National Instruments and LEGO^® Collaboration

How It All Began
National Instruments and LEGO, in sharing a vision of inspiring creativity and innovation in children, have partnered to develop the next generation of LEGO MINDSTORMS® - programmable robots that are smarter, stronger, and more intuitive than ever.

NI and LEGO enjoy a long-standing relationship that began in 1998 with the development of ROBOLAB, the programming software created for the original LEGO MINDSTORMS for Schools product. ROBOLAB software, which is also based on NI LabVIEW, has helped make LEGO MINDSTORMS for Schools a leading robotics learning and invention tool for educators worldwide.

With the introduction of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, National Instruments is proud to help deliver the software that combines the best ideas from previous versions with the latest graphical programming technologies, making the software easier to use and more intuitive than ever, from beginner to expert.

Behind the Scenes of the Collaboration - Interactive Timeline

A Strong Commitment to Education

NI and LEGO Sponsorship
NI maintains a strong commitment to inspiring children to develop their creativity and explore the wonders of science and engineering, a core value shared by the LEGO group. NI and LEGO are international sponsors of FIRST LEGO League - a global robotics program that aspires to transform culture by making science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as cool for kids as sports are today.

National Instruments K-12 STEM Community Outreach
In addition to strategic education partnerships, NI and its employees support local educators and students through classroom mentorships and the use of innovative and hands-on technology. Learn more about NI involvement in K-12 STEM education.