March 2011 LEGO TECHNIC Challenge -- Linear Actuator

[Anio]

Officials sets are even copied. Look at the small red crane fire engine. It is obvious that this MOC is a plagia of the set #8067.

So I was right. It is not this year yet that these contests gonna be a success. haha.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Anio

[Zerobricks]

Looks very messed up at the moment to be honest...

[Alasdair Ryan]

Looks very messed up at the moment to be honest...

you can say that again

[JunkstyleGio]

Officials sets are even copied. Look at the small red crane fire engine. It is obvious that this MOC is a plagia of the set #8067.

So I was right. It is not this year yet that these contests gonna be a success. haha.

You got to be kidding me! This is fire engine is probably a model inspired by the 8067. Don't we all get inspired by models?

Never the less I thing you're right: (even with all these problems)The Technic Challenge is going to be a succes!

[Sam42]

It's sad that people are misguided enough to think that posting someone else's moc in an effort to win a competition is a good idea...

Last years challenge was also plagued with the same sort of abuse..

One idea that would eliminate such mistakes, (placing cheater's entries in the final 10 etc) would be to select a panel of technic based afols recruited from the fan community to judge the entries.

As is shown here, a group of technic enthusiasts can quickly worm out all the bad apples, infact the eurobricks technic forum would be the ideal place to recruit them from.....

[DLuders]

Here is the Brickshelf gallery (with 19+ pictures) of victor288596/ vkyppwnsall's "Tow Truck created for the March 2011 TECHNIC Challenge. Motorized functions include rotating superstructure, elevating and extending boom, working winch, lifting and tilting towing fork, lifting 2nd axle, and extending outriggers." Do you think that a 5-18 year old made this? It's one of the 10 Finalists. The picture submitted for the competition is in this Brickshelf gallery.

Edited March 26, 2011 by DLuders

[efferman]

Do you think that a 5-18 year old made this?

why not? in this age i was only limited by the parts what i have. today the kids have the internet to give them hints and tricks from other builders. And this tow truck is nothing spectacular in my eyes

[JunkstyleGio]

I have to agree with efferman!

Don't underestimate the TFOLs!

[Jetro]

I am reporting this to our Lego Technic Ambassador (Jetro de Chateau) to see if TLG will disqualify some/all of these bogus entries.

Since I was on a business trip and didn't have decent Internet access, I contacted Conchas and asked him to please look into this - which he has. Thanks Conchas and thanks DLuders for tipping me off.

I have now reported this at the Ambassador forum as well, but things are slow there, so it may take a while for results to show.

In the meantime, I'd love to compile a list of suggestions on how to avoid this kind of thing happening to present these to TLG for consideration.

[DLuders]

@ Jetro: Earlier in this same Eurobricks topic, we had these following suggestions to help avoid plagiarism:

From RohanBeckett: "Would be good if they took up a suggestion I saw posted a few months ago: All entrants must take a photo with themselves - or maybe their model with a piece of paper, with a 'code word' for that competition... to prevent fake/stolen entries."

From JunkstyleGio: "I do hope that TLC with change the way of "how to enter". A simple way of doing this would be an extra picture to be submitted which shows "you and the model you made". I know this wouldn't keep the whole sheet of entries clean but it would help a lot!"

From Mortymore: "IMO, TLG should select a bunch of semifinalists and present them to the AFOL community to see if they find some fake entries, and only after, present a clean list of the 10 finalists, since seems that TLG by itself can't manage to do that. AFOL community is every day, every hour... searching the web for new works, designs, inspiration... so its easy for them (us) to have an idea if some competition entry was already seen before, were and to whom it may belong."

From AndyC: "Requiring that model submissions include a "TECHNIC Challenge March 2011" or whatever sign would be a lot less hassle and equally effective at blocking out cheaters."

From Sam42: "One idea that would eliminate such mistakes, (placing cheater's entries in the final 10 etc) would be to select a panel of technic based afols recruited from the fan community to judge the entries.

As is shown here, a group of technic enthusiasts can quickly worm out all the bad apples, infact the eurobricks technic forum would be the ideal place to recruit them from...."

