Mindstorm vs Mindstorm NXT

Mindstorms used a controller called the RCX; NXT uses a controller called the NXT. The NXT is a newer, more capable controller. Also, the NXT kit comes with new motors that have integrated rotation sensors, and new sensors as well including an ultrasonic range sensor.

So basically, all the electronics are different. The rest of the kit, the technic beams and so on, are pretty much the same.

No, Mindstorms NXT is a building kit. The humanoid is one of the models they include instructions for, as I recall, but it's by no means the only thing you can build with it.

It would absolutely be appropriate. The NXT is newer and better in pretty much every respect, though you can find the older RCX-based kits much cheaper these days.

Best,

- Joe

Gary:

Wired magazine wrote up an article about the development of the NXT system. Luckily Wired has a pretty enlightened attitude about publishing their articles on the web; here is a URL:

Besides newer and better electronics, Lego addressed one of the biggest headaches of RCX based Mindstorms -- the fragility of the robots. The bricks in the Lego NXT system tend to use the Technic posts and beams which snap together rather than the bricks where are held together by friction. At robot presentations at our robot club, we have had numerous robots based on the Lego RCX simply fall apart before the everybody's watchful eyes. It will be much easier to build rugged robots using the NXT system.

You can buy used RCX systems on Ebay for a fraction of the $200 that they used to sell for new. None-the-less, I would recommend the NXT over the RCX, even though it costs even more (~$250) new. Only go for the RCX based system if you are on a real tight budget.

My $.02,

-Wayne