Power Functions Remote Control Sensor for NXT
If you have some of the Power Functions remote control stuff, here is a way to get the remote control receiver to serve as a sensor for the NXT, so that you can wirelessly control your NXT robots, using only LEGO parts and NXT-G. The example shows the NXT responding to the up/down/center position of both the red and blue controls on the remote control by drawing graphic arrows on the screen to indicate which way the controls on the remote are being pushed.This solution is a kludge. It requires several expensive and heavy LEGO electrical parts, and also requires the Education version of the NXT-G software or the Legacy Block Library add-on, but it's all snap-together with LEGOs with no external hardware or software, so if you happen to have the parts already, then it's easy to get it to work.
I am showing this mainly to call attention to a question: There are apparently 3rd party IR Link sensors available for the NXT now (and a couple of nice home-brew ones have been demonstrated), but does anyone want to offer an opinion about whether there is a solution out there that is friendly enough for kids to use with only NXT-G? Note that I am not talking about controlling PF motors from the NXT, or just powering the NXT motors directly from the PF stuff(which can be done with LEGO's adapter wires), but rather giving wireless PF remote control input to your NXT-G program in an easy and reliable way.
Comments
Yes, I'd love a direct system as well (where the NXT could "read out" the IR control signals via the Hitechnic IRLink, for example), but it doesn't seem to exist yet... and honestly, with all the new information still being released about the future of the PF line, I'd rather wait a bit to make sure it handles "the kitchen sink".
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Brian Davis
Nice solution :)
As Dave said you can download the sensor blocks and install them within the retail version.
More information is here
Please note that you need to install the component of your language version.
This is advanced usage, so please spend some time in reading (and understanding) the readme.txt files before installing these components.
!! It is always a good thing to backup (copy) your own created code, before you change the NXT-G software, don't forget the myblocks.
Martyn
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Brian Davis
For other solutions, remember that I have young kids in mind here. I would like to see LEGO (or somebody else) come out with a good remote control solution that works reliably with minimal to no fussing required. I don't know if this is Bluetooth or PF, but there is already a Bluetooth block in NXT-G, so if there was an NXT Bluetooth remote that just worked out of the box, then that would be great, because no software update would be required. I would "endorse" it on my web site and post projects for it, but I cannot recommend the state of Bluetooth today to a broad audience of kids...
drive motors at ratio of 1:2 and its easy.
Parax.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=306749
Parax.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv3Y2dC9p8w