Programming your LEGO Trains!

[JopieK]

Hi guys and gals, 

https://www.cnet.com/news/lego-powered-up-line-of-programmable-toys-builds-on-boost/

This means that we can now also program our trains: this is supported by Xcode / Swift Playgrounds! For me as an Apple Certified Trainer it also might mean that I can finally tax deduct my LEGO trains haha ;).

I did program my trains already but needed Arduino and 'hack' at least part of it (I mean use a not fully puristic solution). From now on we can also do it the LEGO way. Of course it will also work with Android but even with Kotlin, programming it would be much more difficult.  

[Hod Carrier]

Thanks for the link. That article is nicely vague when it comes to trains, though. We've had the ability to remotely control trains for years, so adding the app doesn't really advance us very far (unless I've misunderstood).

I wonder if this means Boost will get some additional functionality and/or sensors to help with building programmable models.

[dr_spock]

Yay, tax deductions.

Unfortunately, people with older devices running old iOS or Android versions are SOL.

 

 

[brickbuilder711]

On 5/18/2018 at 6:14 PM, dr_spock said:

Yay, tax deductions.

Unfortunately, people with older devices running old iOS or Android versions are SOL.

 

 

Yes, but if anyone bought a new iPhone within, say, the last three years they should be in good shape. As for Androids I believe the same goes for them. Considering how we're in iOS11 today and it's been one every year. 

I am interested in following this development. It should procure a lot of creativity from AFOL at future events.

[JopieK]

@dr_spock: The Powered Up App works on phones and tablets running iOS 8.0 and up or Android 5.0 and up. For iOS users it is very rare to find devices < iOS 8 (iOS 8 is compatible with iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display). I think BLE is a bigger issue, older devices don't have it, these iOS 8 compatible devices support BLE, so that might be a bigger deal. I don't know that for Android, but might be the same reason.

[Man with a hat]

hmm, interesting.

I guess we will have to wait a little while before we can see the possibilities, but there might be a lot of potential, especially for the purists here.