NXT IO shield

Wouldn’t it be cool to have a NXT shield that would make a Mini (or other) a drop in replacement for the NXT brick?

  1. Control 3 (or more) motor ports.
  2. Accept 4 sensor ports as in nxt.
  3. Make a kit with battery pack, shield, case, etc.

Allow multiple kits to be stacked to allow more motors and/or sensor ports. The lego parts are pretty good and easy to build robots. Yet the Microframework and c# is the best way to program IMHO. Seems a marriage of the two would be the best of both worlds.

Why make one, just connect FEZ to the brick and control everything that way :wink:

(link removed)

Thank you Gus. AFAICT, BlueTooth is only way to control nxt via api. If you can do everything via usb please let me know. I could not really “know” it out via the nxt api docs and inet forums all seem to suggest BT is the only way. Even if I could control all functions via usb, it is kinda not in the spirit of what I was hoping for:

  1. Still need to lug around the nxt and batteries with the robot.
  2. Another level of indirection in the way. Not really Fezy.
  3. Still limited on the nxt ports. Unless you want some ports or fez and some on nxt.?
  4. Comm delay.

It would seem having direct control of the nxt motors and sensors from Fez ports would be the high-road solution. I may be nuts, but a fez nxt shield and/or extention would seem to be a popular item.

This is what you are looking for

http://www.robotshop.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pc=RB-Min-27

Not true! Have you seen the videos? …well, it is is impossible before FEZ but with our exclusive USB host support then YES YOU CAN :wink:

Thanks Gus. Good to know you can control via usb (no BT). That may be a workaround. I did watch the video of your guy that hooked up a fez and wii remote and looked at the code a bit. Still was not obvious (to me) if he was using usb or BT. If other videos, would love a pointer.

I would still rather eliminate the nxt all together and just code directly with the fez to the nxt sensors/motors and eliminate a bunch of hardware and middle-men. Is there any plans for official stepper motor extentions/driver from fez. I have seen some mixed efforts here, but still seems a bit un-fezy at the moment. Maybe it is already fezzy, and I am just too new and on the steep learning curve. Got the mini-robot yesterday. Love the platform so far! Thanks so much for your good products and vision.

We are glad you love what you have.

An NXT replacement will be a nice device to have