A Clever Robot

Name of Model: Don't need hugs no more...

Created by: Karf Oohlu

Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dragon55/13372468015/

Details: One of the drawbacks of having backed away from blogging for a bit is missing the chance to write about some of the new parts that have come out recently. The 1x1 round tile is a pretty popular piece (released in late 2011) that really sells this model and makes the Technic engine piston rod look fairly natural as a joint element (where previously, you'd have to deal with something sticking out from whichever Technic pin you used to connect the two rods - at a minimum, an extra stud from a half pin). The eye-printed version of those same tiles quickly creates a face. The new elements that most radically change how we can build now are the joint elements from the new Mixels sets. These joints use the old "towball" elements (yes, like we've had since 1970) on one side, and new sockets that introduce a poseable level of friction on the other side. The result is a wonderfully simple blend of "system" and "constraction", allowing Bionicle-style action figure building ("constraction") and traditional LEGO building ("system") to fit together in a small space with very little effort. Since the Technic pistons always worked with the towball system (a great example of how complaints about "single purpose" LEGO elements are usually wrong), the piston rods fit perfectly in this clever little robot. Confused by this model's title? It's a reference to an earlier version that was a bit more cutesy and didn't use that awesome piston-rod-to-Mixels-ball-receptacle connection.