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Foreword
Twenty years ago, the world was introduced to a bright yellow LEGO brick made of more than just plastic. Powered by 6 AA batteries, the simple 3-input 3-output RCX was born. With this brick, the LEGO Group launched LEGO MINDSTORMS, a new brand to combine robotics with the iconic LEGO platform. Like millions of other children over the past two decades, this combination of building and programming would launch my career.
The modern LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 continues to inspire children. However, like any new technology, getting started can be difficult. Kyle, or as I will forever know him, Builderdude35, is a great friend, and cornerstone of the modern LEGO MINDSTORMS community. For years, Kyle has introduced both children and adults to LEGO MINDSTORMS via his YouTube channel. In this book, Kyle takes some of the outstanding lessons and formulates tutorials to aid both the novice and advanced users, alike. From introducing the use of real-world data through sensors to programming GPS-based navigation, this book features a unique set of projects for any aspiring roboticist.
Besides providing a starting point with LEGO MINDSTORMS, Kyle showcases his own discoveries in creating the iconic Timmyton and Grunt robots. Focusing on human-robot interaction, these robots showcase how to make robotics inviting and provide character to an otherwise predictable machine. This book is another example of Kyle sharing his wisdom with the community and contributing to the rich LEGO MINDSTORMS legacy. Like Builderdude35's YouTube channel, may this book help you to discover something new, inspire others, and share in the MINDSTORMS magic!
Andy Milluzzi
LEGO MINDSTORMS Community Partner
Contributors
About the author
Kyle Markland is a young robotics enthusiast and aspiring engineer who is committed to helping others learn about technology. His first introduction to robotics was when he joined a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team. In 2015, he started a weekly series of robotics tutorials on his YouTube channel Builderdude35. The videos aims to teach viewers engineering and programming concepts such as PID line following, dog gears, and pneumatics. In recognition of his efforts in robotics education, LEGO MINDSTORMS officially named Kyle a MINDSTORMS Community Partner (MCP) in August 2017.
I would like to thank my parents for their support and patience as I wrote this book, my biggest project yet. I am deeply indebted to Marc-Andr Bazergui not only for serving as my technical editor, but also for welcoming me into the online MINDSTORMS community. Thank you to Sharon Raj, Komal Karne, Rahul Nair, and the rest of the publication team for their hard work and for making my dream of becoming an author a reality.
About the reviewer
Marc-Andr Bazergui has been with IBM for over 20 years. He is currently a technical solution manager in the Power Systems team. His spare time is spent creating LEGO robots and sharing his passion for MINDSTORMS with the world. He has been a member of the MINDSTORMS Community Partner (MCP) program since 2009. This led him to be involved with the development of the EV3 in 2011. Among his contributions are the design for the EV3 robot, KRAZ3, one of the 12 bonus robots you can build with the LEGO MINDSTORMS 31313 kit. You can find more about Marc-Andr's work online under the pseudonym bazmarc.
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Preface
Building Smart LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Robots explores six EV3 projects that range from a low intermediate level to an advanced level. Each chapter uses examples to teach the building and programming concepts applied in each project, then relating them to an application in a real-world smart robot. Each chapter builds on the knowledge learned in the previous chapter, which makes a structured progression that expands your library of EV3 knowledge as you work your way up to the most advanced project in the final chapter. By the time you finish the book, you will have achieved mastery of EV3 and will have developed all of the skills necessary to make your own EV3 robots.