Project Ideas

Here are just a few ideas to get you started. Please send me your own ideas!

• Intelligent remote controlled robot. I've created such, and it's neat. You can use a simple robot like the diff-drive robot I made plans for, and build the second RCX into a remote-control. I have a steering wheel (rotation sensor) for the turning direction, a stop/go switch, and a forward/backward switch (both touch sensors). My robot is equipped with a distance sensor (from HiTechnic, but they aren't sold any more, unfortunately), so that it is smart about not running into things. Also, it stops if it loses communication with the remote control for more than two seconds.
• Remote arm. Build two robotic arms: one motorized, one with just rotation sensors for the joints. Move the non-motorized arm, and have the motorized arm follow your movements!
• Tagbots. Build two robots that play tag -- one runs away, and the other tries to find it. Build each with a large bumper around the robot. If they run into each other, both bumpers will be triggered, and the robots will need to tell each other. The robot that is "it" will have to wait for a few seconds to let the other run away, and then it can start searching.

A word of caution:

Note that some things just aren't feasible with Legos, unfortunately -- especially things that involve complex coordinated movement, like my original plan of cooperative dance. Please read this page for more information.

LEGO, LEGO Mindstorms, Robotics Invention System, and RCX are registered trademarks of the LEGO Group, Inc.

This project is funded by Carnegie Mellon's Undergraduate Research Initiative. These results represent the views of the author and not those of Carnegie Mellon University.