Spike Prime

CCC

It looks like LEGO are introducing another robotics / coding style kit: SPIKE PRIME.

I can spot those new technic 3x3 parts revealed on New Elementary yesterday, and also 2x4 technic bricks (look at the hands and feet of this robot):

theLEGOman

Is that an 11x15 light blue frame piece? and a 7x11 magenta frame? massive compared to the current ones.

Astrobricks

Not to mention that 11x11(?) yellow technic base.

nexander

Those 2x4 bricks will make back to back building a bit more secure, less 1x2 cheese slopes to join bricks together!

CCC

nexander said:

Those 2x4 bricks will make back to back building a bit more secure, less 1x2 cheese slopes to join bricks together!

Yeah, my thoughts exactly for that part.

omnium

nexander said:

1x2 cheese slopes to join bricks together!

Que? Are you putting a 1x2 cheese slope inside the bricks to join them back-to-back?? Never thought about that, and as I'm not at home, I can't check that it even works...

CCC

omnium said:

nexander said:

1x2 cheese slopes to join bricks together!

Que? Are you putting a 1x2 cheese slope inside the bricks to join them back-to-back?? Never thought about that, and as I'm not at home, I can't check that it even works...

It works, from 2x2s upwards. You can even do a brick with a plate with a 1x1 cheese slope like this ...

It can be a pain to get the slope out again though if it gets stuck in the brick. Some soft jaw plastic pliers can help.

DeMontes

Just posted about the new elements to be found in LEGO Education Spike Prime, how many more have you seen?

http://www.newelementary.com/2019/04/lego-education-spike-prime-new-elements.html

Huw

Me too! https://brickset.com/article/43035/spike-prime-new-parts

CCC

I know the parts are probably more interesting than the set, but I find it a bit annoying that they are esssentially introducing yet another series of motors, sensors and so on. I cannot see this killing off Mindstorms, but do wonder about Boost. Is this a Boost replacement, or will this be essentially education only (and priced high) with Boost remaining the consumer product.

It is good they have gone down the scratch route as most kids seem to get some exposure to this.

pharmjod

CCC said:

omnium said:

nexander said:

1x2 cheese slopes to join bricks together!

Que? Are you putting a 1x2 cheese slope inside the bricks to join them back-to-back?? Never thought about that, and as I'm not at home, I can't check that it even works...

It works, from 2x2s upwards. You can even do a brick with a plate with a 1x1 cheese slope like this ...

It can be a pain to get the slope out again though if it gets stuck in the brick. Some soft jaw plastic pliers can help.

Is that a "legal" connection? Regardless it's pretty ingenious!

sid3windr

^ It's not, just like putting 2L axles in the center holes.. :-)

pxchris

CCC said:

It works, from 2x2s upwards. You can even do a brick with a plate with a 1x1 cheese slope like this ...

I swear, that's some mad scientist genius level stuff right there...
The connections that people have come up with still just blow my mind sometimes!

Astrobricks

Astrobricks said:

Not to mention that 11x11(?) yellow technic base.

Turns out it’s 11x19 apparently. AKA, the waffle.

Mr_Hobbles

I'm more interested in the electronic components of this personally! :) Observations:

1. First observation - LPF2 connectors! (WeDo 2.0/Boost/Powered UP)
2. That means we'll likely be able to get the motors and sensors to work with WeDo 2.0/Boost/Powered UP, and vice versa. Yay for interoperability!
3. 2x "medium motors", 1x "large motor". All appear to be tacho motors - they have zero positions.
4. Expansion set with another color/light sensor and another large motor.
5. The large motor and hubs are available for purchase separately, but are named "LEGO Technic" rather than SPIKE Prime. Will these be the motors and hubs in future Technic sets? Is the hub in the Liebherr set just a smaller 4 port version of this? Are these the same motors as in the Liebherr? (https://education.lego.com/en-us/shop/spike-prime/spike-prime-products)
6. A couple of other sources have said the hub is capable of storing programs like Mindstorms, or working in tethered mode like WeDo 2.0/Boost/Powered UP.
7. Does all this mean that Mindstorms is soon going to be replaced with a variation of this? I personally am looking forward to a new Mindstorms. :)

Mr_Hobbles

CCC said:

I know the parts are probably more interesting than the set, but I find it a bit annoying that they are esssentially introducing yet another series of motors, sensors and so on. I cannot see this killing off Mindstorms, but do wonder about Boost. Is this a Boost replacement, or will this be essentially education only (and priced high) with Boost remaining the consumer product.

It is good they have gone down the scratch route as most kids seem to get some exposure to this.

A little known fact is that WeDo 2.0, Boost, and Powered UP are actually all compatible. All the motors and sensors are recognised by all the hubs. This set is no different - it uses Power Functions 2.0 connectors (What TLG calls the WeDo 2.0/Boost/Powered UP connector internally).

