Miniature Husky Sculpture

Name of Model: Miniature Husky

Created by: Quy Chau

Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nxtquy/sets/72157644934079871

Details: This is one of those rare models that is technically interesting, aesthetically pleasing, and documented in freely available instructions. While the availability of specific small pieces and studs-not-on-top elements has meant that most people can't easily attempt this style of building, the reality is that it can be quite tricky to get the geometry to work out just right - it isn't easy even with all the right pieces handy. Having instructions (for something more complex than a Lowell sphere) is a great place to start, and should get more people trying this out (even if only to build other dog breeds). There are some other nice details in the model as well. Note the use of 1x1 plates with teeth as claws and Bionicle ball joints as eyes. The "SNIR" (Studs-Not-In-a-Row) approach to the eyebrows is a clever way of filling in a gap that requires getting away from 90 degree angles, and a similar problem with the ears is solved by having them attached to Technic half-pins (which have a stud on one side and will allow anything attached to that stud to swing loosely). While a bit simpler, I'm a fan of the collar as well - it's a detail that makes the finished result more believable, and the studs-not-on-top geometry makes the cheese slopes look perfectly believable as a round surface.

Dogs from Car Parts

Name of Model: Woof.

Created by: nolnet

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolnet/4709657787/

Details: Every once in a while, you find a new way of looking at a part and suddenly have an interesting new model idea. That was the case here, when the element widely used as a window arch or a car wheel well mudguard suddenly turned into the face of a dog. From there, it wasn't hard to build full bodies to create a group of dogs. Two of the dogs even make use of other wheel well arch elements!

Adorable Miniland-scale Dog

Name of Model: Dog

Created by: Moko

Found at: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=244303

Details: This dog is a hoot - he looks amazing. The best trick here is the way the eyes are made - those are inverted LEGOLAND Town levers stuck in side of a pair of studs-not-on-top plates with grooved tops. Now there is an idea only Moko could come up with.

This is Thursday's model of the day

Robotics Monday: "Dog" with instructions / News: RoboGames

Name of Model: RoboDog

Created by: Laurens200 (additional LEGO pages by Laurens at Brickshelf and YouTube

Found at: http://www.freewebs.com/laurens201/robodog.htm

Details: Laurens200 is an impressive kid I found on YouTube who has a real knack for LEGO robotics. I'll probably be featuring some of his/her other 'bots in the future (and some of them are more exciting than this one, but hey, I try to pace myself). This bot is a simple walker with a whimsical wagging tail. It's quite elegant, and there's video, Brickshelf photos, building instructions, a full write-up and the original program available online. Laurens is a master at documenting his/her creations, and thanks to the sheer amount of detail written about this efficient and simple design, this is one you can try at home with your own LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT kit.

As reported by The NXT Step, the 4th annual RoboGames event is this weekend and will feature two LEGO robot-related challenges - the "Lego Challenge" and the "Lego Open".