Blakbird

[GBC] The Akiyuki Project (2010 - 2020)

By Blakbird, in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling

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Blakbird   

Blakbird
Posted (edited)

Update: Information regarding modules from 2018 onwards are represented after @Blakbird's original post. I want to keep BlakBird's section of the post as he left it, to honour the immense amount of work he put into it. ( @Ankoku @9v system)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Post Start -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

G%$ #@&% it. Thanks to Akiyuki, The Rebricker, and the rest of you &%$*ers, I've now caught the GBC bug and it is going to cost me a lot of time and money.

It all started with Akiyuki. Well, GBC didn't start with Akiyuki, but I was more or less "meh" on the whole concept until he came along. His ingenious mechanical solutions are mesmerizing, perplexing, and wonderful. Although I admired them from the start, I figured there was more or less no chance of me replicating them from the videos, especially since the one I was most interested in was also the most complicated: the ball factory. My involvement therefore remained stagnant (and non-existent) for a couple of years until The ReBricker showed up and proved that you really could reverse engineer the Ball Factory and then went one step further and posted video instructions for the whole thing. "Fine", I thought, "I'll just build that one." A few months of LDraw modeling, part collecting, building, testing, and display case building later I was hooked. It was one of the greatest building experiences I've ever had. This forum has repeatedly wished for a comprehensive set of instructions for the GBC modules of Akiyuki, and I've decided it is my responsibility to help make your dreams come true. With that in mind, I've compiled a list of all of Akiyuki's 31 non-Mindstorms modules with the goal of creating and/or finding complete PDF instructions for as many of them as possible and compiling the resources here. I've made a lot of progress already. Here is the list along with whatever I know about building material available.

(currently 31 of 31 complete)

  1. Pinball
  2. Zigzag Stairs
  3. Cup to Cup - Type 1
  4. Cup to Cup - Type 2
  5. Elevator Module
  6. Marble Run
  7. Catch and Release
  8. Ball Factory
  9. Spiral Lift
  10. Pneumatic Module
  11. Archimedes Screw - Type 1
  12. Archimedes Screw - Type 2
  13. Archimedes Screw - Type 3
  14. Zig-Zag Lift
  15. Basket Shooter
  16. Train Module - Type 1
  17. Train Module - Type 2
  18. Wheel and Steps
  19. Step Module
  20. Fork
  21. Six Heads
  22. Bucket Wheel Tower
  23. Lifter Triggered by a Stuck Ball
  24. Spiral Staircase
  25. Tilted Rotors
  26. Invisible Lift
  27. Cycloidal Drive
  28. Fork to Fork
  29. Planets
  30. Strain Wave Gearing
  31. Zig Zag stairs V1

Here's a montage of some of the LDraw work I've done so far which also gives you an idea of the relative scale of the modules:

800x410.jpg
I'm not going to post any actual instruction files until I (or someone else) has tested them by physically building the model and proving that it works. I'm a stickler for accuracy, so I'm trying to get as close to Akiyuki's originals as possible. I already have PDF instructions ready for 4 of them and just need to test them out. As I build each model, I'll post a mini review about what I've learned and then I'll post links to the instructions and parts lists so anyone else can build them too.

(Update: See bulleted list above for which instruction files are currently available.)

As always, help is welcome. If you have successfully built any of these modules and are willing to share your information, please let me know here. In particular, I need LDraw files to make instructions. In a pinch, I can make them myself if you have detailed photos. In an even tighter pinch, I'm making everything myself from the videos, but it is slow going.

Enjoy!

 

Akiyuki GBC modules with instructions available to buy from the man himself

 

( In 2018, Akiyuki started to create instructions for some of his modules. Some for free, some require payment. For anyone who has tried to reverse engineer one of his modules, the price he charges is more than worth it. )

Hockey Stick Lift (2018)

Catch and Spin Robots (2019)

Heart Chain (2019)

Peanut (2019)

 

Akiyuki GBC modules with free instructions

Cars with adaptive cruise control (2019)

Spiral Lift GBC module compact type (2020)

New modules which currently don't have instructions available

there are currently no new Akiyuki modules that need instructions

Modules that were inspired or modified from this project

Modules by @FernandoQ

Serpentine

Pasillos/ Tilting ladder

Modules by @Berthil

 

Related threads

Train System

@Doug72 has created a dedicated thread for the Train System here:

It contains many improvements, mods, additions etc. which anyone interested in the train system should check out!

 

EV3

@9v system has created a dedicated thread for Akiyuki's EV3 modules:

A thread dedicated to modules like the Ball Cleaner, Container Transporter and Fast Ball Sorter Robot.

