Subject:
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Re: Future Mindstorm Releases?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Wed, 1 Sep 2004 02:37:26 GMT
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Viewed:
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1250 times
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In lugnet.robotics, John Barnes wrote:
> In lugnet.robotics, Steve Hassenplug wrote:
> > LEGO, like the educational market, moves very slow. There is too much $ in the
> > edcuational market to just drop the line.
>
> My take on what I have seen and heard is;
>
> Mindstorms is not dead, as Jake confirmed at BrickFest.
>
> I suspect that the legacy of RIS compatibilty will force RIS 3.0, if that is
> what its to be called, to be an enhancement of RIS 1.0/1.5/2.0. I doubt they'll
> do much to invalidate investment in existing RCX bricks.
The one thing that makes me wonder about this is their consistent release of new
products that AREN'T RCX bricks. Scouts, Spybots, that silly 'record&playback'
brick, etc.
The amount of R&D (especially the $$$) that went into these SHOULD have gone
into something that was an enhancement of their existing RCX. Point: I wouldn't
bet that they don't release something totally different. It's silly, but that
seems to be their way of doing things.
Here's an interesting question: how many years do you think that the current RCX
still has as a viable toy/FLL enabler? RIS 1.0 came out in 1998, I think.
Granted the educational market moves slowly, but how many years can they expect
will pass before someone else (Megablocks? K'NEX? Erector? Rokenbok?
Fischertechnik? Heck, even Zoob?) releases something that is so far advanced
beyond LEGO's old technology, that everyone drops the RCX and adopts the new
system? If LEGO staunchly sticks with the RCX, it's going to happen eventually.
Certainly I can't see the RCX still being viable in 20 years. Even 10 would be a
great stretch. How long do you think it has left if they don't enhance it?
Robotics is a rapidly growing field. As computers were 25 years ago. Schools
bought lots of Commodore PETs in those days. But no school has them today. The
world has moved on. I would be disappointed if the world moved on, and the RCX
didn't.
> What I do think may happen is you'll see a few more sensor types. I think the
> light sensor and rotation sensor may be joined by a couple of additional devices
> in 3.0. The single biggest difficulty in executing the kinds of challenges that
> the FLL guys do is being able to truely "sense" the arena. The RIS limitations
> are contrary to real engineering and science and I think budding young engineers
> and scientists need to have a little more flexibility.
>
> And more sensor types are an easier financial upgrade to the existing customer
> base. And its the single most popular aftermarket offering I've seen for
> Mindstorms so far. I think TLC takes note of these kinds of things.
I agree that the biggest problem with the RCX is sensing your environment and
having a sense of 'where you are'. I hope that's something they address, and
would be very pleased to throw money at new sensors that they provide. But I
hope that whatever they are (and I have a lot of wishes/ideas!) they are
better-designed sensors that their original set. (light, touch & rotation -- all
have problems). Hmm. Seems I know someone who designs wonderful 3rd party
sensors. Mass produced they shouldn't cost more than the current set. Too bad
they won't talk to him.
> That's my two pence worth
>
> JB
And worth every penny. Er, ... um...
--
David Schilling
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Future Mindstorm Releases?
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| (...) My take on what I have seen and heard is; Mindstorms is not dead, as Jake confirmed at BrickFest. I suspect that the legacy of RIS compatibilty will force RIS 3.0, if that is what its to be called, to be an enhancement of RIS 1.0/1.5/2.0. I (...) (20 years ago, 1-Sep-04, to lugnet.robotics)
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