The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Laboratory: Build, Program, and Experiment with Five Wicked Cool Robots

I use dozens of mindstorm projects in our High School Robotics tutorials, and this is by far the most advanced, complete and innovative, and by FAR the most clearly illustrated. I tried out the projects at an advanced teach the teachers conference (also using Blankenships fine book:  Robot's in the Classroom ), which we buy in quantity, and even MS beginners "got" the pictures immediately.The projects worked great with few glitches, and typical of No Starch, the code and diagrams were well edited and functional right out of the book. The author has a "save you money" attitude, and tries to show processor block techniques that don't require a laptop to execute, but also includes PC interfaces (see page references below) in advanced projects. As you probably know, you DO need the $350 Lego Mindstorms kit to conduct these experiments and build these projects! (For reference it is a great deal on Amazon, it is here:  LEGO Mindstorms EV3 31313 ). This is a PROFESSIONAL level robotics kit, but one that even HS kids can enjoy.Most books like this concentrate either on code or mechanics, and few do both well, let alone theory. I mean, even at over 400 pages and with 5 real projects, there is a LOT to cover, especially since this author really likes autonomous designs and working on deep (and custom!) details, like math and software that turn gear activators into transmissions via math (functions/code). Of the other top 3 MS project books, this is the ONLY one that not only covers scripting in detail, as well as gears/servos etc. AND also goes very deeply into logic, math, technical aspects of robotics, etc.Remember, this young author is the one who created an award winning Rubik's cube solver! Some of the predator-prey code is done so elegantly that the military drone types will probably be looking at it-- in advanced work these sims require graduate school level differential equations, yet this inventor does it with minimilist code that High Schoolers and self taught hobbyists get right away! As long as your "prey" has a signature (eg IR), you're good to chase and eat with your voracious T Rex.Part of the value you don't get in any other book is that the writer is a true inventor both mechanically and codewise, and you can see his practical experience on every page of shortcuts, wisdoms and rules of thumb you can use even in the most advanced robotics. A "solver" mind can write 5 lines of Haskell that will solve any Sudoku puzzle, while other more imperative coders take over 40 lines of Java. In robotics, with memory always at a premium even in those that run Linux, authors like this with real world accomplishments don't teach you a bunch of techniques you have to unlearn later, and get you and your students/ kids/ grandkids on the right track from day one, even with the physics, mechanical engineering and math. The "comic book" adds really give you a break from the plentiful "parts" mechanical illustrations and programming action throughout.Takes a high school level mind to get most of it, and undergrad for some of the advanced concepts, but any intelligent layperson can get these done with K-12 "helpers." I don't know about Italy, but shop classes in the US are virtually gone (like sports programs are going!), so Lego Mindstorms is one of the few "STEM" courses that can hide out as math, science and engineering yet still teach numerous practical mechanical techniques, gears, angles, etc. while having real FUN.Highly recommended, at the top of my top 5 list in this subject area, whether you're a hobbyist, teacher, student, or professional robotocist. GREAT adjunct gift with an MS purchase too-- I wouldn't invest in an MS kit without this book! AND if you don't have the $350 to shell out on an MS right now (who does today?), the "wisdom" of the code and projects (although not the specific mechanics, as the numerous illustrations are obviously MS) also work for parallax, robobasic and many other projects that require less investment. Some more advanced libraries are offering MS as a checkout item also, although the last one I got for one of my kids was an earlier version than this text covers, yet still 90% applicable.A few page number references for the above topics (NOTE: this book is literally FILLED with illustrations, so don't worry if the text topics seem complex, the author takes painstaking time to illustrate everything from component builds to screen shots to a complete in-book comic! There also are little "Digging Deeper" boxes that explain advanced concepts.There are FAR more illustrations than there is text, even though the breadth of topics is amazing). PAGES-- Brick connect to PC where needed: 75; Remote control programming: 240; Hunting prey with your T-rex (an infrared target): 376 (includes seek and chase blocks and teaches basic state priorities and transitions); power vs. speed: 297; Pythagorean theorem vs. lego angles: 261; actuator/motor speed regulation: 188; Patrolling a room on two legs with block alone (no pc needed): 131; Using math blocks directly: 95; Keeping distances in any room (wall following w/ IR): 64; Logic operators and De Morgan's laws (of logic): 373. Many more features, and nearly an entire second book is online on half a dozen of the author's and publisher pages, generally in the benedetelli dot com series, enjoy!

