LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Software Powered by National Instruments LabVIEW

June 11 2006

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Software

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, the next generation of LEGO robotics, includes new and exciting software powered by the National Instruments LabVIEW graphical development platform. This icon-based, drag-and-drop software is intuitive and entertaining for everyone, from children to professional programmers. With its easy-to-use interface, the MINDSTORMS NXT software empowers kids to quickly program their robotic inventions to do what they want.

The LabVIEW Evolution – 20 Years of Innovation

In 1986, National Instruments (NI) released the revolutionary software product LabVIEW, which challenged traditional, text-based approaches to programming with its graphical environment. NI LabVIEW empowered engineers and scientists with little or no programming experience to quickly and easily create applications for a wide range of industries from aerospace to zoology.

Twenty years later, the award-winning LabVIEW platform is doing the same thing for children worldwide. With MINDSTORMS NXT software powered by LabVIEW, kids can easily program their own robotics creations to do everything from “sting” their siblings to dance.

LabVIEW in Industry

National Instruments sells products in 90 countries to more than 25,000 companies, including 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500 manufacturing businesses. Many of these outlets use LabVIEW, the premier graphical programming software for engineers and scientists.

Microsoft Corp. relied on LabVIEW to test its new Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system controllers. LabVIEW also was used by NASA in the Mars Pathfinder mission to test the rover on the ground and monitor its performance throughout the mission. And, of course, engineers use LabVIEW to test the final production of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT programmable brick.

The recipient of 15 awards in 2004, LabVIEW delivers an intuitive and powerful way to acquire, analyze and present measurements at every stage of product development, from design to manufacturing. It has a proven ability to improve product quality and shorten the time to market. LabVIEW is available on Windows, Mac and Linux® operating systems. For more information on the 20th anniversary of LabVIEW, visit www.ni.com/labview.

LabVIEW in Education

NI is committed to enhancing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education worldwide by providing educators and students with software and hardware to connect concepts to the real world. The integration of LabVIEW in the classroom creates an effective and dynamic learning environment – from LEGO MINDSTORMS in primary schools to LabVIEW in high school science classes and university laboratories.

NI, which also supports numerous education programs, is a proud partner and technology supplier of FIRST Robotics and, along with LEGO, is an international sponsor of FIRST LEGO League, a program that helps more than 75,000 kids worldwide discover the fun of science and technology. Additionally, NI works with local K-12 educators to implement technology in the classroom. More than 250 teachers have been trained on LEGO MINDSTORMS, impacting more than 5,000 students in Central Texas. For more information about NI academic initiatives, visit www.ni.com/academic.

The Partnership

The LEGO Group and National Instruments have a long-standing relationship that began in 1998 with the development of the programming software for the original LEGO MINDSTORMS for Schools product.

National Instruments continues its collaboration with LEGO to develop the programming software for MINDSTORMS NXT. NI and LEGO are committed to inspiring creativity and innovation in children and have worked together to ensure the next generation of MINDSTORMS is smarter, stronger and more intuitive than ever.

About National Instruments

For 30 years, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has been a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation – a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia develop measurement and automation systems. Leveraging PC and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs through easy-to-integrate software and hardware. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,800 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. For the past seven years, FORTUNE magazine has named National Instruments one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.

NI Media Contact

To obtain more information or schedule an interview on the MINDSTORMS NXT software powered by LabVIEW, please contact Deirdre Walsh at (512) 683-5931 or Deirdre.Walsh@ni.com.

Online Press Room

For the latest MINDSTORMS NXT news releases and images, visit www.MINDSTORMS.com. For more information about National Instruments, visit www.ni.com

© 2006 National Instruments Corporation. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 4,500 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries.

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group.