Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor 51515 Review

The new Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor is the replacement for Lego’s best-selling robotics set (the Lego Mindstorms EV3).

Lego hadn’t updated the set for 7 years, we were waiting for Lego Mindstorms EV4 and, the last trimester of 2020, Lego surprised us with Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor 51515 (yes, no Lego Mindstorms EV4).

The new Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor Set is part of a totally updated system and is not compatible with the EV3 system. Is Lego Mindstorms discontinued? Yes, the EV3 model.

Build, code and play! The new Lego Mindstorms gives builders aged 10+ the power to bring designs to life. It’s a great introduction to robotics and programming.

Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor features unique designs that you can use to build robots, and also enable you to perform activities using the Robot Inventor App.

Lego Mindstorms Age Range

Manufacturer recommended age is 10 years and up, boys or girls. Good introduction into robotics and programming.

Lego Mindstorms is an absolutely brilliant kit from Lego that can enjoy your 14 years old teenager or your 9-year-old daughter.

If you have teens who need a challenge, place a Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor in front of him.

If you have a child who is learning Scratch and she enjoys engineering, Lego and robotics, place a Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor in front of her.

What’s inside Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor building set?

With almost 1,000 pieces, including an intelligent Hub, 4 Medium Motors, Colour Sensor and Distance Sensor.

• The new and improved Hub can work autonomously or in streaming mode, it has 5×5 LED matrix display that can be coded to display numbers, emojis or words; it’s lighter than previous models, allowing you to build more intricate, agile creations. It features 6 input /output ports and Bluetooth capability for third-party controller fun.
• Lightweight, long-lasting, rechargeable battery, to help keep your Hub optimized and ready for action.
• The distance sensor uses ultrasonic technology to measure the distance to objects around it with and accuracy of +/- 1 cm.
• Four powerful medium size motors. The motor also acts as a sensor and can report both speed and position in the app with a high level of accuracy.
• Colour sensor is able to distinguish between eight colours.

What other LEGO® sets are recommended to add to Lego Mindstorms?

If you are thinking about any extra gears, spindles, etc that could be needed to allow more builds. The quick answer is that this set is compatible with regular Lego and Lego Technic parts.

The Mindstorms set is primarily Lego Technic bricks, but you can attach any regular Lego to the set as well. But, if you don’t have any other Lego bricks or you don’t want to purchase extra parts, you don’t need any other Lego set in order to build, code and play with Lego Mindstorms.

Mindstorms Gang! 1 set, 5 coding robots

Meet the gang! Get to know the 5 unique characters that make up the Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor 5 in 1 set.

Charlie. Whether it’s giving out high fives, delivering gifts or just flashing a cheeky smile using its customizable LED facial features, there’s no doubt that Charlie is the real charmer of the group.

Tricky. Every friendship group has that one friend who is a sports fanatic. For this team, that friend is Tricky. Rarely seen without a ball, Tricky can be coded to power down the perfect slamp dunk and master a plethora of robots sports.

Blast. Blast is what you might call your ultimate action hero. Standing tall at over 14 inches (36cm), this master robot can punch, hammer and (of course) blast throught obstacles or even pick up them.

Gelo. Who’s a good robot? Gelo is! A classic four-legged companion, Gelo’s unique mechanism means it can walk on a variety of surfaces, sensing and avoiding obstacles in its path.

M.V.P. Last but not least, if you are looking for a robot to get the job done, look not further to the M.V.P. of the team, the Modular Vehicle Platform.

As happens with other sets as Lego Boost or Lego Boost Star Wars you only can bring to life one unique motorized robot or vehicle at a time, you can’t build all five robots at one time. The models share motors, intelligent Hub, sensors and Lego pieces.

If you want to download the pdf building instructions, click the link to find and download the instructions. Also, you can follow the step by step instructions from the App.

By the way, in order to take advantage of the programming, you do need to download the Mindstorms app.

App Lego Mindstorms Inventor

The free Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor coding app for kids includes an interface based on Scratch, digital building instructions, 50+ activities, plus Python support for more advanced coders.

Make your robot walk, talk and do almost anything, with just a few taps on your device. There are 5 options:

• Microsoft Windows
• StoreAmazon App
• StoreiOS App
• StoreGoogle Play
• macOS App Store

To code your robot you’ll need a smart device. SO, before purchasing, make sure it’s compatible with your computer or device. You can find out in the Lego page if your device is compatible. The set for example is not compatible with Chromebooks or Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet.

The Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor app offers the exact same app experience across all platforms and is available in 24 languages and dialects.

Coding Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor

We really like about Lego Mindstorms that your child don’t need any prior knowledge, the app will let you know exactly what to do to start programming the robots!

Kids can start with Scratch-based programming. As in Scratch, the categories are different colours, allowing easy identification. To program the robot, the kid drags coding blocks from the code edge of the window into the program overview section. It’s perfect for beginners!

The programming and debugging processing is quite educational. There are many extensions and experiments your child can do.

If you need any help with Scratch, the Word Block Descriptions for the block language (Scratch) are under Help & Support in the Settings.

With the Lego Mindstorms set, you don’t need to buy a new set when they have outweighed Scratch. With just one click, they can create a new project with Python.

Programming with Python: this coding language is still in beta but works great. With Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor children get to experience real-world applications of Python, which is considered the most common language used to teach computer science at universities.

If you need any help or documentation for Python, there is a Knowledge Base on the side of the screen. Click the book icon to show or hide it.

With so many parts and sensors, the range of possibilities for projects seems endless. Children can build, code and further develop his programming skills, use his creativity and enjoy results.

Motors allow movement, in addition to the possibility of creating many types of vehicles and robotic inventions.

Sensors expand possibilities: for beginners, with the colour sensor you could do follow a line; with the touch you could know when the robot collides with something … And the intelligent Hub allows to program all the interactions.

Build, Code and Play: more projects from Mindstorms Community

There is a community section where fans are sharing projects. We really like it because these are really cool and detailed projects, with the build and code explanations. These projects can be renamed, saved and shared.

As you build these robots, you’ll learn how to use the Lego Mindstorms App, based on the Scratch 3.0 programming language.

Also, you can find more Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor projects in this Youtube channel.

Printed building instructions Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor

This set features Digital Building Instructions. Now it’s easy to follow the steps on your mobile device or download a PDF of the printed building guide.

Click the Building Instructions link to find and download the instructions.

Lego Mindstorms Home and Education

We are very happy that there’s just one version of Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor. Same version for schools and home: Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor 51515.

Lego Education announced retirement plans for the Lego Mindstorms EV3 Education robotics system during last semester 2020. Similar happened with Lego Wedo 2.0 during 2021.

Lego Education alternative to Mindstorms are Lego Spike Essential (children up to 10) or Lego Spike Prime (children 10+).

Conclusion

If your child is interested in building robotics models and learning programming (Scratch and Python), this set is one of the best options on the market right now.

Pros

• The set is a great way to enter the world of robotics—no previous programming experience necessary!
• Recommended for kids, teens and Lego enthusiasts.
• Endless activities and extra projects within the app and from the community.
• It is a great set for helping children develop STEM skills in a fun and exciting way at home.
• It’s easy to evolve from Scratch to Python.
• It’s Lego! Compatible with Lego and Technic bricks.

Cons

• No printed documentation in the retail box.
• There are more affordable robotics kits and robots that will allow your kids to discover robotics and programming.
• Sensor and motor cords are not removable from the respective modules so if they break the cost of replacement is the cost of the sensor or motor.
• App to Hub through WiFi/Bluetooth connections sometimes is difficult.

Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor

For the general public, EV3 has been surpassed by Robot Inventor 51515. Yes, you can find an incredible EV3 discount or sale, but it’s much better to invest in the new Lego Robot Inventor.

If you calculate the hours of fun /learning for every $ invested, there is no other set as Robot Inventor.

Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor stimulates middle and high schoolers‘ interest in STEAM subjects.

Buying Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor building set

The recommended price for Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor is $359.99. We think during the following days we will see a huge Lego Mindstorms Sale!

Why is Lego so expensive? Lego is more expensive than its direct competitors, because quality is higher, not only the hardware but also the software and apps.

The Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor kit is the best way to teach kids at home how to build and program robots.

Lego Mindstorms or Lego Boost

For fans of Lego Boost and kids who love Lego building and playing with robots, Mindstorms Robot Inventor is a great next step.

It’s also a cool gift for 10-year-olds and up, be it a birthday, holiday or any other occasion.

Books about Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor

Books recommendations that could be used for education or for fun. Recommended to parents, robotics teachers, and Lego enthusiasts. With these books, your child/teen (or yourself) can continue playing with Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor set and:

• Gain confidence in building robots using creative designs.
• Learn advanced robotic features and find out how to integrate them to build a robot.

We have affiliates links in our site. Some links on this article may earn a commission for us if you make a purchase of a product or service.