LEGO introduced the first LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics kit in 1998.
The original system was called the Robotics Invention System and combined programmable computer control with LEGO construction elements. Its central programmable brick, sensors, motors, and software allowed users to build machines that could respond to their surroundings.
MINDSTORMS grew from LEGO’s collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. The partnership helped connect LEGO’s physical construction system with computer programming and educational robotics. The kit became popular with both hobbyists and schools.
Later generations changed the programmable controller and software while retaining the core idea of building and coding robots. The name is written as MINDSTORMS in LEGO branding, although many references use the simpler form Mindstorms. It should not be confused with ordinary motorized LEGO sets, which do not necessarily provide programmable robotics features.