NI Drag-And-Drop Powers Lego Robotics Kit

National Instruments has announced a new version of its drag-and-drop software that powers the Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 robotics kits. With this system, children can design their own robots using features such as colour recognition, Bluetooth support and additional robot models.

The software, which will be included with all Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kits, is based on NI Labview graphical programming software. With this software, students' drag and drop icons that are representative of the various tasks they want their robots to perform. NXT 2.0 software creates the possibility for new types of robotic customisation so that no two robots are alike.

Software features include support for a colour recognition sensor, which helps robots perform colour-matching tasks and sense light levels, and programmatic Bluetooth support. New sound and image editors can load images and sounds into the robot's memory for display on the LCD screen or to play back the sound of choice. Children can also share project files with friends using the Pack-N-Go project packager. The Lego Mindstorms education version includes a data logging tool.

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