pleegwat

Has the 11374 pinball machine been mentioned here yet? I was idly browsing instructions for this month's releases and it looks to have some interesting mechanisms.

The point I'm trying to make is about having the motor plugged in during use. If you're running a GBC all day at a show, you don't want to swap out the motor for a charged one every few hours (or likely more often). And you do not want to disassemble your model to recharge the motor if it's not easily accessible.

Actually, in Europe, it is. USB is universal. That's why it's mandated. There can not be a requirement that recharging during use is only possible using first-party hardware.

Do we know if the new motors with integrated battery can run while a charging cord is connected? Would it be feasible to use standard USB components to distribute power throughout a larger model, with permanent wall hookup for GBC and similar fixed installations?

They might even release a 32T gear at some point?

It wouldn't be motorized. The 1:8 cars are shelf queens, and the transporter would be as well.

So do European car transporters. Technic trucks tend to have shorter cargo sections than prototype. I agree a new transporter would be nice though.

I don't mind the cars existing but they could move them to a sub-theme.

While there may be enough plastic, it may be tricky to mold.

Standard lego track (5 stud gauge) would be standard gauge to a 11-stud-wide train, or narrow gauge to a 15-stud-wide train. In either case TLG would have to add wider curves.

Same colour makes it easier for kids to buy a couple and make their own build from the pieces. It may also simplify production. Another note on these: I have heard in the past about different such collections that it was possible to buy an entire box (in this case of 16 sets) which is guaranteed to contain 2 of each.

If I remember correctly train track has a 40 stud radius, which is significantly more than the 15 or 16 stud radius of this curved gear rack.

The 8-wheeler looks similar to 42080. But the 6-wheeler has multiple wheel sizes which TLG tends to avoid.

I expect these sets are aimed at children who are too young to own the previous versions.

Looks like a low-friction version could be useful as a higher-load slip bearing.

Combining that with traditional technic motors could lead to some interesting robotics possibilities. In theory, at least.

I wonder if 36 parts per wheel is a record.

Accurate control? On pneumatics?

Probably also only if the battery is actually included in the box, which is the case for sound/light bricks but not for technic battery boxes.

Last year's overarching theme was space, and we got some nice sets out of it. This year was F1, which was always going to be 'even more cars' for technic. We'll see what we get next year.

I'd bet the inner gears are not quite lined up. Flicking them about a bit, or rotating the top or bottom one (after sticking an axle in) should free them back up.

I've always been a fan of this classic video on differentials.

Size. A valve powered by a solenoid need not be more than twice as large as a regular valve.

I don't think a special servo is the way to go for RC pneumatics. I think it should be a dedicated valve part, based on a solenoid instead of a servo.

But the real thing isn't powered by pneumatics either. It's powered by hydraulics. And those might look similar, but linear actuators (if done right) can act more similar.