Details: Ever wonder just how many motorized features you can cram into one small vehicle? This extreme backhoe seems to be pushing the limit with it's eight motors, two light units, four IR receivers, and six linear actuators. This is pure function, and still looks great in spite of that. This is another case of someone clearly knowing how to use new parts well - note how several linear actuators are powered by multiple 3-stud-long universal joints, and how a (new for 2010) 20-tooth bevel gear with pin hole is used in the back to allow rotation on a fixed axle.
Here's a fun idea: what do you get when you mix a large, simple, and sturdy Technic frame, a spiffy PID controlled line follower, a 9V-motor controlled gripping device, and a winch setup that holds the gripper? You get this nifty crane setup. The construction of the top frame takes advantage of some of the more strangely shaped liftarms - note how the weight of the crane and cargo never makes the crane's frame bow. The "simple" line following portion of this is handles very smoothly - a sure sign that the program for it is using a PID control system (while proportional error correction is a bit more complex to program than the "classic project" style of zig-zagging line follower, I think that the performance improvement is worth it). You don't see string in many Technic and Mindstorms creations - truth be told, string is one of the few elements LEGO has a hard time manufacturing with a satisfactory amount of strength (I frequently use fishing line instead of official LEGO string) - but here, the 4 strings used as a winch have no problem holding up the gripper and moving it up and down smoothly. Personally, I'm a big fan of the way a 9V motor was used (with a visible 9V/NXT adapter cable) to control the gripping mechanism - when you just need to move something back and forth, you really don't need to use up one of the more expensive NXT motors (which come with built in rotation sensors).
This is just a fantastic design overall, and it's even more impressive that it doesn't rely on rare special parts - it's all fairly standard Mindstorms and Technic parts and mechanisms, arranged well and programmed perfectly. Many of the models I feature here aren't really something I'd try building myself, but I'm inspired to give this one a try.
Details: Aliencat has been known to build large Town and Castle creations, but this has entered a completely different universe. Neo-Classic space may be the new trend, but this makes the case for neo-classic Technic. The two Power Functions motors provide 4-wheel steering and 4-wheel drive.
Details: This beautiful microscale crane makes use of the top of a regular-size crane so that it can really work. The details on this one are really clever. You have to see it for yourself. Make sure to check out the vignette of this model in a construction scene as well. In this picture from the vignette, for example, you can see the use of poles and binoculars to support the underside of the crane.
Ever wonder just how many motorized features you can cram into one small vehicle? This extreme backhoe seems to be pushing the limit with it's eight motors, two light units, four IR receivers, and six linear actuators. This is pure function, and still looks great in spite of that. This is another case of someone clearly knowing how to use new parts well - note how several linear actuators are powered by multiple 3-stud-long universal joints, and how a (new for 2010) 20-tooth bevel gear with pin hole is used in the back to allow rotation on a fixed axle.
