Jim Kelly, over at our favorite LEGO Mindstorms NXT blog, The NXT Step, is putting together a "shopping list" of questions that folks have about Mindstorms NXT and the Mindstorms Development Program (MDP). Jim is one of the lucky few that actually made it into the program. However, the MDPers are under an official gag-order until May 1st, but after that, be prepared for a deluge of information! Jim writes,


So, hop on over to The NXT Step and ask away. Also stay tuned for a special weekly column that Jim is going to be writing for GoRobotics.net about Mindstorms NXT. Exciting stuff!

Related:

• Pre-Order LEGO Mindstorms NXT on April 1st

• LEGO Chooses Mindstorms Community Developers?
• The NXT STEP – Lego Mindstorms NXT Blog
• WIRED Tells Development of Mindstorms NXT
• LEGO Creates New Version of Mindstorms!

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Next time your in the mood for Sicilian archaeology, and you’re in the vicinity of the Agrigento’s Regional Archaeological Museum, ask Cicerobot for a tour. This 1.5m tall (5ft) robot gives guided tours of the museum. On board sensors allow him to autonomously navigate and avoid obstacles and people.


Cicerobot is also equipped to give "virtual" tours over the internet. You can read an academic publication on the robot here (starting at page 51).

It looks like all those retired museum docents might be looking for new employment. Sigh. And I had such high hopes for my golden years.


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RoboGat is a robotic fire-fighter for tunnels. The aim is to prevent disasters like the fire in the Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy that killed 39 people. The robot will travel along the top of the tunnel and shoot a stream of water at the hottest part of the fire. Of course, this doesn’t solve the ventilation problem of having the fire suck out all the oxygen from the tunnel. But, it’s still a good idea.


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A group of researchers at Rice University and the University of Southern California are working on creating a power source that is run off of bacteria that spits out electrons. The Shewanella oneidensis microorganism consumes metal and produces a waste product of electrons.
 
The research is funded by non other than the Department of Defense. Small robots powered by waste water or excess metal are an attractive offering to them.


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Researchers at the University of Texas have created artificial muscles that are 100 times more powerful that human muscles. The two different types of muscles both consume Oxygen and release the energy in hydrogen and alcohol to do work. One version converts the chemical energy into heat which contracts at shape-memory allow. The other version converts chemical energy into electrical energy which contracts a series of carbon nanotubes.


Next up is a circulation system to let the muscles "breath." Jack LaLanne would be impressed.




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