EV3 Components List

This blog post will be a list of components in a Lego EV3 Mindstorms education kit. Just to make viewers aware of what is included along with a description for each item.

Image Courtesy of Lego Education

Intelligent Brick - The EV3 Intelligent Brick is the brains for any robotics build. The programming that you create on the software is transferred to this component to allow the robot to move autonomously throughout it's environment.

Large Motors - These are aptly named, as they are the larger motor included in the kit. These provide locomotion as directed by the Intelligent Brick.

Medium Motor - This motor is a smaller motor with a different look and often a different function. I have had students use medium motors for moving their robot but generally, it is used for other functions. An example would be the motor to open or close a claw.

Gyro Sensor - Measures the pitch and angle of the robot, which allows the intelligent brick to react and can trigger programming based on those variables.

Touch Sensor - Is pretty straightforward. It works like a button and can be used in a variety of ways (as a button being the simplest). It can be used to help the robot avoid walls in one example of it's many uses.

The Color Sensor - This sensor can detect colors across the spectrum, as well as black and white. This is an extremely useful sensor as it can allow for changes in programming based on color variables. This sensor also allows a robot to follow a line, which we often use in multiple step problems in class (e.g. follow the red line to the first checkpoint and drop off the box).

The Ultrasonic Sensor - Is affectionately known in my classroom as the detached Wall-E Head. It uses sonic waves (like radar) to detect movement, objects, distance, etc. and allows for changes in programming based on those variables.

In addition to all of these great sensors and motors, Lego includes enough building pieces to construct quite an array of robots. Students also really enjoy combining kits to be able to build bigger and more complex robotic creations and it is amazing to see where their creativity leads them.