This page contains instructions for assembling robots or mechanisms from the starter educational kit LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 (45544)... In addition to instructions, you will find here videos showing the capabilities of the assembled models, and demo programs. For some models, recommendations are given on which applications can be used to remotely control robots and how to configure these applications.

Robot with large cardboard wheels

If you are eager to make a robot with large wheels from the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Educational Set (45544), but you don't have such wheels, don't be discouraged. You can make your own from thick corrugated cardboard. How to make a robot with large cardboard wheels so that the wheels spin normally and do not fall off, I suggest you read in this article.

Robot Artist EV3 Print3rbot

I really liked the project of the robot artist EV3 Print3rbot, which unfortunately uses non-standard parts that need to be printed on a 3D printer. I decided to build the same robot, but using only parts from the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 educational set (45544). And I did it, however, I had to add more rubber bands.

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Robot First Person Control

The robot, assembled from the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 construction set, you can easily control remotely from the first person. To do this, you will additionally need two smartphones with the RoboCam application installed on one of them. Let's take a closer look at the RoboCam app and learn how to use it.

Face detection on EV3

Using LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 and a webcam, you can experiment with indoor face detection. Any wheeled EV3 robot that can rotate in place and on which you can attach a webcam is suitable for the experiment. The robot will scan the room, turning around, and when it sees faces, it will stop and twitch as many times as it sees faces.

Object Tracking on EV3

Using a webcam and the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 45544 educational set, it is quite possible to make a robot that tracks a moving object. The robot will not only be able to turn the camera towards the object, but also maintain a certain distance to it, i.e. move closer if the object is moving away from the camera, or move away if the object is approaching. We will talk about how to do this in this article.

Gymnast EV3

It is quite easy to do a gymnast performing various exercises on a horizontal bar if you have an educational constructor LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 (45544). I taught a gymnast to do three exercises, and you can teach him other different tricks as well.

Formula 1 EV3 racing car

A Formula 1 racing car can be made with the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 45544 Educational Set. The driver sits in the car and holds the wheel. The machine is remotely controlled from an Android smartphone.

LEGO EV3 Floor Washer

The robot floor washer moves by turning two discs parallel to the floor. Using rubber bands, you can attach rags soaked in cleaning solution to the discs and then your floor will be a little cleaner.

LEGO EV3 Claw Robot

This robot with a claw can not only grab, but also lift objects. And he does both of these actions with just one motor. And due to the rubber tips of the claw, the robot can lift even slippery objects. And of course, what the robot has grabbed, it can transport to another place.

Selenokhod from the constructor LEGO EV3

Selenokhod is a lunar rover created by a Russian team to participate in the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition. At the moment, the project is closed, but an interesting structure with an equally interesting system of movement on the lunar surface remains. With the help of the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 starter educational set (45544) it is possible to assemble a Selenokhod model, which will move according to the same principle and raise and lower its "head" in the same way.

Collecting the LEGO EV3 Hand Clock

The 45544 LEGO Mindstorms Education EV3 Basic Education Set contains enough gears and other parts to build a clock with hour and minute hands. In addition to accurately displaying the time, the watch beeps every hour.

EV3 Crawler Drive Platform

In the Mindstorms Education EV3 educational set, all robotics education in the classroom is conducted using a drive platform, on a wheel drive. I wanted to make exactly the same platform so that all the sensors could be installed on it in the same way, but only so that it could move with the help of tracks.

It was announced that within the framework of the regional qualifying competitions for the "RoboMir-2014" festival, another new nomination - "Football of robots" was held. Therefore, we are opening on our blog a new series of articles dedicated to these competitions.

So, a little background ... The largest event today where robots compete in football is RoboCup (from the English. "Robot Soccer World Cup" - Robot Football Championship), which has been held annually since 1993. The official goal of the project is the prospect of creating humanoid robot football players by the middle of the 21st century, capable of winning a football match against humans according to FIFA rules. One of the nominations for this large-scale event isRoboCup Junior Australia (RCJA) GEN II Robot Soccer - then What interests us, fans of building robots from Lego Mindstorms, most of all.

In addition to RoboCup, robo-football is played according to the same rules at World Robot Olympiad, where our compatriots have achieved high results in recent years and even took 1st place in the senior age category at the 2012 Olympics in Malaysia.
It should be noted that the competitions of robotic football players always arouse particular interest at any events where they are held and are never ignored by the audience. After all, who will be uninteresting to observe the work of the real artificial intelligence in action!

Now for the attention of all interested! What does it take to take part in this kind of competition?

First, the Lego Mindstorms construction set of any generation: RCX, NXT or EV3. The set of parts is, of course, individual for each robot, but the set of electronic components must necessarily include: a programmable unit and three motors - nowhere without it. Usually, for this kind of competition, the Basic + Resource Lego Mindstorms Education kits are sufficient (each of the generations has such kits).

Secondly, special sensors. To play robotic football, it is MANDATORY to use the Compass sensor and the IR sensor. The rest of the sensors can be used at the discretion of the participants, but it is worth noting that you can only use the sensors officially approved for use in the competitions in which you are going to participate (specify in the rules). Generally, regulations allow for any sensors included in Lego Mindstorms NXT, RCX or EV3 kits, as well as some HiTechic certified products (e.g.NSK1042 - NXT IRSeeker V2,NMC1034 - NXT Compass Sensor).

Third, there is a special playing field and a ball. If everything is more or less clear with the playing field - the rules always indicate in detail the sizes and colors, on the basis of which you can either prepare the field yourself or order it at a furniture factory, then with the ball everything is a little more complicated. The fact is that in order for a robot to play football, it must somehow "see" this ball, otherwise the whole game will turn into random and completely unreasonable movements of models and there is no longer any "artificial intelligence" out of the question. That is why the rules of the competition require participants to use an IR sensor - in order for it to "see" a special