Editing Lego Mindstorms (section)

{{Short description|Hardware and software platform by Lego}}
{{Redirect|Robolab|the inclusive festival in Cologne|RoboLAB (festival)}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Lego theme
|name=Lego Mindstorms
|image=Lego Mindstorms Sound Finder.jpg
|caption=Robot based on the NXT platform
|subthemes=
|parentthemes=
|subject=[[Robotics]]
|licensedfrom=[[The Lego Group]]
|from={{start date|1998|09|01|df=yes}}
|to={{end date|2022|12|31|df=yes}}
|sets=91<ref name=BrickLink>{{Cite web|title=BrickLink Reference Catalog - Sets - Category Lego Mindstorms|url=https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catID=59&catXrefLevel=0&catType=S&catLike=W|access-date=2021-04-12|website=www.bricklink.com}}</ref>
|characters=
|website= https://www.lego.com/themes/mindstorms/about
}}

'''Lego Mindstorms''' (sometimes stylized as '''''LEGO MINDSTORMS''''') is a discontinued line of educational kits for building programmable robots based on [[Lego]] bricks. It was introduced on 1 September 1998 and discontinued on 31 December 2022.

Mindstorms kits allow users to build creations that interact with the physical world. All Mindstorms kits consist of a selection of Lego Elements, a "Smart Brick" (internally known as a programmable brick or "pbrick"), which serves as the "brain" for a Mindstorms machine. Each set also includes a few attachments for the smart brick (such as motors and sensors) and programming software. Unlike conventional Lego sets, Mindstorms kits do not have a main model to build. Sample builds are included with each version of Mindstorms, but the kit is open-ended with the intent of the user creating and programming their own designs.

In addition to at-home use, Mindstorms products are popularly used in schools and in robotics competitions such as the [[FIRST Lego League]]. Versions of Mindstorms kits specifically intended for use in educational settings are sold by Lego Education.

Children are the intended audience of Lego Mindstorms, but a significant number of Mindstorms hobbyists are adults. The latter have developed many alternative [[programming language]]s and [[operating system]]s for the smart brick, allowing for more complex functions.

While originally conceptualized and launched as a tool to support [[Constructivism (philosophy of education)|educational constructivism]], Mindstorms has become the first home robotics kit available to a wide audience. It has developed a community of adult hobbyists and hackers as well as students and general Lego enthusiasts following the product's launch in 1998. In October 2022, the Lego Group announced that it would discontinue the Lego Mindstorms line while continuing to support the [[Scratch (programming language)|Scratch]]-based SPIKE controller.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-discontinuing-mindstorms-end-of-2022/ |title=Lego is discontinuing Mindstorms in 2022 |website=Brick Fanatics |date=26 October 2022 |access-date=26 October 2022}}</ref>