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But that's not EV3?!

If you've been following us on GitHub, you will have seen hundreds of commits since our last update here on Patreon. We're making huge progress with EV3! We should have an early version for beta testing soon.

As we work on EV3, we're pulling along the NXT whenever we can. It has so many similarities, after all. There's ...

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How to change PID values with blocks

Pybricks post How to change PID values with blocks from patreon

The default motor controls work fine for a typical small drivebase. But sometimes you want to spice things up a little, especially if you build a heavy drivebase.

One way to do that is to increase the KP value of the PID controllers. This is quite easy to do in Python, but did you know you can do it with blocks too?

...

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Let's-a-go!

Pybricks post Let's-a-go!  from patreon

Pybricks makes all smart LEGO bricks work together. So we built a 100% LEGO Mario Kart!

We brought this to the Dutch WRO finals last weekend. The kids and their parents had a blast driving Mario and Luigi around all day!

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New chapters out now: Using sensors!

Robots can’t actually see or feel the way humans do, but by adding sensors to them, they can collect and report information about the environment around them. LEGO robots come with a variety of sensors to measure distance, color, light intensity, motion, and applied force.

2025-06-13 12:46:18 +0000 UTC View Post

New chapters out now: Flow Control

Pybricks post New chapters out now: Flow Control from patreon

In practice, robots rarely execute a long, fixed list of actions from start to finish. Robots often need to repeat some actions or decide to skip actions depending on what their sensors see. You control how the code execution flows from top to bottom with View Post

Saving LEGO MINDSTORMS: Status Update!

Pybricks post Saving LEGO MINDSTORMS: Status Update! from patreon

While we've not posted many blog updates recently, we've been working tirelessly on our mission to save LEGO MINDSTORMS with the help of our MINDSTOR...

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Pybricks 3.6 beta out now!

Pybricks post Pybricks 3.6 beta out now! from patreon

I'm excited to share that we just launched the latest version of Pybricks in beta. We'd love to get your feedback. If there are no last-minute issues or bugs, we expect to launch it on the stable channel within a few weeks. If you discover an issue, please let...

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Learning Guide: Robot Navigation

Pybricks post Learning Guide: Robot Navigation from patreon

In between all the technical developments, we gradually keep working on the Pybricks learning guide. I'm excited to share that we've posted an update with a new chapter. Starting with the basics, we cover the essentials of r...

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Week 5&6: Sensors

Pybricks post Week 5&6: Sensors from patreon

With much of the input port code for the Saving LEGO MINDSTORMS initiative completed, I have turned my attention to sensors. Whil...

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Week 3&4: Ports

Pybricks post Week 3&4: Ports from patreon

The past few weeks were all about the 6-wire port interface. Aside from the plug, EV3 cables are very similar to Powered Up cables:

  • 1/2: Motor power

  • 3/4: Ground and 3V3

  • 5/6: Data wires

My goal is to generalize the Pybricks port interface drivers that we have already ...

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Week 1&2: Booting with light speed

If you've used the EV3 before, you might remember it as sluggish and very slow to boot, especially when compared to newer systems like SPIKE. But is that true?

In this first progress update of the year I'd like to share the story of solving the EV3 boot problem.

Before you read on, I encourage you to watch the vid...

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Happy new year from Pybricks!

Pybricks post Happy new year from Pybricks! from patreon

A little over a year ago, I launched this Patreon page to help grow the Pybricks project, with the goal to keep working on it around the clock. Thanks to you, 2024 has been a fantastic year, with lots of progress on exciting new features and projects for Pybricks. I am incredibly grateful for your support and I can't wait to ...

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Saving LEGO MINDSTORMS!

Pybricks post Saving LEGO MINDSTORMS! from patreon

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® was discontinued. End of story, right? Well, not so fast. We aim to fix this, and you make it possible. We are incredibly grateful for your ongoing support.

Existing and new supporters get a special reward --- read on for more!

Broken apps and a big pile of e-waste

It’s hard to f...

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Upcoming firmware updates!

Pybricks post Upcoming firmware updates! from patreon

I've been quietly working on several exciting firmware updates that should become available in beta in the weeks to come. This post gives you a sneak peek at the new updates.

The biggest noticeable changes are those concerning the builtin gyro. There will be a new optional calibration routine that lets you find and save...

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Data logging with Pybricks

Pybricks post Data logging with Pybricks from patreon

Did you know you can do experiments and data analysis with Pybricks? A teacher recently asked us about it, so we thought we'd share it here as well.

You can see how it works in the example above. By configuring the print block to print multiple values, you get columns of data in the output window. You can copy the data ...

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Line following with StarterBot - Boost Edition

You can follow the upcoming Pybricks Learn guide with any platform, so I'll include instructions for several versions of the StarterBot.

