Go Beyond the Instructions

EV3Lessons.com

Educational Website

EV3Lessons.com is a global coopertition website that involves over two dozen FIRST teams and other individuals. Here, MINDSTORMS EV3 users collaborate and share programming lessons and other resources. This site is used by over 160,000+ users in 175 countries. In addition, our lessons and designs are used in schools. Our curriculum will be also used by an additional 20,000 students in the state of Washington because of our partnership with STEMRobotics. We have collaborated with others to translate the lessons into other languages including Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew, etc. so we can reach the greatest number of students. Our curriculum is used by FLL teams, technology teachers, Boy Scouts, robotics clubs and more.

In addition, we have lots of resources for FLL teams including an Interactive Strategy Planner, a Trash Trek Scorer, Coach's Corner articles and lots of Core Value Activities.

Want to learn more? Visit our website EV3Lessons.com.

• Launch Date: September 2014
• Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

PIX3L PLOTT3R Original

A Pixel Plotting Robot

PIX3L PLOTT3R is a LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Robot. The first version of this plotter involves challenging software installation and programming. The robot is programmed using ev3dev and Python. Everything is made of LEGO except the paper and the pen! You can use this robot to print any image: photos, drawings, logos, etc. You can watch this fun robot in action on YouTube. There are alternative versions programmed in EV3-G. This robot (and its variants) has been featured at World Maker Faire (New York), Innovation Farie (St.Louis), and Pittsburgh Maker Faire.

You can download build instructions and code samples for some of the versions of this project from our github site here.

• Launch Date: February 2016
• Level: Advanced

M3LODY MAK3R

A Music Robot

This is an EV3 robot that combines art, music and robotics. It is designed for elementary schools. Student color in a strip of paper based on a key. The strip is fed into the paper feeder on the robot. The color sensor reads the colored strip and generates musical notes. You can watch this fun robot in action on here.

You can download the build instructions on our github page here

• Launch Date: March 2016
• Level: Beginner-Intermediate

DAL3K

A Fictional Character Robot

A Dalek is a character from the Doctor Who TV show. This is our version of a DAL3K built using LEGO and LEGO MINDSTORMS. It requires daisy chaining multiple EV3 bricks. This is a work in progress.

You can follow DAL3K's progress on DAL3K's Facebook page.

• Launch Date: January 2015
• Level: Intermediate

BATT3RY SORT3R

A Battery Recycling Robot

This robot was featured in the LEGO "Play to Protoype" video on YouTube. It was also featured as part of LEGO's "Innovation at Play" campaign on the LEGO website. This version of the robot uses the EV3 color sensor to detect and sort batteries.

Videos and photos of this robot will be added here soon.

• Launch Date: September 2015
• Level: Intermediate-Advanced

DROID BOT

Educational Robots

DroidBot robots are designed to fill a need - sturdy educational robots that have all the motors and sensors on them in the beginning in good locations for teaching an entire set of beginner lessons.

EV3 users who purchase the retail set 31313 are not provided with any designs that are meant for teaching. FLL teams and casual users wants to learn to program using the EV3. But none of the 31313 designs have sensors and motors in optimal locations for teaching. DroidBot JR is designed as an educational robot for the 31313 set. It is compact, uses minimal parts, has a shielded color sensor and features a handle.

DroidBot 2.0 is the second generation of DroidBot designs (using parts from the Edu Set + 1 color sensor) for educational purposes. It was designed to go along with the lessons on EV3Lessons.com. It also features SNAP attachments that are easy to put on and take off. It has been used by numerous organizations to teach robotics including the Girls of Steel (Pennsylvania), Hackground (Maryland) and numerous FLL teams around the world as a base robot design.

DroidBot and DroidBot JR were used in classes and by robotics teams all around the world in 2014, 2015 and 2016..

• Launch Date: September 2014
• Level: All

HOUR OF EV3

Curriclum

Learning to program is an important skill. We wrote curriculum using the EV3 Retail Set (31313) model and ran two Hour of EV3 sessions during the week of Hour of Code.

Download lessons for the Hour of EV3 here: Hour of EV3 Lessons Plans.

Read an article about the first Hour of EV3 here: The NXT Step.

