Answers.Body: <ol>
  <li><p>Yes, it is possible to check the battery level. I am a software engineer, too and i have already done that in different environments (leJOS, NXC).</p></li>
  <li><p>It is not charged. It uses standard AA batteries. There is a really handy <a href="http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/products/rechargeable+battery/9798.aspx">rechargable battery pack</a>, though.</p></li>
  <li><p>A recharging-station could probably be built with this, but it might be quite tricky to do. As far as I know, there are no "wireless" charging possibilities like those some mobile phones are using (using magnetic fields to transfer energy or something). You would need to drive the robot towards the plug, but i assume that that's possible.</p></li>
  </ol>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T11:35:21.833Z
Answers.Text: The battery pack uses the LEGO train transformer for recharging, it has a 5.5mm plug. To me it looks feasible to plug it in automatically, but it will need some fiddling.
Answers.UserDisplayName: starblue
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T11:39:00.690Z
Answers.Text: @starblue: Exactly. That is what i was trying to say.
Answers.UserDisplayName: jwueller
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T14:33:54.327Z
Answers.Text: +1 thanks for your answer - sadly i can only choose one as accepted so i let the votes decide
Answers.UserDisplayName: oezi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T01:44:14.110Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-27T02:03:21.900Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2011-10-27T02:03:21.900Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: jwueller
Answers.Body: <p>For the recharing part, keep in mind noone said you must use AA batteries or the rechargeable pack. You can <a href="http://www.philohome.com/nxtsupply/nxtsupply.htm" rel="nofollow">build your own charging adapter</a>, which means you can also equip it with a different (more powerful?) battery of your own, and have charging contacts which are more easy to access for a recharging station. (Or use wireless charging if you know how).</p>
  
  <p>This may require some electrical knowledge, but it will be easier to automate than trying to plug the charger in the rechargeable battery. That said, you can combine both, use the rechargable battery, and use a cut power supply cable to connect it to large recharger contact plates or something.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-06T23:19:54.590Z
Answers.Text: I think a wireless hamster wheel induction recharging station is in order! Simple to make, fun to watch.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Major Stackings
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T14:33:59.473Z
Answers.Text: +1 thanks for your answer - sadly i can only choose one as accepted so i let the votes decide
Answers.UserDisplayName: oezi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T17:26:43.357Z
Answers.Text: No problem, since you asked more than one question and I answered only one of them, my answer shouldn't be the accepted one anyway.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T04:35:19.100Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-27T04:35:19.100Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.Body: <p>What you need is a Wireless Power Charger with a Voltage and current suitable for charging your Robot</p>
  
  <p>here is a link to an instructable that will show you how to build a generic wireless charger. You will need to adapt it to your own needs. i.e. adjust the receiver voltage to charge the power pack</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Wireless-Ipod-Charger/" rel="nofollow">http://www.instructables.com/id/Wireless-Ipod-Charger/</a></p>
  
  <p>With this circuit, you should be able to build a charging station that the BOT simply  needs to get near to recharge itself. (a small pad with the transmitter in the base and a homing signal The robot can track)</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-04T19:30:07.473Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-02-05T07:44:31.373Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-02-05T07:44:31.373Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mike Sims
Answers.Body: <p>Lego NXT vacuum cleaner project included charging station <a href="http://www.plastibots.com/index.php/2010/11/13/pulito-featuring-dflex/" rel="nofollow">http://www.plastibots.com/index.php/2010/11/13/pulito-featuring-dflex/</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-20T06:16:53.407Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-07-20T06:16:53.407Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: intvoker
Answers.Body: <p>As a software engineer, you would probably be more at home in <a href="http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/">NXC</a>, a C-like language compatible with the standard firmware. You can then use <a href="http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/nxcdoc/nxcapi/group___ui_module_functions_gadab48c54d5ff7333fe086152a4c634d1.html"><code>BatteryLevel()</code></a>.</p>
  
  <p>If you want to use the standard programming environment, use this <a href="http://www.teamhassenplug.org/NXT/NXTGAdditions.html">custom block</a>.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T02:40:02.947Z
Answers.Text: @Dori I had the *exact* same edit, but I hadn't clicked 'Save Edits'. :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mateen Ulhaq
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-26T10:48:05.490Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-27T03:09:43.870Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2011-10-27T03:09:43.870Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tim
Body: <p>I'm thinking about buying <a href="http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx?icmp=COFranchiseUSMINDSTORMS" rel="nofollow">LEGO Mindstorms</a> and start programming robots. I'm a software engineer and LEGO fan since I was a child so this sounds like the perfect combination of my dearest hobbies.</p>
  