While I was designing and testing the StarterBot variant for the BOOST set, I thought it would be nice to...

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Building the new Pybricks StarterBot

Pybricks post Building the new Pybricks StarterBot from patreon

Building a vehicle robot is a great way to get familiar with robotics and coding. As part of the upcoming guide to learning robotics and programming with Pybricks, I'll add instructions for such a robot for SPIKE, MINDSTORMS, Technic, City, and BOOST.

I...

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Preview & request for comments: Beginner's guide to robotics and coding

Besides new features, we are often asked about tutorials and user guides. And this is of course equally important! To make it easier to get started, I've started on a brand new beginner's guide to learning coding and robotics.

Instead of being a technical reference, this guide is intended more like a book that you can r...

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Programming a Tic-Tac-Toe game with Pybricks

Pybricks post Programming a Tic-Tac-Toe game with Pybricks from patreon

A good way to practice more interesting coding concepts is to mimic a well known board game. There’s no stress to get a robot mission right, and it’s easy to check if your code behaves according to the rules of the game.

In this article, we’ll show you how you can make Tic Tac Toe game for two players!

Requ...

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Communicating with other MicroPython boards

Pybricks post Communicating with other MicroPython boards from patreon

The hub-to-hub communication feature in Pybricks MicroPython is not restricted to LEGO hubs alone. I just released a new library that enables simple wireless communication between any number of MicroPython boards that...

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Making your own Duplo Train controller

The Duplo train is a great toy. My kids really enjoy playing with the builtin push-to-drive function and the colored action bricks. There is also a tablet app that lets kids control the train remotely. But it turns out you can do so much more, without adding more screen time for your kids.

In 2024-05-30 14:37:52 +0000 UTC View Post

Building a ball balancing robot with SPIKE Prime

Pybricks post Building a ball balancing robot with SPIKE Prime from patreon

I’ve always been fascinated by robots that can balance themselves on a ball.

It’s one of those builds that looks like magic, but it’s ultimately just a fast feedback loop. The robot constantly measures the tilt of the robot using the gyro sensor and adjusts the motors to keep the robot upright.

I've publis...

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How to make multiple program "slots" on Spike Prime

Pybricks post How to make multiple program "slots" on Spike Prime from patreon

Normally, only one Pybricks program is saved on the hub. This usually makes it easy to find and start your latest project. And it’s especially practical on hubs without a display.

But the SPIKE Prime Hub and the MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor hub have plenty of space for multiple programs. Downloading multiple programs is ...

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How to override motor checks for multipurpose programs

Pybricks post How to override motor checks for multipurpose programs from patreon

If you forget to plug in a motor that you use in your program, you normally see a message in the output window to remind you. Most of the time, you’ll want to keep it that way to help you catch mistakes early on.

But sometim...

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Wireless communication between Spike Prime hubs

Pybricks post Wireless communication between Spike Prime hubs from patreon

One of our newest members asked how to communicate between two Spike Prime hubs to control a car-like vehicle with one steering motor and two drive motors.

Fortunately, this works the same on any hub! This means you can combine any of the car...

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New tutorials for the Technic Liebherr Crawler Crane

Pybricks post New tutorials for the Technic Liebherr Crawler Crane from patreon

The next two tutorials in the Technic series are for the LEGO® 42146 Technic Liebherr Crawler Crane. We'll show you how to use it with both the Powered Up remote and the Xbox Controller.

This is the first demo project with two hubs, so we'll also show you how to use the broadcast and observe feature to send the remote ...

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As requested: The Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck!

Pybricks post As requested: The Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck! from patreon

This project was requested (and tested) by Pybricks supporter Maxence!

I had created a Python program for the Mercedes truck a long time ago, but the set has since been taken apart. I've now recreated that program using block-based code and added 2024-04-23 13:32:26 +0000 UTC View Post

Technic beyond remote control

Pybricks post Technic beyond remote control from patreon

Remote control is fun, but with Pybricks it doesn't stop there! As part of our upcoming tutorials for Technic, we'll include instructions for this line-following vehicle as well. You can already see the first tutorials in the series here.

This upcomin...

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Working on new tutorials!

Pybricks post Working on new tutorials! from patreon

Coming up, a bunch of example projects for Technic cars, trucks, and cranes!

What would you like to see in future tutorials?

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Pybricks 3.5 is out now!

Pybricks post Pybricks 3.5 is out now! from patreon

We’re happy to announce that Pybricks version 3.5 is now available! This release includes a number of new features and improvements. Here are some of the highlights.

Since you’re using Pybricks already, you’ll get the update automatically. No action required!

You can find the full firmware 2024-04-16 11:31:35 +0000 UTC View Post