Automation simulation LEGOs

jdbrandt

Lifetime Supporting Member
Join Date
Oct 2002
Location
Pennsylvania
Posts
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Some years ago, I heard of a LEGO building block type product that
you could use to build simple automation models from,
on a table top, with little motors, gears, cylinders,
and the like.

I believe it was a European vendor, probably not LEGO,
but something similar.

Does anyone here know who this might be?
 
I can vouch for Lego Mindstorms, it's quite a lot of fun. A little PLC with 3 inputs, 3 outputs, 2 motors, touch sensors, lights, even an encoder is available. With all the gears and pulleys it's a blast. I bought this 2 years ago when my son was 5, and my wife pointed out that it was obviously more for me to play with for the next few years. But we all have fun together, and it teaches him quite a bit about how machines work. 2 weeks ago we had little men riding a cable (kite string) about 12 feet from the top of the fridge to the kitchen table.

Vetteboy
 
You were braver than I was, I have 5 kids, 4 are boys and we have done alot of the Mindstorm stuff. My youngest boy loves the stuff but I think I enjoy it just as much.
 
The programmable block itself is called RCX Programmable Brick and it is for sale under LEGO number 9709. The Dutch electronics magazine Elektuur (Elektor in England) has published several articles using this block. One of them is an I²C interface published in the last summer issue (312).

If you check the given website and go to "Magazine Index" then you can search the yearindexes from 1996 on for "LEGO" or "RCX". I found 9 articles in 2000 and 2 in 2002.

A search on the web with Altavista for RCX and LEGO gave me a stunning 12,352 results. This should shurely give you want you want. You might even want to narrow down the search ;) .

Good luck!

Jean Pierre Vandecandelaere
 
JD

Siemens, at their Manchester automation and drives training centre, use these 'LEGO' models for their conveyor simulator PLC training, I had a little go on one of these while I was at Manchester doing the S7 networking course, I thought that it was a superb bit of kit.

Very educational of course!! :D

Paul
 
Even more cool is that uLinux, Java and some other homebrew RTOS's have been ported to teh lego mindstorm Brick controller.

Some projects are so advanced they implement TCP/IP networking (java for one) and can do segway type balance / servo control. Someone made a tabletop segway that could operate just like the real and useless thing via these controllers. Alot more tinking existings on these things then just lego's own simple programming system.

Great way to crash into Java or other advanced OO+ programming systems for controls.
 
The Lego Segway was called the legway. I thought it was pretty cool when I saw it. The guy dished out some cash for the sensors though, 100 bucks each or something like that. Then of course he had to write the code for it, which is the interesting part.

Anyways here are some links for anyone interested.

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/howto/story/0,24330,3414548,00.html

http://perso.freelug.org/legway/LegWay.html

Alternatively do a search for LEGWAY on google and you will get some other web pages.
 

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