The system is backwards- compatible with previous-generation Lego Mindstorms NXT robots. To help novices get started, EV3 will include building instructions for 17 robots.

The EV3 robotic system from LEGO will go on sale sometime this summer for a pretty penny — 35,000 of them, or $350. The MINDSTORMS EV3 will essentially replace the MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 line, which ...

On Thursday, Apple announced that, starting June 5, its increasingly popular iPad-based programming app, Swift Playgrounds, can be used to program robots built with LEGO Mindstorms EV3.

For building robots, Mindstorms EV3 will come with an Autodesk-powered 3D building app that walks users through assembling projects, like interactive versions of LEGO's visual building instructions.

Alas, that iOS/Android app isn't available to test yet, but the rest of the EV3 box I was sent to play with matches what will be available on September 1. Like previous Mindstorms robots, you can ...