So I am certain that we'll be able to plug in a SPIKE Prime motor into the Boost Move Hub and it will work - just not with official software. :)

The main problem at the moment is that TLG hasn't released any apps (iOS/Android/Windows/whatever) that allows control of motors and sensor outside of their respective sets. But the community have figured out the protocol and released our own apps and programming libraries to do so.

Perhaps a year or two down the line TLG will release an app with a Boost like programming interface that can control the whole range of motors and sensors and hubs.

EvilTwin

Does the fact that the hub unit is referred to as the "Large Hub" on its shop page (https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/lego-technic-large-hub/45601) imply that there will be a "small hub" at some point?

Mr_Hobbles

EvilTwin said:

Does the fact that the hub unit is referred to as the "Large Hub" on its shop page (https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/lego-technic-large-hub/45601) imply that there will be a "small hub" at some point?

I wonder if the small hub is the one included with #42100 - it is only 4 ports. I also wonder if it uses the same motors as SPIKE Prime.

Huw

Where are you seeing lists to pages like https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/lego-technic-large-hub/45601?

I'll add them to the database if I can find them!

EvilTwin

Hello Huw, presumably you mean "links", if so they're on the main Spike page in the Lego Education shop: https://education.lego.com/en-us/shop/spike-prime/spike-prime-products

Aanchir

Mr_Hobbles said:

CCC said:

I know the parts are probably more interesting than the set, but I find it a bit annoying that they are esssentially introducing yet another series of motors, sensors and so on. I cannot see this killing off Mindstorms, but do wonder about Boost. Is this a Boost replacement, or will this be essentially education only (and priced high) with Boost remaining the consumer product.

It is good they have gone down the scratch route as most kids seem to get some exposure to this.

So I am certain that we'll be able to plug in a SPIKE Prime motor into the Boost Move Hub and it will work - just not with official software. :)

The product description for #88006 says that you can control it using the LEGO Powered Up app. If that's not an error, then it presumably means there will be a future update to the Powered Up app that lets it control a wider range of hardware, since currently I think it's only set up to work with the City trains and app-controlled Batmobile, neither of which uses the Move Hub.

Also, for what it's worth, I think Spike Prime is going to use more or less the same motors as the Liebherr and other Technic-based Powered Up sets, same as how Boost and WeDo use the same System-based Powered Up motors.

There's no reason to think the new motor system is replacing the one from Boost — Boost and WeDo 2.0's parts are just geared towards System builds and sets for younger kids, while this and the Liebherr are going to be geared towards Technic builds or sets for older kids/teens/adults. Sort of like how Power Functions had different styles of battery box depending on whether they needed to connect via pins or studs.

I do get the impression that this system will be replacing Mindstorms eventually, but until we get more "hands-on" impressions of this new Technic hub, it's hard to know whether there will need to be a separate hub to achieve Mindstorms-level functionality.

Mr_Hobbles

Aanchir said:

Mr_Hobbles said:

CCC said:

I know the parts are probably more interesting than the set, but I find it a bit annoying that they are esssentially introducing yet another series of motors, sensors and so on. I cannot see this killing off Mindstorms, but do wonder about Boost. Is this a Boost replacement, or will this be essentially education only (and priced high) with Boost remaining the consumer product.

It is good they have gone down the scratch route as most kids seem to get some exposure to this.

So I am certain that we'll be able to plug in a SPIKE Prime motor into the Boost Move Hub and it will work - just not with official software. :)

The product description for #88006 says that you can control it using the LEGO Powered Up app. If that's not an error, then it presumably means there will be a future update to the Powered Up app that lets it control a wider range of hardware, since currently I think it's only set up to work with the City trains and app-controlled Batmobile, neither of which uses the Move Hub.

Good spot! And that makes me very happy, as it surely means there's *some* intention to unify the apps and their connectivity. I also didn't realise they'd gone back on sale as they'd pulled them shortly after going on sale in January.

I agree with you - I think there will be two (or more) ranges of motors and sensors. System ones (as included in WeDo 2.0, Boost, and Powered UP), and Technic ones (As included in Technic, SPIKE, and potentially Mindstorms).

The main thing is that they should all be able to connect to the various hubs. As long as they all have the same connector, app or not, I'm happy. I can always write code and extend my node-poweredup library to unify them. :) But an official solution would be nice.

Huw

EvilTwin said:

Hello Huw, presumably you mean "links", if so they're on the main Spike page in the Lego Education shop: https://education.lego.com/en-us/shop/spike-prime/spike-prime-products

Got it, thanks. Just the hub and one motor listed so far, then.

From their names I think we can safely conclude that they will also be used in the Technic Control+ models.

Bumblepants

I am intrigued by a lot of these new parts but rather disappointed with the derpy colors some of the motors and such are molded in. PF gray/dark gray is pretty easy to hide or fit into any color scheme. But the new stuff in med azure and yellow is not so subtle.