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.
2000 LEGO Sets
2000 was a year of transition and innovation for LEGO. The company introduced RoboRiders, Knights’ Kingdom, Life on Mars, Studios, and a Soccer/Football theme while retiring veteran designer Jens Nygaard Knudsen, creator of the minifigure. Star Wars launched its first Ultimate Collector Series sets—the X-wing Fighter (7191) and TIE Interceptor (7181)—establishing LEGO’s adult collector market. BIONICLE debuted in select regions, setting the stage for a major global launch. Recognized as 'Toy of the Century,' the LEGO brick entered the new millennium as both a cultural icon and a growing creative platform.