What was the name of LEGO’s first programmable robotics system for children?

LEGO Mindstorms was LEGO’s first major programmable robotics system for children.

The original LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System was released in 1998. It combined LEGO Technic elements with motors, sensors and a programmable computer brick, allowing users to build and control robots rather than only static models.

The system grew from LEGO’s collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. Its programmable controller, originally known as the RCX, helped make robotics accessible through a construction system familiar to children and hobbyists.

LEGO later released generations including NXT, EV3 and Robot Inventor. LEGO WeDo is also a programmable educational platform, but it was introduced later and is generally aimed at younger learners. Mindstorms is the name most strongly associated with LEGO’s pioneering consumer robotics line.