Winning Design!

Ever since the introduction of the LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics kit in 1998, there has been a desire to explore all the possibilities of what can be done with it. Along with this desire, many different LEGO robotics competitions emerged as well. Among the most popular today is FIRST LEGO League (FLL). LEGO MINDSTORMS kits have changed considerably over the years, and the current MINDSTORMS NXT system offers an array of new functionality with improved sensors, motors, and programming abilities. For people who have been working with the MINDSTORMS system for many years, these changes have been welcome additions. However, for people new to the world of LEGO robots, things can get overwhelming very quickly. The goal of this book is to help coaches and team members better understand what it takes to build a winning robot for competitive LEGO robotics events. Some knowledge of the LEGO MINDSTORMS system would be helpful prior to using this book. The design principles covered in this book are intended not to be strict guidelines but design foundations to help get teams to the next level of competiveness. Over the years, I have observed that teams typically need a few years of competing before they learn all the helpful tips and tricks that are used by winning teams. With the help of this book, a team should be able to learn some of these steps earlier and use them as a foundation for creating its own winning ideas and designs.