Step 1
Remember when you were

asked to take note of the friction
pins when creating the
loader and the base sub-
assemblies? This is where
you insert the two purple
flex hoses. These hoses will
be the path that each
domino follows when being
dispensed.
172
Final Step 2
These parts will make

up the RCX holder.
173
Final Step 3
Insert the RCX. Using the

diagram, match the numbers
and letters. For example, RCX
sensor Port 2 should go to the
loader sensor Port 2 (at the
top left). The light sensor has a
short cable. In order for it to
connect to sensor Port 1, use
one of the provided medium
length cables to extend its
length. Connect RCX motor
Port B to the loader main drive
motor (below the RCX).
174
Final Step 4
Insert the loader sensor sub-

assembly by sliding it onto
the double-length black
TECHNIC pin with
friction.
Final Step 5
Insert the loader arm sub-

assembly by connecting
the yellow arms to the
TECHNIC axle pins
on each side of the
loader.
175
Final Step 6
For Final Step 6 and Final Step 7, take

the two yellow TECHNIC flex hoses and
insert them into the grey half-length
pegs on the top of the loader (upper
right). For the first hose (the side visible
as shown here), insert the other end of
the hose into the TECHNIC perpendicular
double-axle joiner.
176
Final Step 7
177
Final Step 8
You will notice that there are

some beam extensions and pegs
with friction on either side of
DominoBot. These pieces are the
mounting points for the flexible
hoses in this step. Hook up the
TECHNIC flex hoses as shown
here. Do the same on the
opposite side, and you’re done!
178
179
Robot 8
The Drawbridge
181
Robot 8 • The Drawbridge
When you think of a drawbridge, you might see an image of a castle’s draw-
bridge spanning a moat, ready to be drawn up at a moment’s notice when ene-
mies appear on the horizon. Modern Drawbridges use motors to lift and lower
the bridge, instead of the chains, ropes, counterweights, and pulleys that were
used in the past. These days, most drawbridges are used to lift a section of road
or railway so that ships can travel into a bay or down a river.
Frequently, modern drawbridges do not span an entire waterway. Instead,
they connect two extension bridges to one another. The portion of the bridge
that is actually “drawn up” is typically located over the deepest (and therefore
most navigable) portion of the waterway. You might want to make your
Drawbridge the middle section of a series of extension bridges that span a
wide channel.
The gear box of the drawbridge is created by using a worm gear to create a
large gear reduction so that the power from the motor is increased and the
speed is decreased. This allows the motor to slowly move the heavy bridge out
of the way.
The Island Footbridge is an additional bridge for pedestrians. The foot-
bridge is not attached to one side of the waterway but rather anchored out in
the middle like an island. The footbridge rotates around on a turntable clearing
the waterway so that objects may pass down the river.
The Drawbridge is programmed to use the light sensor to detect when a
ship or boat is approaching. The RCX beeps a tone and lifts the movable por-
tion, or bascule or balance. When the light sensor detects that the ship has
passed by, the RCX beeps another tone and begins to lower the bascule. When
the bascule is completely lowered it will press against the touch sensor, causing
the motor to stop lowering the bascule and sounding another tone so that cars
will know it is safe to pass over the Drawbridge. The program for the
Drawbridge can be downloaded from the Syngress Solutions Web site
(www.syngress.com/solutions).
182
Bridge Base
The bridge base sub-assembly supports the bridge as it moves up and down. The base of the bridge
must be sturdy enough to support the weight of cars and trucks passing over it.
Base Step 0
Attach the plates to the

bricks as shown.
183
Base Step 1
This
side
of the base
sub-assembly
provides support for
the “geared” side of
the Drawbridge.
Base Step 2
This side of the

base sub-assembly
provides support
for the opposite
“ungeared” side of
the Drawbridge.
184
Base Step 3
This step provides the base for
the sensors. The 1x2 TECHNIC
brick is attached to the underside
of the 2x8 plate. Use the long pin
with the stop bushing to connect
the 1x2 brick and the frame.
Base Step 4
The light sensor will detect a ship, car,