• Launch Date: December 2015
• Level: Beginner

PHOTO BOOTH

Raspberry Pi Interface

A Linux-compatible camera is connected to a Raspberry Pi touch screen. A custom user inteface allows the person to take a photograph.

Watch a video of how it works on this YouTube video The Photo Booth. This project was updated in July 2016 with new features. You can the latest video PIX3L PLOTT3R Photo Booth.

• Launch Date: March 2016
• Level: Advanced

BATT3RY SORT3R

A Battery Recycling Robot

This robot uses a PixyCMUCam5. Here is a video of the BATT3RY SORT3R protoype that we discussed on the Education Panel of International ROBOT MAK3R Day YouTube Video

• Launch Date: June 2016
• Level: Intermediate-Advanced

MAPP3R

Mapping Robot

This robot uses its ultrasonic sensor to to map the environment. If obstacles are detected (e.g. space trash), the robot goes around the obstacle. It also sends this map to another robot via bluetooth. The second robot can choose the clear path using this map. Video of robot in action.

• Launch Date: August 2015
• Level: Advanced

#FOLLOWMYDUCK HUNT

Game

This is a game. Each player gets 10 tries to shoot the duck. The ducks spin at a faster rate each level and also change directions. The EV3 records the number of hits as well as the hit rate and displays it on the screen.Video of the duck game in action.

• Launch Date: April 2016
• Level: Beginner

EV3 SAT3LLIT3

Multi-Platform

This robot travels back and forth. Two touch sensors detect when it gets to either end and the robot moves in the opposite direction once touched. A Raspberry Pi with camera mounted on the satellite takes video of the area below the satellite. In the original version of this robot, the video was projected on a large screen. The satellite also had an infrared beacon on it. This allowed another EV3 robot (a satellite dish) to follow the satellite. This robot had to be taken apart. The rebuild was made using an NXT instead. The video from the camera is sent to an Android phone. Version 2.0 YouTube Video.

• Launch Date: June 2015
• Level: Intermediate-Advanced

EV3 M3MORY GAM3

EV3 Robot

This robot is based on the popular children's memory game. It uses two EV3 bricks in Daisy Chain mode. The goal is for the player to remember where the tiles (matching LEGO elements) are. The entire game panel can be removed and replaced with a different set of elements to increase the playability of the game. Video.

• Launch Date: July 2016
• Level: Intermediate-Advanced

ARCADE

Raspberry Pi

This is a cardboard box arcade machine powered by a Raspberry Pi. The project was updated in 2017.
2016 YouTube Video.
2017 YouTube Video.

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Launch Date: May 2016

Level: Intermediate-Advanced

Close Project

VIDEO CONTROLLER

Raspberry Pi

A Raspberry Pi controlled what video was played on a screen. Video Coming Soon.

SIMON GAME

EV3 Robot

This is a EV3 version of the popular game called Simon. The idea is that the player has to match the pattern shown. We made two versions. One uses the EV3 with color sensors. YouTube Video Coming Soon . The second uses Mindsensor's PSP-Nx Controller. YouTube Video Coming Soon

• Launch Date: June 2016
• Level: Intermediate-Advanced

VOT3R BOOTH

EV3 Robot

This is a voting booth robot. You can customize it to collect any type of votes you want - favorite icecream, Presidential candidates, etc. YouTube Video

• Launch Date: September 2016
• Level: Intermediate-Advanced

D3SKTOP FAN

EV3 Robot

This is desktop fan inspired by the #LEGOWallOfFans project. The fan features three modes of operation: Basic, Ossicallate, and Seek . YouTube Video Coming Soon. The Code can be downloaded here.

• Launch Date: October 2016
• Level: Intermediate

JAVI3R

EV3 Robot

This is a companion robot that plays games, identifies objects, and even referees games. JAVI3R includes and Raspberry Pi and screen. YouTube Video of JAVIER. YouTube Video of JAVIER as a Referee.

• Launch Date: November 2016
• Level: Intermediate

Holiday Card Plotter

EV3 Robot

This is a 3D Printer inspired by our ALUNAR iPRUSA Clone. The robot accepts any G-code and converts it into an rtf file that is readable by the EV3. The EV3 then uses EV3-G to print the item. YouTube Video. This robot was featured in Forbes, Popular Mechanics, Gizmodo and more. Sample articles: Popular Mechanics, The Verge

• Launch Date: December 2016
• Level: Advanced

SCRIB3

EV3 Robot

This is a one kit Pix3l Plott3r. Build instructions and code are provided. YouTube Video of SCRIB3. Code and Build Instructions to download.

