Details: Perhaps a demonstration of a concept isn't terribly exciting, but this dry-run of a CNC machine is captivating. The use of a large Power Functions motor to drive the "drill" component is a smart choice, but not as clever as the use of a separate speed computer so that the user can keep close tabs on it. Thanks to that, you can add a manual form of precision to the precision already offered by the NXT motors. The possibilities for combining this with actual power tools (or some capable LEGO equivalent) are endless.
Since I'm sure it'll come up in the comments - yes, we have technically featured a sort of CNC machine before (Pancakes, anyone?), but that one worked by maneuvering the head on multiple axes. This one actually moves the platform for the x and y dimensions.
Details: Using Technic and Power Functions parts (plus non-LEGO lens, lamp, and reels), this projector can display movies as seen in the clip here. Sadly, this clip seems to be it for first-hand documentation of this model. The rewind transmission feature shown is pretty nifty, but I think I speak for all Technic nerds when I say I want to know how the geneva mechanism was implemented here.
A brief note about this past week: between recovering from BrickMagic and the Blogger outage, we didn't stand a chance at actually getting posts up in time. In the interest of not staying behind, we'll be skipping that week and picking up again with today.
Details: Here's a new twist on the Technic snow plow idea: a heavy-duty truck with a large plow on the front of it. The system uses pneumatics (with auto-valves) and Power Functions to allow it to be remotely controlled. All four wheels are powered (plus steering in the front), and the plow is fully controllable. The suspension system is surprising - it's sort of a beefed-up version of the live axle concept that moves a chunk of the chassis down to simplify delivering power.
Details: Now that the soccer/football table idea has been done successfully a few times, it was time to spruce up the concept. Here, we have one that includes ball handling and a computerized scorekeeper. The Power Functions WeDo system was used to give the laptop access to two motors and a pair of motion sensors. Fuller documentation's at the links above.
By the way - are posts with videos (like this one) still loading alright for everyone? YouTube seems to have changed how they handle embedding, and we want to make sure we're not losing anyone by using the newer embed code.
Details: We've seen plenty of walkers before, but I haven't seen a fully steerable hexapod that uses only two motors before. One large Power Functions motor handles the walking motion, and a second motor articulates the body at two points to allow it to change directions. It's a surprisingly simple solution, but it works well. The other nice thing is that we now finally have a walker design that can be made with a LEGO robotics kit without using all of the motors in the kit.
Details: I've wondered for a while if it would be possible to control a Nerf gun with an NXT. After following the MakeMagazineblog'sarduino-basedattempt (that's not even all the links, but you get the idea), I was relatively well convinced that it was too complicated, since it might require dismantling the Nerf gun itself. Not so! Today's model solves this problem with a simple cam assembly. That's before we mention the gargantuan - and yet still motorized - base, or the way this can be controlled by either a remote or NXT (done through Power Functions motors - a person can use the Power Functions IR remote, or the NXT will use a third-party IR component to control them). The video and links above fill in a few more interesting details. No word yet, though, on how you can get it to load more ammo.
Details: Apparently the most popular Technic creation at BrickCon this year (it also won a trophy at that event), this seaplane with a wingspan of nearly 5 feet (just over 1.5 meters) is modeled after a DeHavilland Twin Otter.
I'm going to try to keep this short - although this hasn't been singled out post-documentation on any blogs, much has been said about it already. Here's the list of features from the flickr set above:
Specifications:
Wingspan 59.5 inch (151 cm)
Length 43 inch (110 cm)
Height 28 inch (71 cm)
Weight 26.5 lbs (12 kg)
Passengers 9 (incl. 2 Crew)
Motors 5
Cylinders 6 Large, 3 Small
Compressor 6 Cylinders Total
Switches 3
Sensors 1 Touch, 2 Rotation
Power 1 RCX, 2 Battery Packs
Pieces 20 000 (estimated)
Working Features:
Elevators
Rudder
Ailerons
Flaps
Landing Gear (With Main Gear Suspension & Casting Nose Gear)
Independently Variable Throttle
Independently Variable Propeller Pitch
Regulated Compressors in Engines
Regulated Auxiliary Compressor
Navigation Lights
Beacon Light
Passenger Entry Door
Sliding Pilot Seats (allowing entry)
Folding Wings
The information above is for the flickr set, but there's actually more documentation for this model spread out across a few sites. For the long write up (by a Technic expert who didn't build this personally - I've briefly mentioned his Technicopedia a few times), you'll need to look at this post on the Eurobricks forum (of all places - we actually try to avoid linking to Eurobricks because of their set-news-leaking habits). There are also photos (again, by Blakbird instead of the builder) on Brickshelf in a BrickCon 2010 directory, not to mention two YouTubevideos that were made by the builder. That's the extended reading when you're done with the 59 flickr photos linked above. For extra credit, write a report on that, create an LDRAW set of instructions for the plane, or build your own that's even larger, more detailed, or more functional.
