This is the first generation of LEGO Mindstorms, built around 9719 Robotics Invention System from 1998. The name came from Mindstorms, a 1980 book by Seymour Papert of the MIT Media Lab, whose research on programmable bricks led to the RCX, the yellow brick at the centre of the kit. It holds a small computer with three motor outputs and three sensor inputs, and programs written on a PC went to it by infrared through a tower plugged into the computer.
1999 LEGO Sets
1999 was a landmark year with the launch of LEGO Star Wars, the company’s first licensed theme, debuting alongside The Phantom Menace. This partnership with Lucasfilm transformed LEGO’s strategy and ushered in the era of licensed themes. New original lines included Rock Raiders, Slizers (Throwbots), and Adventurers: Jungle, while LEGO Education was formally established from LEGO Dacta. Several older themes—Cyberslam, TechPlay, UFO, Insectoids, Znap, and Model Team—were retired, marking a clear generational shift toward modern play concepts and digital engagement.