Lego Boost Übertopic

[mahjqa]

So, my set came in today.

If you're unclear of what it is, check Sariel's preliminary vid here: 

So far I built the cat, and I'm very impressed by the solidity of the system. The programming interface is simple but powerful, and communicates everything clearly without words. The commands are simplified for the official builds, so instead of manually programming 

[rotate motor B clockwise for one second, then anticlockwise for one second, repeat 4 times]

you get a command block that says

[cat wags tail]

Of course, once you get into working with your own models, there's an option of dealing with motor speed, direction, rotation sensors and everything directly.

First impressions:

The models are well thought out, and due to smart color selection parts are easy to find, yet have a coherent colorscheme. Parts selection is superb, design of the app is pleasant and clear.

Only 6 penlites, and no way to power models with an external powersource? That's going to take either a whole lot of batteries, or buying some rechargeables. 

Powering the unit off to save on batteries means holding the power button for 10+ seconds, and even then it can be unclear wether the unit is really off. 

The electronics provided should bring ample functionality. (internal tilt sensor, external light/distance sensor, two internal motors and one external motor).

So, if you have any questions, I might be able to answer them.

 

[NathanR]

Sounds like fun, and definitely a set I'd love to play with.  I heard about the "3D Printer" model, that alone would make me want to buy the set.

Are instructions for the models available online, or only through the app?  Also, can you use a phone or a laptop to run the programming app, or does it have to be a tablet?

[mahjqa]

Some instructions are online here: http://robotics.benedettelli.com/lego-boost-17101-building-instructions/ (The 3D printer/factory model is there, though). As far as I know, the app only runs on tablets, no computers or cell phones. 

That is until the coders get their hands on it, of course.   (Seeing how many people still prefer studded construction to the studless stuff, this should be right up their alley).

[Bostons Brick Closet]

I think that for MOC builders the Included motors in the command brick will make it hard to integrate into their models. Furthermore the programming is probably not very powerful, like the tablet Mindstorms programming app.

[RohanBeckett]

Not sure why a MOC builder couldn't use this in their model... 2 internal motors are perfect for tanks... or driving two rear wheels.. and the 3rd for steering

 

Also remember that the Boost brick/hub is useless without a tablet... unlike mindstorms, NO programming is stored inside the brick, that can run independently later... the code/program stays on the tablet, and each command is sent via Bluetooth at runtime

It's not a Mindstorms replacement... but it's a great introduction to programming for kids, who are a bit too young for mindstorms.

I believe the app is only available for tablets, not phones.. and there is no PC/Mac version at all..

I think this is a design choice by Lego, as the Wedo2 Educational pack (which is VERY similar to boost) has software that runs on Windows

Probably due to the fact that most households these days, that have a device for their children, will have a tablet, rather than a laptop

[Bostons Brick Closet]

Yes I guess in some applications it could be used but there is not nearly as much flexibility as detached motors.

[skppo]

I don't understand why do we need both this and WeDo.

[mahjqa]

To those who are wondering about the capabilities of the programming environment, I tried to illustrate some bogus programs: 

So you get your loops, if->then statements, mathematical operations, access to sensor data and dog knows what else. To clear screen space, programs can be "wrapped up", as in: multiple screens full of instructions can be represented by a single operation square onscreen. 

Sure, you're not going to build the large hadron collider with this thing. However, this still seems like ample functionality to me, and that's just after playing around with this for 5 minutes. 

Some more pictures of programming blocks: (Not really sure what all of them do; there's no text, and my batteries gave out)

[RohanBeckett]

Wedo is aimed at educational markets.. like all previous Dacta/Lego Educational kits, it's targeted *very much* towards the classroom, with Teacher guides, Lesson plans, etc... and while the Wedo models are fun, they are a lot less complex than any of the Boost models, as they are designed to fit within a 1-1.5hr classroom lesson.

Boost on the other hand, while much the same concept is definitely aimed at the general consumer/households..

and while I think the main brick *could* have been a bit smaller.. 2 independant motors onboard is pretty nifty..

would be nice if they bring out different sensors in the future - some sort of expansion pack...

[skppo]

It seems like Boost and WeDo 2.0 use the same type of connector, is this correct?

If so, are the "dumb" electronic elements compatible? This would make it a bit more sensible.

I get that they are aimed at different markets but surely they could be made with the same system with distinct branding and slightly changed element selection.

Still annoying that currently in the realm of Lego electronics we have at least 3 different directly incompatible systems: PF, WeDo 2.0 (Boost?) and Ev3.

[RohanBeckett]

Reading between the lines, I reckon the external boost motor has a way of working in reverse - you can turn the motor, and use it as a control-dial

[Captainowie]

On 7/30/2017 at 3:49 PM, mahjqa said:

However, this still seems like ample functionality to me, and that's just after playing around with this for 5 minutes. 
 

It's Turing Complete - what more could anyone want? :-)

[JimDude]

OK, dumb question time: on the official lego page about this model, it only mentions an app to control the robot. Does this mean that PC-control is out of the question?

[mahjqa]

Indeed.I'm sure that in time we'll have third-party solutions, but as far as I know Lego themselves have no intentions of releasing software for PC or Mac.

[NathanR]

Everything I've seen online (Sariel's reviews, the lego website) suggests that you need to have a tablet to get the instructions and do the programming, there's no reference anywhere about a laptop/desktop/normal computer setup working.  Which is really annoying for me as I'd love to play with this, but I can't because (as with Lego Dimensions) I don't have the right devices to use it.

[Sariel]

Yes, you need a tablet, just as stated on the box. More of my Boost reviews:

 

 

Edited October 25, 2017 by Sariel

[JimDude]

Hmz... both the answer I was expecting as well as the answer I was fearing :).

Edited October 25, 2017 by JimDude

[MajorAlvega]

On 24/10/2017 at 9:08 PM, NathanR said:

Everything I've seen online (Sariel's reviews, the lego website) suggests that you need to have a tablet to get the instructions and do the programming, there's no reference anywhere about a laptop/desktop/normal computer setup working.  Which is really annoying for me as I'd love to play with this, but I can't because (as with Lego Dimensions) I don't have the right devices to use it.

You can use Scratch with BOOST. You need a computer with a custom USB dongle, the BLED112, or a Chromebook. And S2Bot:
http://www.picaxe.com/LEGO-Boost/

Scratch is visually similar to the LEGO BOOST App (both concepts were born at MIT).

And if you are the geek type, you can use some of the projects that have born after we started to reverse engineering the BOOST:
https://github.com/JorgePe/BOOSTreveng

Side note: you can also use the LEGO Dimensions without a "computer". Just not with the LEGO game :)