  <p>But some questions come into my mind that I simply can't find out on the LEGO website:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Is is possible to programmatically check the battery charge status?</li>
  <li>How is the NXT 2.0 block, where the power for all those motors and sensors come from, charged</li>
  <li>Is there a possibility to build some kind of charging station where my robot can drive in to get recharged?</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>The point of this is, I would love to have a robot that's driving around doing stuff, and when the batteries are almost empty (let's say &lt;&nbsp;10%). it would drive to the recharging station on its own&nbsp;— and when it's full again (>&nbsp;95%), get out of the station again and continue doing other stuff.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T02:43:16.097Z
Comments.Text: For the 'charging station', I'll say it is impractical, unless you plan to leave your NXT on all the time. (Which I don't recommend doing, in case the battery fails or something.) It is a better idea to buy a backup battery.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Mateen Ulhaq
Tags: <nxt><building><automation>
Title: How can I build an (automatic) Mindstorms charging-station?
UserDisplayName: oezi
ThreadText: # How can I build an (automatic) Mindstorms charging-station?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-26)
  
  I'm thinking about buying [LEGO Mindstorms](http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx?icmp=COFranchiseUSMINDSTORMS) and start programming robots. I'm a software engineer and LEGO fan since I was a child so this sounds like the perfect combination of my dearest hobbies.
  
  But some questions come into my mind that I simply can't find out on the LEGO website:
  
  * Is is possible to programmatically check the battery charge status?
  * How is the NXT 2.0 block, where the power for all those motors and sensors come from, charged
  * Is there a possibility to build some kind of charging station where my robot can drive in to get recharged?
  
  The point of this is, I would love to have a robot that's driving around doing stuff, and when the batteries are almost empty (let's say < 10%). it would drive to the recharging station on its own — and when it's full again (> 95%), get out of the station again and continue doing other stuff.
  
  **Tags:** nxt, building, automation
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: For the 'charging station', I'll say it is impractical, unless you plan to leave your NXT on all the time. (Which I don't recommend doing, in case the battery fails or something.) It is a better idea to buy a backup battery.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 5 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2011-10-26. Score: 14 | Accepted answer
  
  As a software engineer, you would probably be more at home in [NXC](http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/), a C-like language compatible with the standard firmware. You can then use [`BatteryLevel()`](http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/nxcdoc/nxcapi/group___ui_module_functions_gadab48c54d5ff7333fe086152a4c634d1.html).
  
  If you want to use the standard programming environment, use this [custom block](http://www.teamhassenplug.org/NXT/NXTGAdditions.html).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: @Dori I had the *exact* same edit, but I hadn't clicked 'Save Edits'. :)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2011-10-27. Score: 10
  
  1. Yes, it is possible to check the battery level. I am a software engineer, too and i have already done that in different environments (leJOS, NXC).
  2. It is not charged. It uses standard AA batteries. There is a really handy [rechargable battery pack](http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/products/rechargeable+battery/9798.aspx), though.
  3. A recharging-station could probably be built with this, but it might be quite tricky to do. As far as I know, there are no "wireless" charging possibilities like those some mobile phones are using (using magnetic fields to transfer energy or something). You would need to drive the robot towards the plug, but i assume that that's possible.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: The battery pack uses the LEGO train transformer for recharging, it has a 5.5mm plug. To me it looks feasible to plug it in automatically, but it will need some fiddling.  
  > **username_2**: @username_3: Exactly. That is what i was trying to say.  
  > **username_0**: +1 thanks for your answer - sadly i can only choose one as accepted so i let the votes decide  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2011-10-27. Score: 4
  
  For the recharing part, keep in mind noone said you must use AA batteries or the rechargeable pack. You can [build your own charging adapter](http://www.philohome.com/nxtsupply/nxtsupply.htm), which means you can also equip it with a different (more powerful?) battery of your own, and have charging contacts which are more easy to access for a recharging station. (Or use wireless charging if you know how).
  
  This may require some electrical knowledge, but it will be easier to automate than trying to plug the charger in the rechargeable battery. That said, you can combine both, use the rechargable battery, and use a cut power supply cable to connect it to large recharger contact plates or something.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: +1 thanks for your answer - sadly i can only choose one as accepted so i let the votes decide  
  > **username_4**: No problem, since you asked more than one question and I answered only one of them, my answer shouldn't be the accepted one anyway.  
  > **username_5**: I think a wireless hamster wheel induction recharging station is in order! Simple to make, fun to watch.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2012-02-04. Score: 2
  
  What you need is a Wireless Power Charger with a Voltage and current suitable for charging your Robot
  
  here is a link to an instructable that will show you how to build a generic wireless charger. You will need to adapt it to your own needs. i.e. adjust the receiver voltage to charge the power pack
  
  <http://www.instructables.com/id/Wireless-Ipod-Charger/>
  
  With this circuit, you should be able to build a charging station that the BOT simply needs to get near to recharge itself. (a small pad with the transmitter in the base and a homing signal The robot can track)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2014-07-20. Score: 1
  
  Lego NXT vacuum cleaner project included charging station <http://www.plastibots.com/index.php/2010/11/13/pulito-featuring-dflex/>
  
  
  ---
  
  