These are the LEGO Education versions of Mindstorms, sold to schools, along with the extra parts made for classroom use. The first ones paired the RCX brick with ROBOLAB, programming software built with Tufts University and National Instruments, in team challenge sets. Later sets followed each new brick, the NXT and then the EV3, whose Education Core Set of 2013 came in a storage box with a rechargeable battery.
2011 LEGO Sets
2011 introduced Ninjago, which quickly became one of LEGO’s most successful original themes and the foundation of a long-running multimedia franchise. Other launches included Pirates of the Caribbean, coinciding with Disney’s On Stranger Tides, the sci-fi Alien Conquest, and Master Builder Academy, a design-focused building program. LEGO also experimented with digital-physical integration through Life of George, an early augmented reality experience. Collectible Minifigures Series 3–5 strengthened LEGO’s growing collector market, while internal employee-exclusive sets like Moulding Machines became prized rarities. Several themes concluded this year, including Harry Potter, Ben 10, Power Miners, Toy Story, Prince of Persia, Space Police III, and BrickMaster.