CES 2013: LEGO Debuts iOS-Compatible LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3

Must resist urge to post a "Shut Up and Take My Money" picture of Fry!

I wonder if FLL will stay with the NXT for now.

It would really be nice if the smartphone/tablet could be used as a bit more than just a remote. e.g. if some processing could be done there... That would allow for some of the integration notjustjay was proposing. As the smartphone, etc... gets smarter/faster the capabilities of this increase.

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notjustjay said:

Haha. I'm sure you knew this but I bet he's referring to all of the "custom" parts that LEGO creates for all the different theme kits. And I agree with the poster you quoted... it's less fun when the pieces assemble more like a model kit and less like a generic "assemble anything you want" building block set.

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Current Lego kits have *fewer* 'specialty' pieces than most of the kits I grew up with (in the late 70s and through the 80s). The 'look-at-all-the-fancy-pieces' nonsense is pretty much rose-tinted nostalgia.

notjustjay said:

As for the NXT, when I read the headline, I thought maybe LEGO had come up with a way to use an iPhone or iPod touch as the actual "brain". Instead of that big grey brick, they could just create a piece of LEGO with a dock connector and the wiring to connect sensors and motors. Then the iDevice itself could control everything and you'd have access to even more powerful sensors like the camera, gyroscope, compass, even GPS.

Actually it would probably still be a big brick because you would want batteries to power the LEGO motors. But you could probably sell a "dumb" battery box with a dock connector for much less than an NXT microcontroller.

I'd buy one

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That's kind of what I was hoping for as well, but you'd still need about 90% of the NXT 'brick', for the batteries, and connectors, so it doesn't really make much sense to go that route. Additionally, if it actually relied on an iDevice for the 'brains', the whole cost of a usable kit would be *much* more expensive, and they'd be restricting their potential market share (for an already niche portion of a niche product line) even more.

That said, I suspect a sufficiently knowledgeable person could rig up an iPhone-to-Mindstorms interface cable to give access to the iPhone's sensors.

tbrinkma said:

. Additionally, if it actually relied on an iDevice for the 'brains', the whole cost of a usable kit would be *much* more expensive.

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So either include it with the rest or sell it separate for those of us with an old iPhone lying around the house basically collecting dust.

charlituna said:

So either include it with the rest or sell it separate for those of us with an old iPhone lying around the house basically collecting dust.

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Or, do what Lego did, and provide a means to interact with more than just one brand of devices, and make sure they're selling a *complete* product that doesn't rely on the whims of other companies in unrelated markets.

Seriously, it would be *neat* if you could just plug in your iPhone, but it's not even remotely *practical* to require it from a product design stand-point.

jessica. said:

I'm disappointed, you don't need kids to buy this! In fact, I would buy this because I don't have kids! Kids will just mess it all up! haha

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Agreed, not to mention, you have to share with them. This looks totally awesome!

MacRumors said:

At launch, the set will include building instructions for 17 robots, like "Reptar" the robotic snake that slithers and "Everstorm" the mohawk-sporting humanoid that can shoot mini spheres while it walks.

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Oh good - first generation Terminators.

Numbah One said:

Oh good - first generation Terminators.

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Who knew LEGO was getting their ARM( SoCs from Cyberdyne.

Bluetooth? Nah, we use Skynet.

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MacRumors said:

Lego Mindstorms EV3 will be available for purchase in the summer of 2013 for $349.99.

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Egad!

I guess in my day* Lego Logo cost at least this much.

*I am officially old.

whooleytoo said:

...I think I need to research this product, so I know what to buy my future children. It's just good future-parenting.

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Yes. That is my new excuse for all the Legos in my house.

That picture somehow reminds me of WALL-E

So that gives me 6-12 months to save the required cash.

I would so much love to buy this stuff but it is just too expensive. I have two kids but they aren't really into Lego. My 7 year old girl loves 'science' so I buy her lots of model rockets and science kits and we make sodium bicarbonate volcanos etc. I think this Lego kit probably costs more than every present I've bought her in her life put together.

