I started using a new programming environment for the NXT called leJOS. This is a significant step up from the original software that comes with the NXT. I don't think that visual programming environments are yet powerful enough to do the things that I want while at the same time being concise and easy to read. I was looking at a benchmark which compares the relative speeds of the different systems available for NXT, and I couldn't help but notice that the NXT-G and LabView program diagrams were quite a bit more complex than the simple C version.

In any case, I plan to attend BrickWorld 2008, and am entering the "Trash Wars" robotics competition there with some friends. I think leJOS will work well for this project.

Today my Belkin F8T012 bluetooth interface arrived, and I tested out loading leJOS programs using bluetooth, and streaming data between the PC and the NXT. It took a little bit of setup, but it works nicely.

When we get pictures, I'll post them here.