or train as it begins to pass under the
bridge, causing the bridge to lift the bascule.
Attach the green 1x2 bricks with axle holes to
the top of the light sensor. The light sensor wires should
point towards the center of the frame. Layer the 2x4 brick on
top of these bricks. Next, slide the #4 axle through the bricks.
Attach the blue liftarms to the axle as shown.
185
Inventing…
Adding Warning Lights
Program the light sensor to detect a flashlight
that acts as a warning to lift the bridge.
Base Step 5 The touch sensor is placed directly

under the bridge so that the
bridge will stop lowering when the
touch sensor is pressed. Run the
axle through the bottom of the
touch sensor and blue liftarms you
added in the previous step.
Inventing…
Touch Sensor Placement
Try placing the touch sensor on the end of the bridge to stop
the motor when the bridge contacts the far support.
186
Motor Assembly
The motor assembly includes a gearbox with two worm gears that provide low speed and high
torque, which is exactly what is needed to lift the heavy bascule.
Bricks & Chips…

Worm Gears: How Do They Work?
Worm gears are used when large gear reductions are needed. Gearing
down provides high power at low speed. The worm gear drives the
gear, but the gear cannot drive the worm. This locking feature can act
like a brake.
187
Motor Assembly Step 0
This step begins by building a stable

frame for the gearbox. Arrange the
bricks and plates as shown, building
from the bottom up.
Slide the gears and bushings

onto the axle and attach this
to the frame as shown.
188
Make sure the bevel gear is

facing with the teeth
towards the other gear.

This assembly is similar to
Motor Assembly Step 1;
however, in this step you will
attach the axle and gears to the
underside of the model.
189
Firmly attach the motor.

Adding the axle
extender lengthens
the short axle leading
from the motor.
190

The position of the pins
enables the movement
from the gearbox to be
translated to the bridge.
The Bascule
The Bascule sub-assembly is the moveable part of the bridge that will lift or draw. It is often also
called a balance.
Inventing…
Lengthening the Bascule
This same pattern can be used to extend the bascule even further
(be careful, as the gears can only lift so much weight!).
191
Bascule Step 0
One of the bottom

beams of the bascule is
longer so it will push the
touch sensor on the way
down.
This is the 1x7

TECHNIC brick.
Bricks & Chips…

Adding Personal Touches
You can add flags or suspension wires to the bascule as desired.
192
Bascule Step 1
193
The Island Footbridge
The island footbridge sub-assembly is anchored in the middle of the waterway like an island.
The island footbridge rotates on a turntable to move out of the way to let even larger types of
boats pass.
Island Footbridge Step 0 Island Footbridge Step 1
Place three connectors in the holes

of each of the beams as shown.
Connect the turntable to the beams.
194
Island Footbridge Step 2
Place the gear directly on the motor axle.

The gear will mesh with the turntable.
195
Island Footbridge Step 4 These parts will create

the supports for the
island footbridge on
the turntable.

Although not visible in this step,
add an electrical wire to connect
the motor to the RCX. The motor
will turn on when the light sensor
sees a boat passing. This will
cause the turntable
to rotate and clear
the waterway.
196
Bricks & Chips…

Long Electrical Wires
Add a long motor wire to connect to the RCX. This will allow
the Island Footbridge to be placed far enough away from the
drawbridge so that they don’t collide.
Attach the beams that form

the sides of the footbridge.
197
Add the beams to form

the floor of the footbridge.
198
199
Continue adding
beams to build up
the footbridge.
200
Run a #6 axle
through the bridge
and secure it with the
bushings as shown.
201
Inventing…
Building a Bigger Bridge
Another way to lengthen the bridge is to build a non-moveable
extension bridge segment on either side of the movable bascule.
202
The final steps include addition of the RCX, and snapping together of all of the previously built sub-
assemblies. The RCX controls the movement of the Drawbridge and Island Footbridge, and sounds
warning tones to let others know when the Drawbridge is lifting, lowering, and when it is safe
again for traffic to cross.

