LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0  A Review

The NXT 2.0 set is a complete robotics kit, containing both building material as well as programming software. Here we review how this kit performs in these two areas. The Building Experience: It is fun, challenging, and also offers a number of exciting new additions. It has a new range of electronic sensors; it now has two touch sensors, a color sensor and an ultrasonic (distance) sensor. This new NXT 2.0 kit focuses more on studless construction than the previous model. The special ball shooter equipment with 12 small, brightly colored balls is fun to use. This kit doesn't come with a good range of gears, but you still get a handful of gears to add to your robots. The kit's sample robot designs showcase how to connect pieces directly to motors rather than using gears to direct the motion. The Programming Effect: The NXT 2.0 version contains NXT-G software with some new and alluring features. A sound editor, remote control, image editor, new programming blocks, a high level performance, and more features make the whole experience of programming more enjoyable. The software includes numerous fun-filled challenges distributed across four robot designs – The Shooterbot, Color Sorter, Robogator and Alpha Rex. The sample robots are durable and function well. The Alpha Rex is the most attractive –with an elegant and incredibly compact design. What's Not: It would be a perfect set if it had more non-frictional gears included. Its instructions about one of the Robots, the Color Sorter, can be very frustrating since it doesn't logically explain the use of this robot.   

Bottom Line: Well all these features make the NXT 2.0 version a complete package. It scores much higher than its previous versions. And it is a great tool set for any robotics fan. It is a must-buy for Mindstorms fans.