Power functions elements
Hi all,
Some lucky ones of the LEGO community have received from LEGO early samples of the new Power Function™ elements that are to be available late 2007.
Mark Bellis has set up a Brickshelf gallery with images of some of them, and Philo has built a tower crane with them.
Have a look!
Thanks, Philo, for the hint,
Matthias (looking forward to late 2007)
Comments
I have to make a decision about purchasing motors for LEGO classes at a museum. I'll look like an idiot if we purchase a large number of a current motor on my recommendation, and then the new one comes out and it would have been better for us. And our motors, wires, etc. will be incompatible with the new ones, making my decision even worse.
Equally bad: I recommend that we wait for the new stuff to be released. Then we find that it won't really suit our needs, and then it turns out that the old stuff is no longer available.
Arrgh.
http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Mindstorms-NXT-G-Programming-Guide/dp/1590598717
I ohope this isn't a secret but it's right there on amazon. I didn't see any information on this book on yoru blog so I'm curious to know a ltitle more.
Tell your team at The NXT STEP to keep up the great work.
Jacob
Good work, Jim!
Rick
Bummer
Alex
I'm trying to get the book's release date bumped up, but no guarantees. The book is completed, but it's in the publisher's hands now. I started this book as a "self publish" project for a group of teachers here in Georgia that had requested I write something to teach them how to "teach" programming. Now, I'm no programming teacher, but I've had enough classes in my day to understand that it can be a hard subject to grasp as well as transfer to others...
The book took on a life of its own and Apress chose to publish it (they have that right - my contract does give them sort-of first dibs on my next NXT book and this was it). So, rather than self-publish, they're putting it with the other "Technology in Action" books and it'll be out soon enough.
Thanks for pointing out the Amazon listing... had no idea.
Jim
I've got one other concern regarding these elements. The number of IR channels will determine how many of these students can operate in a classroom at one time, without interfering with other students' projects. This leads me to conclude that I ought to recommend that we purchase the current electric elements.
Will you post the new motors specs on your 9V motors comparison page?
I'm really looking forward to knowing how well the new motors match up to the old.
Everyone,
Can anybody explain why the cable to the new motor has a 4-conductor wire? Is there an encoder within the motor (that is not yet mentioned)?
No encoders.
2 wires carry permanent supply (eg to power IR receivers), the two others control the motors