Lengthening Electric Wires
Attach a short wire to the end of the light sensor wire. This will
lengthen the electrical wire so that it will reach the RCX. All of the
electrical wires can be attached end to end to continue the electrical
connection.
203
Final Step 0
Attach the wires leading from the

light sensor to Input Port 1. Attach the
wires leading from the touch sensor to Input
Port 3. Attach the wires leading from the motors
to Output Port A and B.
Final Step 1
Snap all of the sub-assemblies of the

Drawbridge and footbridge together
firmly, as shown.
Program the RCX and the
drawbridge and footbridge will be
ready for the tallest ship!
204
Robot 9
Candy Wrapper Compactor
205
Robot 9 • Candy Wrapper Compactor
Unlike the trash compactor you may have in your home, the Candy Wrapper
Compactor is made for small pieces of trash—like candy wrappers.
Compactors compress waste so that two to three times as much trash fits in
the same size space. This saves storage space, removal time, and disposal labor.
Special compactors called balers are used to bale or bundle recyclable material
such as cardboard, paper, plastics, metal, and so on for resale to a recycling
company. Compactors and balers are especially helpful in compacting waste on
airplanes, ships, and restaurants. Compactors are also used to pack hazardous
materials into drums for safer removal.
The Candy Wrapper Compactor is made so that you can eat a bag of
Hershey’s kisses at your desk, or in your room, and compact all of the wrappers
into one small and neat bale that can easily be recycled or tossed into the
wastebasket. This will take care of the problem of little wrappers collecting
everywhere during snack time.
This is how the Candy Wrapper Compactor works:
■ The compactor will start when the touch sensor (start button) is
pressed.
■ The compressor motor will start and move the pump up and down
pushing air through the tubing.
■ The RCX Compressor Control motor will turn on and move the valve
allowing the air to move through the tubing engaging the piston.
■ The piston will fire, which will push the ram plate down.
206
■ When the ram plate descends, it compresses the candy wrappers.

■ The RCX Compressor Control motor then reverses direction causing
the axle to hit the valve changing the airflow from the compressor so
that the piston pulls the ram plate back up and ends the compacting
process.
The pneumatic compressor system can be used to supply pressurized air to
supply power for other robots or projects. As the pump begins to move, the
pressure builds and provides power. Air tanks can be added to the system to
store the air so there is no delay in the supply of air power. For projects that
require more than one or two pumps to power additional movements, air
power can be supplied by adding a duplicate compressor on the other side of
the RCX.
207
The Bin
The bin holds items to be compacted. The sides contain the waste so that the ram can compress
the waste.
Bin Step 0
Attach the turntable to

the beams to create the
base of the bin.
208
Bin Step 1
Attach
the large plate
first, and then
connect the beams to
begin the frame of the bin.
Bin Step 2
Add beams to build

up the frame.
209
Bin Step 3
Attach the last beams in

the frame and add
decorative pieces.
210
Bin Step 4
Add the corner pieces to guide
the ram as it moves up and
down. These corner pieces
work with the 2x2 bricks that
you have the option of adding
in Pneumatic Ram Step 0.
Bin Step 5
Connect the yellow liftarms

to create the structure that
holds the pneumatic ram
sub-assembly. Add the 1x2
bricks for additional support.
211
The Pneumatic Ram

The pneumatic ram sub-assembly consists of a plate and a pneumatic piston that moves up and
down to compress waste. In our case the “waste” will be our candy wrappers.
Pneumatic Ram Step 0
Thread the axle through the top of the

piston and add the bushings to each
side to hold the piston in place. Next, slide
the long pin through the bottom of the piston.
Slide the 2x2 plates with connectors onto each end
of the long pin. And, connect the piston to the base
plate as shown.
An additional way to ensure that the ram moves straight up and down is to add a
column of five 2x2 bricks to each corner of the ram plate. These columns should be flush
with the corners of the plates, this is completed by attaching the columns directly into the
circles on the plates, rather than using the spaces between the circles as you typically would.
212
Bricks & Chips…

Pneumatic Ram Stability
The addition of the four columns of 2x2 bricks to each corner of the
plate is a suggestion for stability and is not shown in the step image.
However, we urge you to try both methods to determine which one
works best for you and the types of wrappers you like to crush.
Bricks & Chips…