Awesomeness!





and I found much more here:
The Brick Fan — Ev3 check out the ev3elephants, the 3v3dogs ... the ev3everything!

cost...

Now these are expensive sets....but....

The last two sets I bought,

PoTC Queen Anne's Revenge = £100 (ish)
Technic Helicoptor + Power Functions = £100 (ish)

Are almost the the same cost as the new Mindstorms kit if Lego do a simple currency conversion from the US costs released.

edit- Just seen the pricing in Euro's and it looks like we in the UK are probably going to be paying approx £280 for these sets....bummer.

But the Mindstorms I feel will have much more 'play' potential then the models above (bearing in mind I'm 32).

Just bought the old one for my lad for Xmas. Would have probably waited for this, but Lego decided to wait until after Xmas before releasing ANY info about it. Not very nice business practice if you ask me.....

Lazrhog said:

Just bought the old one for my lad for Xmas. Would have probably waited for this, but Lego decided to wait until after Xmas before releasing ANY info about it. Not very nice business practice if you ask me.....

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Blame CES for their scheduling, not Lego. That said, why would any company tell you NOT to spend money on their products now and instead wait for 6 months? Tell me the last time you've seen that happen...

When Apple keeps locked door secrecy on what products they are releasing, is that ok?

I also love the "too expensive" comments. How much was that last iPhone you bought?

And finally... this is not the first Mindstorms that you can use without a computer. iPhones and Androids are computers too, last time I checked.

Malice604 said:

Blame CES for their scheduling, not Lego. That said, why would any company tell you NOT to spend money on their products now and instead wait for 6 months? Tell me the last time you've seen that happen...

When Apple keeps locked door secrecy on what products they are releasing, is that ok?

I also love the "too expensive" comments. How much was that last iPhone you bought?

And finally... this is not the first Mindstorms that you can use without a computer. iPhones and Androids are computers too, last time I checked.

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I didn't complain about the price (especially having just forked out for a new BTO 27" iMac )

Lego aren't Apple. This product hasn't seen many big revisions over the years. Can't blame them for wanting to clear out old stock at xmas I suppose, but it doesn't make customers happy, and they probably wont come back

I can't WAIT!!

Anyone else out there counting the days for the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 to hit stores? They say it's going on sale on September 1st, and while my 6 year old daughter expressed some vague interest ("That looks pretty cool, Daddy"), I know I'm really buying it as a toy for me...if she wants to play with it, well, I just might let her.

Any other "grown-ups" looking forward to buying this cool new LEGO kit?

thuchu1 said:

I really wish I had kids so I had an excuse to buy this...

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Exactly

Gemütlichkeit said:

All of those molded parts don't remind me of the Lego's I remember...

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Yeah, they lost direction there a bit, simple/blocky parts is where it's at

MacRumors said:

The new Mindstorms system is powered by the EV3 Intelligent Brick, which features an ARM9 processor, 16MB of flash memory, 64MB of RAM, and the ability to function without the PC that previous Mindstorm systems have been dependent on.

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I know it's only storing small files, but 16 mb of flash seems ridiculous in this day and age. The Mindstorms brick I had like 10 years ago could only store a few programs which was tedious as all hell.

Anyone know if this features bluetooth or wifi?

Just bought the LEGO MindStorms EV3 set for my six year old daughter and myself (yeah, okay, mostly myself). All I can say is...WOW!

I highly recommend this "toy" to anyone who has children...and even to those who don't!! It is really amazing!

Mindstorms EV3 help

Can anyone advise me if Mindstorms EV3 is workable for someone who isn't the best at computers?
I've seen this review http://www.squidoo.com/your-own-robot-with-lego-mindstorms-ev3 which looks cool. The building part of it i'm fine with as I can help my children with it but i'm worried about the downloading and bits where you have to program and stuff.
How easy is it to do? In the link above you see one solving a suduko puzzle and climbing stairs. Is this doable for a normal person?