NXT Robot Projects

STEM with Vernier^® and LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® NXT Lab Book

14 ready-to-use lab activities and 4 design-and-build robotics projects. Learn more »

STEM 2 with Vernier^® and LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® NXT Lab Book

12 ready-to-use lab activities and 8 design-and-build robotics projects. Learn more »

NXT Robot Projects with Vernier Sensors

Here are several videos of the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT projects we have done. We created the Vernier Sensor Block for the MINDSTORMS NXT software for use with our sensors and the Vernier NXT Sensor Adapter.

Choose a project for a full description, view demo movie, and download available source code from our engineering site.

Project Movies from STEM Books

• NXT Acidity Tester

  Use a Vernier pH Sensor and a Vernier NXT Sensor Adapter with the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system to test the acidity of a liquid.

• NXT Aquarium Monitor

  Use multiple Vernier sensors and Vernier NXT Sensor Adapters with the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system to take detailed readings from an aquarium.

• NXT Audio Assistant

  In this project, you will design and build a robotic device to give an auditory indicator of the force being exerted on a Vernier Dual-Range Force Sensor.

• NXT Battery Tester

  In this project, you will design and build a device for testing the usability of a AA battery. Your device should be able to detect the presence of a battery, measure its voltage with a Vernier Differential Voltage Probe, and give an audio indicator of the battery status.

• NXT Cartesian Diver

  In this project, you will design and build a stationary air-pumping station for a Cartesian diver apparatus.

• NXT Magnet Finder

  In this project, you will design and build a mobile robot for pinpointing the location of a hidden magnet.

• NXT Migrating Robot

  In this project, you will design and build a mobile robot to replicate a migrating animal. Your robot should be able to start from any initial position, rotate around to orient itself in a northward-facing direction, and then move forward for approximately one meter.

• NXT Mine Sweeper

  In this project, you will design and build a mobile robot to replicate the behavior of a military device searching for landmines.

• NXT Plant Waterer

  Use a Vernier Soil Moisture Sensor and a Vernier NXT Sensor Adapter with the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system to test and adjust the moisture level of plant's soil.

• NXT Solar Tracker

  In this project, you will design and build a rotating solar tracker.

• NXT String Tension Tester

  In this project, your challenge is to build a robotic device to test the tension strength of string, fishing line, and/or sewing thread.

Older Project Movies

• Acidity Tester

  We built a robot to sort a set of beakers into "acidic" and "safe" liquids.

• Air Compressor

  We built a pneumatic pump and switch.

• Balancer

  We built a device to automatically balance a horizontal beam as weights are added to either end.

• Battery Tester

  We built a device to test the current flow through a battery as it lights up a lamp.

• Blind Student Assistant

  We used LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT to create two programs that could be very useful to a blind student in a science course. The program speaks Vernier sensor readings or makes a tone with a frequency proportional to the sensor reading.

• Compass

  We built a robot to detect the earth's magnetic field and head true north or south.

• LEGO Chemistry

  We built a device to add a dry chemical to a liquid, shake the solution, and then measure the temperature.

• Leveler

  We built a robot to carry a cup of water up and down hills without spilling it.

• Magnet Finder

  We built a robot to detect a magnet hidden under one of three walnut shells.

• NXT Golf

  We wanted to show the science behind the popular computer games which use wireless sensors to sense motion. We used a Vernier Low-g Accelerometer and a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT connected over Bluetooth to a computer running LabVIEW.

• NXT Ice Skater

  Our ice skater simulates the change in rotational speed when ice skaters extend or tuck in their arms.

• Pit Viper

  We made a snake robot that uses two surface temperature sensors to detect its prey.

• Remote Data Collection Over Bluetooth

  We've developed a LabVIEW VI that is designed to receive and save four channels of data from your NXT unit via a Bluetooth link.

• Salinity Adjuster

  We built a device to increase the salt content of a solution.

• Tea Maker

  We decided to build a robot that simplifies the tea brewing process. It does everything short of boiling the water.