Having Trouble?
You might find it easier to attach the base plate in
this step to the bin prior to attaching the piston.
The RCX Air Compressor Control
The RCX Air Compressor Control sub-assembly controls the flow of air. The RCX is programmed to
power the motor when the touch sensor is pressed.
Inventing…
Programming Ideas
Program the touch sensor to turn the compressor motor on to start the
Candy Wrapper Compactor. Make sure to write the program to have
the start action of the touch sensor correspond with the Input Port 1.
213
RCX Air Compressor Step 0
Connect the 2x4 plate to the RCX first to create a level

platform for the motor. Next, connect the motor and
the electrical wire to RCX Input Port 1. This wire will be
attached to the touch sensor in a later step. Finish this
step by attaching the 1x2 plate which will provide a
level surface to attach the 1x4 TECHNIC brick.
Slide the 1x2 door rails into the

motor slots located on the sides
as shown.
214
Slide the axle into the axle

connector and then attach
both pieces to the motor. Add
plates to secure the motor.
Place the valve under

the two 2x4 plates added in
Air Compressor Step 2. Add the
connectors that will hold the
compressor.
Bricks & Chips…

The Pneumatics
The axle in RCX Air Compressor Step 2 will be the mechanism that
strikes the pneumatic valve. The axle on the motor will shift the valve
and airflow which is needed to lift the pneumatic ram sub- assembly up
or push the sub-assembly down.
215
The Compressor
The compressor sub-assembly consists of a motor with a gear. This will move the pump in and out
to create air pressure; the air will then be pushed through the tubing to move the piston.
Compressor Step 0
Add a pin to hold

the pump. You will
Connect the beams to the connect the pump
bricks to build the frame. to this pin in
Compressor Step 2.
216
Compressor Step 1
Connect a beam to the side of
the frame. This beam will hold
the motor you are going to add
in Compressor Step 1.
Compressor Step 2
Slide the 1x2 flat plate

with a door rail into the
side of the motor and
attach the motor to the
frame. Next, add the 24t
gear to the axle of the
motor. Insert a pin into
the holes in the gear.
Then, slide a connector
onto the the
pump. Finally,
connect the pump
to the pin on the
gear added in this
step, and the pin in
the frame added in
Compressor Step 0.
You may have to slightly
bend the pump to maneuver the
pit into the compressor assembly.
Be careful not to break the pump.
217
Putting it All Together
Connect the pneumatic tubing, electrical wires and all of the finished assemblies to complete the
Candy Wrapper Compactor.
Final Step 0
Connect the compressor sub-assembly to the RCX air

compressor control sub-assembly. The compressor fits into
the connectors on the side of the RCX.
You will also connect the axle on the pneumatic ram sub-
assembly into the front most holes of the yellow liftarms in
the bin sub-assembly.
218
Final Step 1
Connect one end of a pneumatic

tube to the middle of the compressor
sub-assembly and the other end to
middle input of the valve on the RCX
air compression control sub-assembly.
In this step we have used a
customized short tube.
Bricks & Chips…

Tubing Length
Many builders find usually find that long tubes in some assemblies
are cumbersome. It is quite simple to snip a piece of tubing to the
length that you need. However, if you do not want to cut your
tubing, a longer tube will work just as well.
219
Final Step 2
Using a long piece of tubing, connect one end of the

tubing to the top output connection on the valve of the
RCX air compressor sub-assembly, and the other end of the
tubing to the top of the piston on the pneumatic ram sub-
assembly as shown.
Final Step 3
Using another long tube,

connect one end to the
bottom output
connection on the
valve of the RCX
air compression
control sub-assembly
and other tend to the
bottom of the piston on
the pneumatic ram.
220
Final Step 4
Run a second electrical

wire to the motor on the RCX Compressor
Control Assembly to Output Port C.
Final Step 5
Run a second electrical

wire from the motor on the compressor
sub-assembly to Output Port A.
221
The Start Button

Remember that wire that you added to your robot in RCX Air Compressor
Step 0? At this point your robot should have that free hanging wire.
The Touch Sensor
Attach the end of the electrical wire connected to Input Port 1 to a touch
sensor.
The touch sensor is the start button for the Candy Wrapper Compactor. The
touch sensor can be placed anywhere on the bin sub-assembly or even held in
your hand as a wired remote control. The touch sensor is the start button that
will begin the wrapper compression process.
Place the candy wrappers into the trash container bin sub-assembly and
press the touch sensor start button. The motor starts the pneumatic compressor
system that slowly lowers the pneumatic ram sub-assembly. The pneumatic
ram sub-assembly exerts pressure on the trash, which flattens it. When the
pneumatic ram pressure reaches its setpoint, the motor reverses and raises the
pneumatic ram back up to the top of the compactor. Additional wrappers may
be added and the compactor can be started again, and the process can be
repeated until the bin is full. The bottom plate in the trash container bin may
be removed for easy cleaning. The turntable allows the bin to be rotated as
needed.
222
Robot 10
Robo-Hominid
223
Robot 10 • Robo-Hominid
Robo-Hominid is a biped, or two legged walker. He moves by shifting his

