Details: This is another stunning mosaic made by Henry Lim. You might remember him from the Beatles mosaic that was featured here in April, or maybe from his famous Stegosaurus sculpture that was featured in March. This model was Lim's first mosaic experiment, and it's based on the Funny Face (link coming soon) photograph. You can tell from the picture that this model was built as a wall (so all the studs point towards the top of her face). This must be pretty sturdy but also pretty heavy! A few more details are available at the website above.
Details: This spiffy model went up on Sunday - and it's a winner. The video here is pretty self-explanatory. I think I'll have to watch it a few more times, though, to completely convince myself that there are really only 2 LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT units in there. Obviously, cheating was used for the fruit symbols on both the key and the rolls - and those 10 and 20 c Euro coins aren't made of LEGO either - but I think we can look past that on this one. There is a catch, though - winnings are capped at 2 Euro per turn. Photos, a brief write-up, fruit images, and code are available at the second link above.
Oh, and on the non-robotics side of things, you have to admit that that case is pretty awesome. I love the sculpted Euro symbol on the side and the way that slopes were used to make the NXT's screen look like a custom screen. The use of hinges for easy-to-use doors to start the machine and repair it was a great idea too.
Details: On 11th June 2007, Eric Brok passed away. I remember coming across his website back in 1996 and being in awe of a number of his creations. In the years since then, his work has been enjoyed by LEGO fans the world over. It's sad knowing that we're now without him.
Details: I love the color scheme on this (it's retro and reminiscent of the classic LEGO Space sets), the way that modern studless Technic parts are used closely with more traditional LEGO elements, the wine goblets for weaponry, and that clear stand. This model may look a bit "normal" on first glance, but it's simply a masterpiece for the way it was constructed. The way the Technic parts come in is just beautiful, and then there are the details - look at that trash can in the back!
Details: It seems like every part of this mecha uses a different bizarre LEGO element in a clever way. See if you can spot the shovel, the binoculars, the minifig hands, and the bananas. Yes, there really are bananas.
I am still attempting to catch up from last week when there were no posts. If you are interested in seeing a Robotics Monday post today, make sure you've seen the one I posted for last week but didn't have up until a few days later.
Details: A few years back, the Today Show commissioned a sculpture of the head of late-night television host Conan O'Brien. The website listed above documents the results.
Details: This snazzy plane makes great use of some upside-down sections and hinges. The wings fold up, revealing weaponry (I believe it's weaponry - I should probably research the subjects of these models before posting them more often than I do) underneath the wings. The landing pad here is a great touch too - and of course, there's matching landing gear too. I love the way that large wheels were used as jets here. Does anyone know where those hollow gray parts on the front on either side of teh cockpit are from? I don't think I've ever seen those before.
I'm actually not entirely sure why this is called "The" Great Ball Contraption and not just "A" Great Ball Contraption. From what I can tell, this is a collaborative project that resurfaces in a new arrangement every so often. I believe that this video is from 2004 (it claims to be the first), but the most recent incarnation is at BrickWorld 2007.