In 1998 the LEGO Group released the Mindstorms Robotic Invention System (RIS), the result of a partnership with MIT Media Lab (The LEGO Group, 2006). A kit purchase in 2000 contained a total of 717 pieces, including standard Lego bricks and parts, Lego Technic gears, axles and wheels, 2 motors, 1 touch sensors, 1 light sensor, Robolab PC software, and the RCX (programmable brick). The latest verion of the RCX is version 2.0

The RCX has storage space for five different programs. It receives programs from the PC via infrared transmitter connected to the computer's serial (USB) port.

The RCX accepts input from the touch and light sensors; programs can take actions based on those inputs. There are (6) AA batteries in the RCX, which powers the internal compuer and provides power to the motors, in either forward or reverse.

Mindstorms comes with a video-based tutorial which teaches users how to build small vehicles using the RCX, and how to write shortl programs to control the behavior of those vehicles. There is a guide book (the "Constructopedia") which shows construction details. A number of books detailing some of the finer points of Mindstorms have been published (see the bibliography) and many suggestions for additional projects are available on the Internet.

In the fall of 2006 The Lego Group released a completely redesigned version of Mindstorms, with a new programmable brick called the NXT. Here is a PC Magazine article on the product's release, and here is a page with the technical details of the new Mindstorms system.