Details: In this video, this giant rover base is being run by remote control. At LEGOWORLD in Zwolle right now, it's operating autonomously, controlled by 9 NXT programmable bricks. Although the video and links above don't show the full version, they're impressive enough already and give you a sense of the sheer size of this 'bot. There's a close-up of the treads that shows that they're actually made out of hundreds (or more likely, thousands) of 3-stud long Technic beams. Another video from the event shows the completed robot driving around taking pictures from inside the crowd.
I'm guessing that we'll be seeing many more photos of this (and taken by this) model after the event is over...which I'll be rounding up here as I see them.
Details: A dutch family with three generations of LEGO enthusiasts recently built this set of animals. A brilliant mix of NXT robotics and more traditional LEGO sculpture techniques, these life-size animals act out the action in the video above. It seems like there are never enough animations that use this technique instead of stop-motion. Here, we see the animals run around in a fairly realistic manner, down to the mother duck laying an "egg" (a ball from the NXT 2.0 kit, previously known as a Bionicle Zamor sphere) and the rat taking it to eat. A surprising amount of detail went into the robots here - check out the MOCpages links above to read more about them and see photos of the source material. Also of note (but I'm not aware of more of a close-up than in the video) is some of the background scenery - the life-size squirrel sculpture and duck's nest look great too.
Some tape (vinyl) was used to cover some of the NXT parts and make the NXT colors blend in well with the rest of the models. Further "cheating" was used to make the smaller ducks work with power functions motors and a battery set-up small enough to fit inside them (they're controllable through IR - which presumably is controlled by a third party NXT IR adapter). There's another video that explains how the ducks are made.
Details: This truck in the Model Team style has enough working features to put the sets in that theme to shame. Using Power Functions motors, this truck has proper steering, outriggers, and is powered strongly enough to function as a remote-control toy. In the video where the suspension system is demonstrated, it sounds like the gears strain a little bit - but the fact that this can handle it's own weight at all is enough of a feat even if it does strain a few parts. Then there's those looks - the bold red, white, blue, dark blue, and chrome silver looks fantastic. Coming in somewhere around miniland scale, this is one of the larger trucks I've seen, and no detail or feature had to be spared to make it work.
Details:
Awesome remote controlled power functions mobile crane is awesome.
From the builder:
There are 7 motor inside:
-PF XL - driving
-PF M - steering
-PF M - rotating the turntable
-PF M - outriggers
-PF M - compressor
-PF M - Boom telescoping
-47154 motor - the winch
There is also a pneumatic system: two big pistons lifting the boom and a small piston for cab lifting.
All functions except the boom and the cab lifting are remote controlled.
Details: I've previouslybloggedafew great Transformers models, but there is a need to up the ante now. See, LEGO has been making it easier to build Transformers-inspired models by introducing a variety of new hinge elements over the past decade or so (gosh, it's really been 12 years since I tried this when I was little, before the invention of click hinges? I guess I am gettting old). Now, people of my generation who feel like it was just yesterday when we tried and failed to build transformers regularly see young kids effortlessly handle the task of creating vehicles and other random objects that turn into mecha "robots". So now it is time to increase the challenge, preferably in a way that will require us to learn some new techniques instead of just needing to buy newer parts. It is time to try our hands at building machines that can transform on their own, and perhaps have other motorized functions as well. Today's model, shown above, serves as a proof of concept - it is possible to build vehicles that can transform using only one motor.
Send in your attempts to create motorized (or at least crank-powered...) transformers to legomodeloftheday@gmail.com - if we get enough of them, we'll turn this into a proper contest.
Details: I've previously featured Sariel's first "hand" model, but he has now created a second one. This one makes use of the WeDo Educational Software. LEGO WeDo is only sold through the LEGO company's educational division (see http://www.legoeducation.us/store/), and is designed to work directly with the Power Functions motor system. A USB hub allows a computer to directly control two of the PF motors. Up to 3 hubs can be controlled with the off-the-shelf software, and 2 hubs were used for this particular model. One motor controls the pneumatic hand itself and the pneumatic compressor for that hand, using an autovalve. Two more motors are used for the turntables (one per turntable) to power the wrist and the base of the arm. The fourth motor controls the elevation of the hand through a linkage that does not tilt the hand. Software-wise, there's a task programmed for the arm and the ability to use the keyboard to control the motors individually.