Edited by 9v system
: Added link to BVB thread

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MajklSpajkl   

MajklSpajkl
Posted

That is indeed great news - I also fell in love with GBC and that is also mostly because of Akiyuki's magnificent work. I did build some modules on my own, and of course I heavily helped myself with the online data available. I've built Akiyukis grabber (two hands only) and I must say those caught most people's eyes on our LUG's two exhebitions the past two weekends. I hope I'll manage to cut and prepare a small video of my setup ASAP and I will follow this topic with great joy and expectations - the invisible lift is the module that I find most intriguing s oI'm really looking forward to that one. Too bad that most of those great modules are really brick hungry :-)

Thank you for your effort in advance!

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aeh5040   

aeh5040
Posted

Very cool! Who could argue against such a project? Akiyuky is a god, and Rebricker and Blakbird are worthy high priests!

I could try to do some testing if needed. E.g. six heads?

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Blakbird   

Blakbird
Posted

I could try to do some testing if needed. E.g. six heads?

I've already collected the parts for six heads and will be testing later this week. If you want to test tilted rotors, I don't have the parts for that yet.

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RohanBeckett   

RohanBeckett
Posted (edited)

I have tilted rotors 65% complete.. just by studying video, and an incomplete design I found on another forum

I got a bit frustrated with it (rotors kept clashing), so it's sat on a shelf for a few months

would love your design to compare how close I got! :)

and I finally got around to starting my brick factory - first 5 videos done! :)

I've also been meaning to do instructions (or at least parts list) for Catch and Lift.. that's a nice easy/reliable one!

and I've collected most parts for cup to cup... hope to start that in the next month.

(welcome to the madhouse! ;)

RB

Edited by RohanBeckett

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jesuskyr   

jesuskyr
Posted (edited)

I made Cycloid Drive by using mlcad and bricks(See

). And the Akiyuki's bucket wheel tower and LegoGBC's pnuematic tower were made by mlcad but not built by using the real bricks. I also try to build the Fork to Fork by mlcad. If you want these files, I can share with you^^ Edited by jesuskyr

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djm   

djm
Posted (edited)

G%$ #@&% it. Thanks to Akiyuki, The Rebricker, and the rest of you &%$*ers, I've now caught the GBC bug and it is going to cost me a lot of time and money.

Mate, I'm blaming you, If you hadn't posted the LDraw file for the Ball Factory, I wouldn't have set off down this slippery slope and worked out the Cup to Cup build.

I get a feeling that I might just be building a couple more Akiyuki GBC modules for next year's Auckland LUG brick show, as this thread gets updated. Dang.

David

Edited by djm

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Theo van Vroenhoven   

Theo van Vroenhoven
Posted

Hi Blakbird,

Great initiative, dreams come true!

If I can be of any help (testing?) please let me know.

I collected all parts for GBF and about to start building it.

But I may be willing to postpone it to build other modules first.

Do you have a partslist of tilted rotors? May be I could build that one first?

May I suggest to add YouTube links to your index in the first post?

Then anybody knows what we are talking about!

Keep up with the good work!

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OneMoreRobot   

OneMoreRobot
Posted (edited)

Hi Blakbird,

Excellent initiative - Thanks in advance.

I have reverse engineered the Fork to Fork with Snake a couple of weeks ago & have included it as part of my GBC display at a show, it is an impressive module & very reliable. I can send detailed photos.

The Bucket Wheel lift I built earlier this year, displayed it at a two-day show with some reliability problems, have since reworked it including adding another level (two arms per side) same as Akiyuki has done in resent GBC show videos, I included a zig zag exit & have displayed it a couple of times with excellent reliability. I started LDD files, especially for the difficult buckets plus I can send detailed photos.

I built the 6-heads lift from the LDD file from the German Doktor Brick site, same for the fork lift.

May I also suggest the Cardan lift by Thorbjörn Söderstedt, an excellent & reliable module.

Here is the Fork to Fork with Snake - apologies for the poor smartphone photos. OMR

22466287813_f8fc582035_z.jpgIMG_1554 by OneMoreRobot_NZ, on Flickr

22669150347_cf03340eb7_z.jpgIMG_1555 by OneMoreRobot_NZ, on Flickr

22695251719_c7f4527cc7_z.jpgIMG_1556 by OneMoreRobot_NZ, on Flickr

Edited by OneMoreRobot

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legolijntje   

legolijntje
Posted

Ugh. My hands itch to make a "real" coherent collection of instructions out of these files.

Well, that sounds kinda vague. I mean instructions for all models, with the same style and layout, covers and stuff like that. That's just me being... me :laugh::grin:

Nice work, Blakbird! :classic:

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JGW3000   

JGW3000
Posted

Blakbird, I think you may have converted me to the GBC religion - did I just join the dark-side? Going to go gather parts now....