What I object to the most is the overuse of exclamation marks on almost every page of text, and at the end of almost every chapter. Writers and publishers simply cannot take ordinary sentences and turn them into something exciting merely by slapping an exclamation mark at the end. It is condescending and insulting to the intelligence of the paid customers to do so. If writing is exciting, it will be demonstrated by the actual words themselves, and not by the cheap trick of merely slapping on a fake exclamation mark. Sadly, this cheap trick is employed by so many authors and publishers today. How about showing some actual respect for the intelligence of your paying customers, who can choose for ourselves whether something is worth reading or not?The information itself in the book is most excellent. I would give it more than 5 stars, if it was possible, I have purchased 8 previous Lego books from No Starch Press, and will continue to do so. But, please, show more respect for your readers, and get rid of the insulting multiple exclamation marks. We are not the stupid idiots that you seem to assume we are. We cannot be tricked into thinking that a sentence is exciting, when it is obviously not (along the lines of, "And now on to the next chapter!"). Have some respect for us, please.The banal, intelligence-insulting, and gratuitously violent "comic strip" throughout the book is also annoying. It adds absolutely nothing to the content or usefulness of the book, and the "story" it tries to convey mostly makes no sense at all. Fortunately, it is easy enough to remove most of those idiotic pages from the book, or at least fold over the others that have actual useful text or diagrams on the other side. Did your in-depth market research really show a strong customer demand for repeated exclamation marks and idiotic violent "comic strips" in your Lego books?

First of all a caveat: I do not work for Amazon, LEGO or No Starch Press, and I'm not related to the author. I'm a 63 year old kid who was weaned on Tinker Toys and Erector sets. I enjoy building things, can follow instructions and use a computer, and am innately curious about how the things I build actually work. I bought this book to better understand how the EV3 robots actually work, both mechanically and programatically, and have found it to be extremely useful.Thus far I've built and programmed the first four robots (Chapters 1-14). I had no problem following the monochromatic instructions, although an ebook in full color is now available via No Starch Press.The most interesting part for me is the clear explanation of how the programming blocks work, both singly and in combination. I didn't find the information on programming via the EV3 Brick App to be particularly useful--I suspect that most users will program on their PCs--however, you don't have to know any programming language to replicate and modify the programs which are richly illustrated. And those not interested in programming at all can simply download the programs from the author's website. The entire book is organized with just enough information for everyone--from those interested in making the robots "come alive" to those desiring a deeper understanding so they can create and activate whatever their imaginations can conceive.A bonus: If you get stuck along the way you can email the author for guidance. He's already helped me on two occasions which has both improved my understanding and fueled my enthusiasm. And there's no charge!I recommend this book to everyone, young and old. Almost makes me wish I was back in high school taking a robotics class. Well, almost.......................

This is a great book for really learning how to program the ev3 in depth. There is also a wealth of detail on constructional techniques, which are illustrated in the excellent models described in the book with full constructional details.My only problem was that with a couple of the models SENTIN3L and T-R3X particularly I found them to be a bit unstable, and they could fall over. I think this was because I used rechargeable NiMh battery cells which are quite heavy in the eV3 brick. I asked the author on his web site (quick response) and he had used the rechargeable pack that LEGO supply as an extra (it is standard with the Educational set but not the retail one) and I think this is lighter, altering the centre of gravity of the model. This is why I give it 4 rather than 5 stars. Notwithstanding, this is an excellent book and a must if you are really serious about getting to grips with the potential of the ev3 system. The analysis of steering geometry and the programming to allow for it in the steerable SUP3r CAR is superb!I bought the Kindle addition which worked well if you have a second monitor on your PC on which to display it, with the LEGO program on the main monitor.

This book shows what can be done with an EV3 kit. The learning curve is progressive and I would advise people to go through it step by step and in the end the rewards are well worth it. The mechanical aspects of the models are well explained (torque, speed, differential, structures Tec it's all there). As far as the programming side is concerned, this book will guide you through from basic techniques to more advanced programming and control techniques (arrays, logic ,PID control).Well done Danny.

Nice set of robots and useful details of what exactly the programming is doing and brings about, so useful teaching. It is, however, only really dealing with the robotics side of the EV3 so the datalogging part is not dealt with. Delivery very speedy indeed.

Very detailed (almost too much) and extremely helpful step by step progress. I would say this is an essential purchase for anyone with an EV3 because LEGO are such minimalists when it comes to help.

Awesome, great intro to LEGO Mindstorms technology, logical development path.