Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!spool.mu.edu!olivea!apple.com!goofy.apple.com!mumbo.apple.com!gallant.apple.com!kip-103.apple.com!user
From: dkj@apple.com (Dave Johnson)
Subject: Lego Technic recommendations?
Sender: news@gallant.apple.com
Message-ID: <dkj-280993101117@kip-103.apple.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 18:11:17 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc.
Followup-To: comp.robotics
Lines: 24

(Posted to both comp.robotics and alt.toys.lego)

I'm thinking of investing in some Lego Technic, and have stared longingly
at the sets available at my local Toys 'r Us, trying to decide which are
the best deal, most "general", and so on. The only time I played with this
stuff before was at the last Artificial Life conference, and they had huge
quantities of it (thanks to the MIT folks), so that almost any part you
needed you could just look through the pile for. It was GREAT, but I didn't
get any sense of which pieces were the most "valuable," since I could just
reach for whatever I needed.

I mostly want to build small, powered vehicles of various sorts (at least
at the beginning), so a nice gear selection is probably necessary, and
wheels and motors (at least 2). I'll need some big "basic" set too, I
guess, for structural purposes.

Suggestions? Should I just buy the biggest universal set I can afford? Or
the smaller individual ones, a few at a time, focusing on particular parts?

comp.robotics folks: Is there a FAQ for the MIT-designed controller boards,
by the way (like at ALife), or a server I can get info from? Someday soon I
might have to break down and build one...

Dave Johnson
