Learn how to program

Once you've built a MINDSTORMS robot, it's time to program it to make it come alive. You program a robot using the software that comes with the NXT set, but that's not an easy thing to do when you're just getting started. With the Discovery Book as your guide, you'll master the ins and outs of the programming software in no time.

What will I learn about programming?

You'll begin creating simple programs.

You'll begin learning the basics of the software as you program your first robot, the Explorer, to move around and make sounds. As you move on, you'll learn more programming techniques like making the robot repeat actions or display things on its screen.

You'll then learn how to program robots with sensors as you upgrade the Explorer to the Discovery robot. You'll make the Discovery see with the Ultrasonic Sensor, allowing your robot to drive around without crashing into something. You'll also learn about all of the other sensors in the NXT 2.0 kit and even how to program the Discovery to follow the black line on the test pad.

While progressing through the book, you'll learn how to create advanced programs.

You'll continue expanding your programming skills as you build the Shot-Roller and the Strider, each introducing new programming tricks. In the third part of the book, you'll learn all about advanced programming, and how to program with so called data wires and variables, allowing you to create intelligent robots. Finally in the fourth part of the Discovery Book, you'll combine all of your programming skills to program the advanced robots like the Snatcher and the Hybrid Brick sorter.

How is the content organized?

Learning how to program requires good explanations of programming techniques. However, this doesn't mean it has to be boring. Not at all! A new programming technique is always supported by a sample program with instructions to recreate it. This way, you won't have to sit still while learning how to program. Once you've created the sample program, you'll know enough about the new programming trick to try one of the Discoveries which follow the sample programs. Have a look at an excerpt from chapter 6 to see how the content is organized.

Is programming difficult?

Programming the robots in this book is not hard. In fact, you can make programs as easy (or as complex) as you want! Anyone will be able to recreate the sample programs provided. Instead, you can also download them from this website. The next step, solving the Discoveries could be harder at first, but as try and practice, you'll be able to master the programming skills in no time. So far I've heard readers aged 8-74 using this book with no problems, and having a lot of fun with their MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 kit and this book.