• Launch Date: January 2017
• Level: Intermediate

EV3D Pi.G Print3r

EV3 Robot

This is a 3D Printer inspired by our ALUNAR iPRUSA Clone. The robot accepts any G-code and converts it into an rtf file that is readable by the EV3. The EV3 then uses EV3-G to print the item. YouTube Video. To see other EV3D Printers, visit this Facebook Page

• Launch Date: April 2017
• Level: Advanced

COLOR CATCH3R

EV3 Robot

This is a game made for two teams of players. The object of the game is to be the first to "collect" the colors indicated. A referee EV3 randomly generates the colors and also keeps scores. The players are controlled via Infrared beacon (but could be controlled with a remote-control EV3 if you have enough bricks). They each have a color sensor to identify the colored tiles. The game also interacts with a Raspberry Pi which provides a large and colorful screen that indicates next color in the game, displays the current score and announces the winner of the match. This game will be featured at FIRST Innovation Faire in St.Louis, MO in April 2017. YouTube Video of the basic game . Video of game with JAVi3R the Referee.

• Launch Date: March 2017
• Level: Advanced

Hungry Hungry HAR3S

EV3 Robot

This is a fun Spring-themed robot that involves two hares collecting their eggs. YouTube Video.

• Launch Date: April 2017
• Level: Advanced

PIX3L Pi

EV3 Robot

This is a version of Pix3l Plott3r that uses a Raspbery Pi and a BrickPi with EV3 sensors and motors. YouTube Video.

• Launch Date: April 2017
• Level: Advanced

EV3RFIDGET

EV3 Robot

EV3RFIDGET is the nickname for the LEGO Fidget Spinner Speed Counter that appeared on LEGO MINDSTORMS , & LEGO Global on June 16, 2017, and LEGO YouTube Channel on June 27, 2017.

Components: The robot uses 1 EV3 brick, 1 Color Sensor, 1 LEGO Electric Light, and 1 touch sensor. Note, to use the light, you will also been a Converter Cable for MINDSTORMS . The brick screen provides the user with instructions. The touch sensor activates the system. It can be replaced with brick buttons. The main components of the machine are the Color Sensor and LEGO Light.

Objectives: The robot calculates the RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) of a LEGO Fidget Spinner. The biggest challenge for this project was to figure out how to calculate the RPM with MINDSTORMS elements. The solution was to use the color sensor in Ambient Light Mode (ALM). The ALM was used since it was less affected by the color of the Fidget Spinner itself and the range of values was greater.

How it Works: The Ambient Light Mode reads the light from the LEGO light. When the arms of the Fidget Spinner cover up the light, you see a noticeable difference in the readings. In the video, you notice that there is a beep heard. We only keep track of the first 3 seconds after the spin since the fidget spinner will slow down. The rest is just math.


Here are instructions for how to build the Fidget Spinners used in the model. The main component of the design is the Triple Technic Axle and Pin Connectors.

• Launch Date: June 2017
• Level: Intermediate

DOODL3R

EV3 Robot

The DOODL3R is a pattern drawing robot that lets the user print many different designs. The user selects which pattern they want for the the inner and outer design. The print head is based on Pix3l Plott3r. You can see the robot in action here. It uses two fine line markers for printing the design.

Equipment: 1 EV3 Brick, 2 Large Motors (for the platform and lifting the pens), 2 Medium Motors (for the pens), gear racks and turntable type 2 (LEGO Part No. 48168). The platform uses "banana" Technic gears (LEGO Part no. 24121).

• Launch Date: June 2017
• Level: Intermediate

PIX3L PLOTT3R LEGO PEN

EV3 Robot

This version of PIX3L PLOTT3R features 2 LEGO Markers. The most recent version is programmed in EV3-G. A Raspberry Pi can be connected to the plotter which creates both a user inferface as well as the ability to photograph and print visitors. You can watch a video of first time we made the two LEGO marker version here. Note that in this video, the plotter is programmed in Python. Our newest version of the same plotter is programmed in EV3-G. Newer video coming soon.

• Launch Date: September 2016
• Level: Advanced