National Instruments Unveils NI LabVIEW
for LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Robotics
NI and LEGO Education Make Industry-Grade Software Available
for High School Classrooms
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NEWS RELEASE April 26, 2011 National Instruments today
introduced LabVIEW for
LEGO MINDSTORMS, a new education-focused version of the
companys professional LabVIEW graphical system design
software. Developed specifically for secondary school students to
use with the LEGO Education robotics platform in classrooms or
competitions, LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS is a teaching tool that
helps students visually control and program MINDSTORMS NXT robots,
while learning the same software used by scientists and engineers.
The high-school-focused programming environment joins the already
successful line of LEGO Education robotics platforms, which
includes LEGO
Education WeDo" software for elementary
students and LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT software
for middle school students.
LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS completes the National Instruments and
LEGO Education robotics for all ages learning platform, said
Stephan Turnipseed, president of LEGO Education North America. We
now can deliver a framework of age-appropriate, hands-on learning
technology and curricula that continuously progress with student
skill level and learning objectives, from elementary all the way
through university.
LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS is optimized for classroom use with
instructional videos, tutorials and teaching resources created
exclusively for high school students and teachers using LEGO
MINDSTORMS Education and TETRIX by Pitsco. It introduces students
to advanced concepts such as autonomous robotics and scientific
measurements using real-world examples and replacing obscure syntax
with an intuitive graphical interface. Because of this, the
software is ideal for teachers seeking to engage students with
technology in a fun, hands-on way.
My students learn better when they learn by doing, said Tim Jump,
director of advanced competitive science at Benilde-St. Margarets
college-preparatory school in St. Louis, Minn. Incorporating the
hands-on learning of LabVIEW and LEGO robotics into my classroom
makes it possible for me to explore and experiment right along with
the students. The platform not only makes learning engineering fun,
but it makes teaching it fun too.
The software also provides consistency for students participating
in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology) extracurricular robotics programs, making it possible
for students to learn robotics using a singular programming
platform across all levels of competition as well as in their
classrooms. This learning continuity helps cultivate valuable
career-ready skills and proficiency with the LabVIEW platform,
which students can use in university and, ultimately, in
industry.
LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS is available for purchase exclusively
through LEGO Education and its authorized resellers. Additionally,
through a new website, K12Lab.com, National Instruments helps
teachers share curriculum materials and connect to a community of
educators and technical advisors.
To learn more about LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS and to share
educational resources, readers can visit www.K12Lab.com.
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