Flash Force

Single command

Sends one command instantly. For timed moves and sequences, use the Program builder below.

Motor β€” spins forward or back briefly.
Beep β€” plays a sound.
Run β€” plays the program stored in the brick.
Delete β€” clears the stored program.

Program builder

Build a sequence of up to 15 steps, then Flash program to send it to the brick (it replaces the old one). Keep Run after flash on to play it right away.

Wait β€” pause until the light changes.
Seek β€” spin until it finds bright light, then face it.
Code β€” talks to another brick; does nothing on its own.
Sleep β€” power-saving rest until a light flash.
0/15
  • No steps yet. Each new program replaces the one stored in the brick.

Play with built-in programs

Besides P (programming), the brick has 7 ready-made programs on the mode dial. Pick a number, press Run, and play β€” modes 3–7 react to your phone's flashlight. Hold the button below to shine the light.
1
One DirectionDrives the motor one way.
2
Two DirectionsDrives back and forth.
3
Light FollowerSpins to find light, then faces it.
4
Light ControlA flash starts/stops the motor.
5
StandbySleeps; a light flash wakes it.
6
AlarmReacts when the light changes.
7
HandshakeBeeps, waits for a light reply.
Settings
How it works?

The LEGO Micro Scout (from the Star Wars Droid Developer Kit) has a light sensor on top. It's programmed over VLL β€” Visible Light Link: you flash light at that sensor and the brick reads it.

VLL was LEGO's trick for sending commands as light β€” the same codes drive the Code Pilot's barcodes and can be beamed by an RCX with the 2.0 firmware. Each command is a 10-bit frame: a 7-bit value (0–127) plus a 3-bit checksum, sent most-significant bit first and wrapped in a start and stop signal. A short pulse means one bit, a long pulse the other β€” so the brick turns the rhythm of light into a number, then acts on it.

Flash Force uses your phone's torch as the light. It blinks on and off in a precise pattern β€” short and long pulses ~20–40 ms each β€” and every pattern is a number the Scout understands as a command.

All commands:

CodeBinaryTypeAction
aim sensor