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dougstar   

dougstar
Posted

hahaha black bird is the only one here who has enough parts to build all the modules

maybe one day when im big :tongue:

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Blakbird   

Blakbird
Posted

I have tilted rotors 65% complete.. just by studying video, and an incomplete design I found on another forum

I got a bit frustrated with it (rotors kept clashing), so it's sat on a shelf for a few months

would love your design to compare how close I got!

Tilted rotors was a huge amount of work to reverse engineer, but I am 99% sure I got it right. I made a few animations to check the motion and it looks perfect. Really looking forward to building that one.

I've also been meaning to do instructions (or at least parts list) for Catch and Lift.. that's a nice easy/reliable one!

Any extra info you could give me on Catch and Release would be helpful. I agree that one doesn't look too complicated, but it still takes a lot of time to build from the video.

I made Cycloid Drive by using mlcad and bricks(See
). And the Akiyuki's bucket wheel tower and LegoGBC's pnuematic tower were made by mlcad but not built by using the real bricks. I also try to build the Fork to Fork by mlcad. If you want these files, I can share with you

Absolutely!! It would be super helpful if you could give me a file for the cycloidal drive. I just built the bucket wheel tower from my instructions last night. There were a couple of issues that I am working on correcting in the file, but the model now works perfectly with no issues so I don't need anything for that one. Anything you have on Fork to Fork would also be helpful. Shoot me a PM.

May I suggest to add YouTube links to your index in the first post? Then anybody knows what we are talking about!

I can do that. Give me a few hours. I also plan to add other information to the first post including part count for each once I know it.

I have reverse engineered the Fork to Fork with Snake a couple of weeks ago & have included it as part of my GBC display at a show, it is an impressive module & very reliable. I can send detailed photos.

That would be awesome. It doesn't look too difficult to reverse engineer from the video, but photos from many angles makes everything much easier, and if you have already built it and can confirm your interpretation works, that's even better.

The Bucket Wheel lift I built earlier this year, displayed it at a two-day show with some reliability problems, have since reworked it including adding another level (two arms per side) same as Akiyuki has done in resent GBC show videos, I included a zig zag exit & have displayed it a couple of times with excellent reliability. I started LDD files, especially for the difficult buckets plus I can send detailed photos.

As I mentioned above, I have the bucket wheel tower working perfectly, so I don't need any help there.

I built the 6-heads lift from the LDD file from the German Doctor brick site, same for the fork lift.

I also started with that file, but I found that there were a lot of errors in it. I moved virtually every part in the file (same with bucket wheel tower) so I finally just gave up and made my own file from scratch.

May I also suggest the Cardan lift by Thorbjörn Söderstedt, an excellent & reliable module.

I love that module and it is also on my list, but because it is not Akiyuki it will not be part of this topic.

Ugh. My hands itch to make a "real" coherent collection of instructions out of these files.

Well, that sounds kinda vague. I mean instructions for all models, with the same style and layout, covers and stuff like that. That's just me being... me

That's exactly my intention. A standard set of instructions in my usual style with my rendered covers. Of course I am not planning on selling these; they will all be free. I probably won't spend the effort to make them perfectly "TLG easy", my goal is just to make the models buildable for the average AFOL.

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legolijntje   

legolijntje
Posted

That's exactly my intention. A standard set of instructions in my usual style with my rendered covers. Of course I am not planning on selling these; they will all be free. I probably won't spend the effort to make them perfectly "TLG easy", my goal is just to make the models buildable for the average AFOL.

Well, I'm happy to help with any LPub work and stuff like that. If you need any help with that, just send a message :classic:

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scottster42   

scottster42
Posted

I've just finished creating my own version of aiyuki's fast ball sorter. will be a while until I get around to doing any sort of LDraw file but from the test's I've done so far it seems to work quite reliably. It's always hard trying to reverse engineer off a video, and I had to make my own mechanism for part as I couldn't see the inner workings. I applaude those working away at some of the more complicated modules here.

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afol1969   

afol1969
Posted

Awsome! A big project you've started, blakbird :thumbup: That will surely take a lot of effort and time so I very appreciate it. Even if I cannot build the modules in future because a lack of parts, if you need some support, I can do it, like converting LDD file, creating or stepping a CAD file.

Greetings

Alex

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skriblez   

skriblez
Posted

But why!!! Now i have no excuse not to build them myself.

Great work and will be following this tread like a hawk :)

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afol1969   

afol1969
Posted

I just finished the Fork to Fork and Snake Slide with mlcad. Currently I cannot start to build this one -.- Maybe next year possible....

You can find the mlcad file at http://www.bricksafe...iyuki/fork2fork

I cannot build it either, but I've made some instruction pages for testing. The stepping is well made, so if wanted, I can make the instructions at least that the steps are clear enough to build it for everybody. Especially there's a lot of rotation angles to do to see all parts where they belong.

Greetings

Alex

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