[Jetro]

Thanks for compiling those suggestions. I clearly overlooked them.

I will include them in the thread I started at the Ambassador forum.

In my opinion a mixed solution would be advisable, because labelling the MOC with a sign for the pertinent competition and including a picture of you with the MOC still won't exclude people who physically copy a MOC (maybe even using building instructions. An AFOL panel would be more effective there.

[fmmjqtft]

The Technic challenges are not really 'challenges' at all; there are no particular goals that a model must achieve in order to win, other than recieving votes. Each entrant just sends in a low resolution picture showing a technic model with no proof that it is theirs, or that it even works. Most of the themes are too vague and cover too many vehicles. Instead the challenge should be to build a specific machine with a limit on the number of pieces.

The NXTLOG challenges are better (although still have vague criteria). Each entrant can upload pictures/videos/ldd-models/nxt-g programs, and a good description is probably required in order to win.

I think they should make a Technic version of NXTLOG, or just stop the Techinc challenges completely.

Fail again ?

Yes.

[AndyC]

In my opinion a mixed solution would be advisable, because labelling the MOC with a sign for the pertinent competition and including a picture of you with the MOC still won't exclude people who physically copy a MOC (maybe even using building instructions. An AFOL panel would be more effective there.

Whilst there is a small possibility there, I don't think it's very likely. Most people who are cheating are looking for a minimal way of doing things, which is born out by the fact that all the examples so far have just submitted a photo taken straight off the web. The effort (and cost) of obtaining all the relevant parts is probably sufficient to dissuade people in the most part. There's very little advantage in over-complicating the process for such an unlikely occurance.

[DLuders]

I have to agree with efferman!

Don't underestimate the TFOLs!

It seems that victor288596/ vkyppwnsall is a TFOL (Teenage Fan of Lego). He has this VKTechnic page on Facebook which points to his YouTube Channel , on which there is a photo of him. He is quite talented -- I thought he was an AFOL. My apologies.

[Splat]

It looks like one of the finalists has been removed. There used to be 10 finalists, but now there are only 9.

http://technic.lego.com/en-us/Competition/voting.aspx

[grohl]

Jurgen 's Backhoe got a job nearby, so it had to leave.

What about the other MOC? This goes tooo slow.

[JunkstyleGio]

The rest of the creations are original (or at least heavily inspired) MOCs!

[Anio]

The Technic challenges are not really 'challenges' at all; there are no particular goals that a model must achieve in order to win, other than recieving votes. Each entrant just sends in a low resolution picture showing a technic model with no proof that it is theirs, or that it even works. Most of the themes are too vague and cover too many vehicles. Instead the challenge should be to build a specific machine with a limit on the number of pieces.

A SeTechnic challenge you mean ?

I fully understand your point of view (and I agree with it).

But that kind of contest would not enable kids to participate (or yes, but with ugly models *_*).

And what TLG is aiming at is preciesely to involve kids in these contests.

[Conchas]

As you may have noticed, The March Challenge ended with 9 entries only, instead of the usual 10.

Despite there was an initial idea to replace the fake entry (presumably two at first and one later on), it took some time as the situation developed and it turned out a bit late for a new entry to come in.

The new contestant would not have fair chances of getting votes, compared to others listed for already sometime.

In the meantime the team is looking on the possibility to change the way photos should be taken for submission. So I guess we will hear about soon. Stay tunned!

[DLuders]

TLG posted the (youth) winner of the March 2011 Lego Technic Challenge. Legomaniac5661 gets the yellow Front-End Loader prize below. He described his MOC: "In the front there is a mechanical arm with three linear actuators, one to raise the boom and two for the function of the excavation. It can be used for excavation,to carry items, for both or the formation of wells. 4 stabilizer arms enable-lifting from the ground about 5 cm."

No word on whether there was an AFOL winner or not....

[Mortymore]

It seems to me that a mix of the bottom part of the 8294 Excavator , and the top of the 8053 Mobile crane, with some add ons, as won the prize.

Cumps

EDIT: to insert hiperlinks to brickset

Edited April 6, 2011 by Mortymore