High-Tech LEGO Projects 16 Rule-Breaking Inventions

by Koch, Grady

• ISBN13: 9781718500259
• ISBN10: 1718500254
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2020-11-04
• Publisher: No Starch Press

Summary

A collection of 16 fascinating scientific and technical projects to build with parts from the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics set and other components. A great addition to any STEM curriculum or home library.

High Tech LEGO® hijacks the MINDSTORMS® EV3 revolution, showing you how to build creative technical inventions with practical applications. You'll learn to build a dynamic array of working devices for outdoor research, home security, spycraft, and more.

Among the book's 16 fascinating projects you'll find a motion-activated animal cam, a Morse code transmitter, a laser security fence, a motion-sensing radar detector, an automated insect trapper, and a heat-seeking infrared cannon. Welcome to a whole new world of building!

Every project brings together science, mechanics, electronics, optics, and software to create complex instruments for studying and measuring the world around you, all while maintaining the playfulness of LEGO. Each easy-to-follow model combines illustrated instructions with step-by-step guidance on the engineering methods at play.

As you build, you'll learn:

"Illegal" modding techniques (that may include drilling, cutting and soldering -- Shh!)

Different ways to work with diode laser modules

Tricks for modifying EV3 sensors and motors

The joy of hacking LEGO light bricks to make a flickering fireplace

How to use MINDSTORMS to build your own contraptions!

Experiment on your own, and expand on your finished creations. Make a few adjustments so the Critter Cam triggers an alarm to scare away pests, or modify the Doppler radar to detect flammable gases. The possibilities are endless!

REQUIREMENTS: LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 Home Edition Windows Vista or higher macOS 10.14 or earlier

Author Biography

Grady Koch is the creator of hightechlego.com. He has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, 30 years of experience as a research engineer at NASA Langley Research Center, and three patents in the field of LiDAR for studying the atmosphere. He has written or contributed to over 175 conference and seminar papers, including 13 peer-reviewed journal papers as first author. Throughout his career, Koch has worked with student interns and learned how to bridge the gap between a student's academic instruction and laboratory practice.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Motion-Activated Critter Cam
Chapter 2: The LEGO-Compatible Laser
Chapter 3: The Laser Security Fence
Chapter 4: Morse Code Transmitters
Chapter 5: Infrared Message Transmitters
Chapter 6: The Automatic Insect Trapper
Chapter 7: The Motion-Sensing Radar
Chapter 8: The Tower of Eratosthenes
Chapter 9: Hacking LEGO Light Bricks
Chapter 10: The Flickering Fireplace
Chapter 11: The Laser Light Show
Chapter 12: The Infrared Thermometer and Cannon