Guide Note

LEGO Mindstorms are toys that allow users to construct programmable automatons from LEGO bricks. They are both recreational and educational. They are used in FIRST Lego League robotics competitions.

Fast Facts

1. Debut: 1998
2. Originally: "Robotics Invention System"
3. Currently: "LEGO Mindstorms NXT"
4. NXT introduced: 2006
5. Educational partner: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6. GUI developer: Tufts University

A younger division of the FIRST Robotics competition, the FIRST Lego League allows elementary and junior high school students to compete against each other. Each team designs and builds LEGO robots to complete specific tasks, using LEGO Mindstorm kits.

1. Head office: Billund, Denmark
2. LEGO = Danish phrase "leg godt," or "play well"
3. Founder: Ole Kirk Christiansen
4. Founded: 1932
5. Motto: "Only the best is good enough"
6. 1st LEGO bricks made in 1949
7. Originally called "Automatic Binding Bricks"
8. Current CEO: Jørgen Vig Knudstorp
9. Current owner: Kjeld Kir Kristiansen
10. Theme parks: Four

LEGO founder Ole Kirk Christiansen began as a carpenter, but moved into toymaking in 1932. In 1934 he christened his company LEGO. They began working with types of interlocking plastic bricks in 1949, but did not hit on the current design until 1958. The product line has since been extended, with action figures, themed sets, electronic and computer programmable elements and tie-ins to media properties.

1. LEGO bricks
2. LEGO Technic
3. LEGO Duplo: for younger children
4. LEGO Primo: for toddlers
5. LEGO Mindstorms: Programmable LEGOs