Details: You may have already seen this elsewhere (I apologize if you have), but since this is really the biggest thing to happen in the Technic/Mindstorms world this past week, I'd be remiss not to feature it. This Power Functions-powered vehicle can deploy a bridge and fold it back up. You have to watch the video to believe it. I'm still not entirely sure how this armoured vehicle-launched bridge works - it looks like both linear actuators in the bridge itself are actually powered by the gearing inside of the bridge. The transmission of power through the bridge (which plugs into the vehicle) is an interesting feat in itself, but combining it with the rest of this turns it into an applied thing of beauty - which is probably why this is all any of us Technic fans can talk about now.
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.
Details:
This human-size arm is an extremely unusual feat. Done entirely with off-the-shelf LEGO Technic parts, it holds it's own weight and can maneuver well enough to pick up objects. You can get an idea of the strain on the parts by looking at the overhead view - extra battery packs are acting as a counterweight, and you can see how just one linear actuator holds the weight of the arm. The video is what really makes this model so dramatic - you can see that the parts have little problem handling the loads. Frankly, as nice of a model as this is, it almost feels like an advertisement for the newer Power Functions motors, linear actuators, and pneumatic parts. The older pneumatic parts show up in the hand itself, used as a way of closing fingers while limiting the amount of force used to grip. While the claim that this was built in one weekend might appear suspect, I'd argue that this is clearly an example of what you can do quickly if you've built up a decent collection of parts and have a good idea of each how to appropriate us the various elements. The use of the strong linear actuators in certain places allowed this arm to be much more stable and powerful than it would have been with geared joints or pneumatic actuators in the upper arm. Using pneumatics to limit the amount of force for the grip was a pretty clever trick, but not one quite as intuitive as using torque-limiting gears.
The important skill that allows people to build models like this quickly is knowing the strengths of each part. There's really no replacement for just messing around with elements you're not familiar with and seeing what they can do. That, kids, is what you should tell your parents when they ask why you never did finish building that big Technic kit.
No, seriously - I learned how to use pneumatic parts in the first place by "failing" to "correctly" assemble an 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig. Ironically, my parents weren't convinced it was a good idea until I built my first large mechanical arm - which couldn't be mounted in a human manner because pneumatics wouldn't be able to handle that much weight.
Details:
We've seen attempts at automating current Technic sets with an NXT before, but that's never the first challenge when it comes to adding an NXT to a set. Before you can start experimenting with sensor input and automation, you need to actually build in the motors and test out the functions. Here's an example of that part of the process based on set 8258 Crane Truck. A combination of NXT and Power Functions motors are used, along with the third-party NXT-IR adapter to let the NXT control the Power Functions motors. Of course, while IR doesn't work natively with the NXT, bluetooth does! A bluetooth connection to a cell phone allows the builder to control the vehicle remotely.
Details: This year at BrickVention, one model truly stole the show. From this angle, it just looks like a large plane model - impressive already, but not particularly unique. The backside, however, shows a realistic cross-section of the plane - the entire QF A380 has been rendered in perfect minifig-scale, interior cabin and all. There are easter eggs (characters, movie references) and accurate details (three floors, chairs for first and second class, bathrooms, a cockpit, landing gear, etc). A mix of NXT and Power Functions components automate some of the features. Did I mention that the jet engines actually spin?
Details: 6 Power Functions motors (controlled through IR by an NXT) control 6 of the Linear Actuator element. Properly connected, they can work this "magic" - a sturdy platform that can be easily tilted or rotated from underneath. This is a clever bit of engineering, and visiting the website listed above will bring you to videos of both Shep's LEGO version and a non-LEGO version.
Details: Here's one for the "there's nothing else like this out there" category - using a system of gears, motors, knob wheels, and a compass sensor, NeXTSTORM has created this utterly bizarre contraption. It looks like something you'd see under a microscope, with swirling patterns of different colors. It can be "lured" into travelling in different directions by a pad of magnets (detected by the compass sensor). While this is a definite departure from the animated minifig contraptions we've seen NeXTSTORM build in recent months, I think it's safe to say that this is another masterpiece. This may also be the best use we ever see for the "knob wheel" element - so far it's been largely ignored in favor of traditional gears, but the set designers keep including them in more and more kits, so we will have to come up with more clever uses for them.
. After following the 
gun itself. Not so! Today's model solves this problem with a simple 
-inspired models by introducing a variety of new hinge elements over the past decade or so (gosh, it's really been 12 years since I tried this when I was little, before the invention of click hinges? I guess I am gettting old). Now, people of my generation who feel like it was just yesterday when we tried and failed to build transformers regularly see young kids effortlessly handle the task of creating vehicles and other random objects that turn into mecha "robots". So now it is time to increase the challenge, preferably in a way that will require us to learn some new techniques instead of just needing to buy newer parts. It is time to try our hands at building machines that can transform on their own, and perhaps have other motorized functions as well. Today's model, shown above, serves as a proof of concept - it is possible to build vehicles that can transform using only one motor. 