weight from side to side. Robo-Hominid is very compact for a weight shifting
biped. I invented him before I was aware of the large LEGO community of
adult fans. Most MINDSTORMS bipeds use a series of lift arms to build the
legs; Robo-Hominid’s legs are instead constructed of a number of bricks. I’ve
not seen any designs like him in all my LEGO biped Web searching. Robo-
Hominid can walk forwards, backwards and turn right and left. He has two
motors, one for leaning left and right, and the other for leg striding.
Robo-Hominid uses one motor in conjunction with the rotation sensor to
lean onto his left foot. He then uses the other motor to drive the right leg for-
ward. The touch sensors on the front of the legs tell the RCX when the right
leg is completely forward. The RCX then leans Robo-Hominid on his right leg,
and drives the left leg forward.
You can find the program for Robo-Hominid on the Syngress Solution Web
site (www.syngress.com/solutions). Robo-Hominid’s program allows him to walk
forward a given distance, turn himself around 180 degrees, walk back to where
he started, then turn himself around again.
Bicks & Chips…

Extra Parts Needed For Robo-Hominid
Robo-Hominid uses three parts that are not found in the RIS 2.0 or the
Ultimate Builders Set. The first part is a rotation sensor that comes as
part of the LEGO MINDSTORMS Ultimate Accessories Kit. The other two
parts are worm gears that can be found in many of the Slizer kits.
224
Left Leg
Begin by putting together the left leg sub-assembly.
Left Leg Step 0
Left Leg Step 1
225
Left Leg Step 2
Left Leg Step 3
Left Leg Step 4
226
Left Leg Step 5
Left Leg Step 6
Left Leg Step 7
227
Left Leg Step 8
Bricks & Chips…

Movement Patterns
Try programming other patterns for Robo-Hominid to walk in, as
opposed to the simple back and forth program available for him on
the Syngress Solutions web site (www.syngress.com/solutions). Setting
up a pre-arranged obstacle course and having Robo-Hominid try to
navigate around it is a good starting point for this.
Left Leg Step 9
228
Left Leg Step 10
Left Leg Step 11
Connect an electrical cable to

the touch sensor with the wire
pointing to the inside of the
leg. Leave the other end
unconnected for now.
229
Left Leg Step 12
Left Leg Step 13
230
Left Leg Step 14
Left Leg Step 15
231
Left Leg Step 16
The Right Leg
Now begin construction of the right leg sub-assembly, which is a mirror of the left leg sub-assembly.
232
Right Leg Step 0
Right Leg Step 1
Right Leg Step 2
Right Leg Step 3
233
Right Leg Step 4
Right Leg Step 5
Right Leg Step 6
234
Right Leg Step 7
Right Leg Step 8
Right Leg Step 9
235
Right Leg Step 10
Right Leg Step 11
236
Right Leg Step 12
Connect one end of the

electrical cable to the touch
sensor with the wire
pointing to the inside of
the leg. Leave the other
end unconnected
for now.
Right Leg Step 13
237
Right Leg Step 14
Right Leg Step 15
238
Right Leg Step 16
The Hips
Now begin building the hips sub-assembly.
239
Hips Step 0
Hips Step 1
240
Hips Step 2
Hips Step 3
Hips Step 4
241
Hips Step 5
Hips Step 6
242
Hips Step 7
Hips Step 8
The Drive
Now begin constructing the drive sub-assembly.
243
Drive Step 0