NXT Robot Project Ideas

We also have many concepts for robotics projects using our sensors. Feel free to use any of them as a starting point for your explorations.

• Low-g Accelerometer

  Use the accelerometer as a tilt sensor (example 1, example 2), or use it to study acceleration of a robot itself.

• Magnetic Field Sensor

  Build a robot that migrates toward magnetic north (example), or a robot that finds a hidden magnet (example).

• Surface Temperature Sensor

  Have a robot explore a room and look for warm and cool spots. Have a robot detect a warm object by its heat, as some snakes can do (example).

• Dual-Range Force Sensor

  Measure the force or torque that a robot can produce, measure mechanical advantage of gear and pulley systems, measure friction force as a robot pulls an object.

• Gas Pressure Sensor

  Build an air compressor (example).

• pH Sensor

  Make a robot which sticks the probe in a glass and yells if it finds an acid (example), or test aquarium conditions.

• Stainless Steel Temperature Probe

  Monitor the temperature of solutions; make a robot to make a cup of tea and monitor the temperature until it is ready for drinking and then sound an alarm; make an automated system to do temperature measurements (example).

• Soil Moisture Sensor

  Make an automatic plant watering system.

• UVB Sensor

  Study the effectiveness of sunscreens.

• Differential Voltage Probe

  Measure voltage supplied by the NXT batteries, study how batteries hold up under different conditions, study electrochemical cells.

• Current Probe

  Study the current used by the NXT as it runs the motors in various conditions, or test batteries, (example), or test the output of solar cells as they are raised and lowered by the NXT.

• Hand Dynamometer

  Study grip strength of students. One person has made a robot that makes a higher and higher tone as you squeeze harder and if you reach a certain limit, it says ouch!

• Conductivity Probe

  Study concentration of salt solutions or build an automated system to maintain a specific level of conductivity (example). This movie was done with a salinity probe, but the idea is the same.

• Dissolved Oxygen Sensor

  Measure the level of dissolved oxygen in a container of water before and after the robot shakes the container; monitor the status of an aquarium.

• Barometer

  Study air pressure for weather studies, or study small pressure changes cause by the Bernoulli effect.

• Extra Long Temperature Probe

  Make a robot that lowers the probe into a lake slowly to monitor temperature profile of the lake.

• Instrumentation Amplifier

  Measure small voltages (mV).

• 25-g Accelerometer

  Measuring acceleration in collisions between robots, or parts of robots.

• Relative Humidity Sensor

  Use as part of a weather station.

• Light Sensor

  Use to study lighting levels. Even though the NXT comes with a light sensor, this one is very different in two ways. It has a spectral response that approximates the human eye (vs the NXT light sensor, which is more sensitive to infrared light. This sensor has a switch to allow you to select one of three ranges, from the brightest sunlight to dim lighting.)

• O₂ Gas Sensor

  Studying the exhaled breath of a human, or maybe monitoring O2 use in a chemical reaction.

• Salinity Sensor

  Test ocean and estuary samples or build an automated system to maintain a specific level of conductivity (example).

• Sound Level Meter

  Build a robot that decides which group of students is loudest and heads toward them.

• Colorimeter

  Use to do Beer's law experiments on the concentration of a solution.

• Charge Sensor

  Make a robot to move a charged object near the charge sensor and study how the charge measured varies with distance.

• ORP Sensor

  Measure oxidation reduction potential, for example in a swimming pool.

• Force Plate

  Measure force when students jump.

• Flow Rate Sensor

  Measure the flow rate of a stream.

• Electrode Amplifier

  Use with a pH probe that you already own. It has a standard BNC connector.

• Thermocouple

  Measure flame or oven temperatures.

• Turbidity Sensor

  Measure the clarity of water.

• UVA Sensor

  Measure UV produced by lamps.

• Infrared Temperature Sensor

  We normally do not list the infrared temperature sensor as compatible with the NXT, since it will not work at temperatures below about 22°C, but can be used as long as you work with objects warmer than normal room temperature. For example, you could make a robot that rotates the sensor around and finds the warmest object.