The Drive sub-assembly
The Drive sub-assembly translates power
from the RCX brick to the legs.
Drive Step 1
Drive Step 2
Connect an electrical
cable to the top of the
motor, with the wire
pointing towards the
back of the motor as
shown. Leave the other
end of the cable
unconnected for now.
244
Drive Step 3
Drive Step 4
Drive Step 5
245
Drive Step 6
246
Drive Step 7
Drive Step 8
247
Drive Step 9
248
Drive Step 10
249
Drive Step 11
250
Drive Step 12
251
Drive Step 13
252
Drive Step 14
Connect an electrical cable to the

top of the motor with the wire
pointing towards the back of the
motor. Leave the other end of
the cable unconnected for now.
253
Drive Step 15
Drive Step 16
254
Drive Step 17
255
Drive Step 18
256
Drive Step 19
Drive Step 20
257
It’s now time to put all of the sub-assemblies you have constructed together to complete the finished
Robo-Hominid.
Final Step 0 Final Step 1
Connect the left and right leg sub-

assemblies to the hips sub-assembly.
258
Final Step 2
Final Step 3
Attach the drive sub-assembly to

the hips sub-assembly, as shown.
259
Final Step 4
Attach the RCX
brick, as shown.
Final Step 5
260
Final Step 6
Hook the
left leg
sub-
assembly’s
touch sensor cable
to the Input Port 1.
Final Step 7
Hook the
right leg sub-
assembly’s
touch sensor
cable to the Input
Port 1.
261
Final Step 8
Hook
the rotation
sensor’s cable to
the Input Port 3.
Final Step 9
Hook the left

motor’s cable
to the Output
Port C.
262
Final Step 10
Hook the right

motor’s
cable to
the Output Port A.
263
SYNGRESS SOLUTIONS…
AVAILABLE NOW
ORDER at
www.syngress.com
Building Robots with LEGO MINDSTORMS

The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System (RIS) has been called
“the most creative play system ever developed.” This book unleashes the
full power and potential of the tools, bricks, and components that make up
LEGO MINDSTORMS. Some of the world's leading LEGO MINDSTORMS
inventors share their knowledge and development secrets. You will discover
an incredible range of ideas to inspire your next invention. This is the ulti-
mate insider's look at LEGO MINDSTORMS and is the perfect book
whether you build world-class competitive robots or just like to mess
around for the fun of it.
ISBN: 1-928994-67-9
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you everything you need to create cool robotics projects in under one hour.
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10 Cool LEGO MINDSTORMS 10 Cool LEGO MINDSTORMS

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ISBN: 1-931836-59-0 ISBN: 1-931836-61-2
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solutions@syngress.com

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solutions@syngress.

Solutions@syngress.com is an interactive treasure trove of useful infor-

Stephen Cavers began his secret life as a LEGO MINDSTORMS builder in

Dr. Larry Whitman is an Assistant Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing

Tonya L. Witherspoon is an Educational Technology Instructor at Wichita State

Alex Witherspoon is a middle-school student in Wichita, KS. His brain is hard-

Giulio Ferrari is a student in economics at the University of Modena and Reggio

About This Book xi

My contribution to this book is the result of a series of accidents. First, my par-

When I was approached by Jonathan Babcock at Syngress to design robots

WideBot is a wide-bodied robot designed to pursue light sources. When I

Add the pins to the 6x8 open-

Add the two 4x6 open-centered

Attach the two 1x16 TECHNIC beams,

Assemble and attach the

Attach the RCX

The Right Drive

Right Drive Step 0

Right Drive Step 1 Slide the pieces onto the #6 axle in

Bricks & Chips…

Right Drive Step 2

Slide the 24t gear and bushings onto the

Right Drive Step 3

Right Drive Step 4

Right Drive Step 5

Bricks & Chips…

Right Drive Step 6

Add the 1x3

Right Drive Step 7

Attach the remaining

Right Drive Step 8

Finally, slide the wheel onto the forward

The Left Drive

Left Drive Step 0

Left Drive Step 1

Left Drive Step 2

Left Drive Step 3

Left Drive Step 4

Left Drive Step 5

Left Drive Step 6

Insert the pins and attach the liftarms

Left Drive Step 7

Left Drive Step 8

Developing & Deploying…

Head Step 0 Head Step 1

Assemble the parts on

Head Step 4 Head Step 5

Slide the 1x3

The blue and yellow liftarms act as bumpers:

Head Step 8 To provide a place to attach

Complete the head sub-

Putting It All Together

Bricks & Chips…

Left Touch Right Touch

Left Motor Wire Right Motor Wire

Now attach the wires.

Developing & Deploying…

One of the popular pastimes of LEGO MINDSTORMS builders is a challenge

Bricks & Chips…