DLuders

Two days ago, the third of three articles appeared on the LEGO CUUSOO Blog: Article 1 (May 14, 2012): "Projects Reaching 10,000 Supporters Will Now Be Reviewed Quarterly" Article 2 (May 22, 2012): "The Quarterly LEGO Review: How does it work?" Article 3 (May 30, 2012): "Tips for increasing your project’s chances of passing the LEGO Review with flying colors!" Tip #2 could apply to some complex Technic models submitted for CUUSOO consideration: "Your model can actually be too good for CUUSOO. What? Blasphemy! Actually, some advanced building techniques common in the AFOL community aren’t used on official products because it’s too complex for the builder following instructions—even on large models for ages 16+. If your model is a particularly tricky build, our end product could look significantly different—or not pass review at all. LEGO CUUSOO isn’t a place to canonize the best MOCs as official sets, instead, building your CUUSOO model closer to how we design LEGO sets will make it easier to turn your concept into reality. Need help knowing what techniques aren’t allowed? Re-create your model using LEGO Digital Designer." As ZBLJ knows, LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) is quite awkward to use for large Lego Technic models. Many parts don't even appear in the LDD Parts Pallette....

I like it! Are you going to place that Lego Power Functions Remote-Controlled Gearbox in a large MOC? Note that your Brickshelf folder is not yet "public", so we cannot see your Building Instructions yet.

@ Rodeown: Are you talking about the new Mindsensors.com GlideWheel-M rotation sensor, discussed in this TechnicBRICKS article ? "According to the pre-release information available from mindsensors.com, there will be three versions available of this: •One model will allow to connect PF motors to NXT motor port. The encoder support enables precise control (1 degree precision). •Second model will be similar to the first one, but for use with old RCX motors. •Third model will be a digital angle sensor, to measure angles with 1 degree precision."

Sounds mysterious! According to Wikipedia an "Anubis" is a "is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion":

Another great innovation by the Technic Master! I like the option of selecting either the small pneumatic cylinder or a small Linear Actuator: "Small pneumatic cylinder shown in the example is only one of several possible ways to control locking....it is also possible to use a motor – directly or, for example, with a small linear actuator." Thanks for sharing the building instructions:

I like the interchangeable body shells and the use of the big Unimog tires. This is a nice adaptation of ZBLJ's "The Beast" Trial Truck (TT) MOC ( below and Brickshelf gallery), which uses rare wheels:

@ Jurescianence: You can see what parts come in each Lego set by using the Bricklink Parts Inventory feature. For example, here is the Parts Inventory for the 8043 Motorized Excavator set. I used the following procedure: 1) Go to the Bricklink home page, and type in "8043" in the "Search" dropdown box at the top-center of that webpage. Change the dropdown menu selection from "Items for Sale" to "Catalog", and press "Go!" 2) On the next webpage you see, you will see the 8043 set listed. Click on the "(Inv)" hyperlink next to it to see the Parts Inventory. 3) On the 8043 Parts Inventory webpage, you can scroll down the visual list to see what the set contains. You can do the same thing for the other numbered Lego sets.

Nice! The raus/ marceloraus of the Willys Jeep shows how it looks like the real thing:

I just got off the telephone with Lego Customer Service ("Lego Direct") in Enfield, Connecticut USA at 1-800-838-9647, ext. 1. The Bricklink 10288 (Lego Element ID 6005755) part is not available for sale until July 2012; no price was given. However, the 10197 part (Lego Element ID 6005331, pictured below) is available now for USD $0.18 each. I'm going to make some 3-dimensional frames with them: THe Customer Service person said I could have ordered 10 different Lego parts (in whatever quantities I wanted for each part), as long as I had the Lego Element IDs and a credit card. Months ago, they used to say I could order 15 different line items.

Maybe the Y-shaped 10288 Technic Connector could be used to make a more-sturdy Lego Planetary Gear (epicyclic wheel) setup (using the Power Miners wheel described in this TechnicBRICKS topic) -- thanks to Mark Bellis:

@ Rodeown: Cool! I went to that Mindcuber.com website to find out more about it. I went to the LEGO.com MINDSTORMS link to find the Building Instructions, and the Program & Installation Instructions. How long did it take you to build it? "Guinness World Record holder David Gilday has made it possible for you to build your own Rubik’s Cube solver – using only one LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Kit. The LEGO MINDSTORMS enthusiast has been building with LEGO Bricks since he was 5 and has a lot of experience in the area. Use the link below and get to know him better and be inspired by his work. Building & Programming MindCuber 1. Download the Building Instructions here 2. Download the Program and installation instructions here The software for MindCuber is provided as an executable software file that you can download to the NXT brick using the standard LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 software by following these steps: 1. Select “Remote Control” from the “Tools” menu to open the “Remote Control” dialog 2. Select “Connections” from the “Remote Control” dialog to open the connection dialog 3. Scan for your NXT and connect via USB or Bluetooth in the usual way 4. Select the “Memory” tab in the connection dialog 5. Select “Download” from the “Memory” tab and use the file dialog to select the MindCuber.rxe file to download to the NXT MindCuber is now ready to go! Links to further information: Robot Operations Getting to know David Gilday better David has also built a model from the previous LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set (8527 – orange box). By adding a LEGO color sensor this model can solve a Rubik's cube. Find building instructions for the model, plus additional information and source code for the software on David Gilday's webpage: http://www.mindcuber.com. "

Your replica performs nicely; perhaps the 2H2012 9398 4x4 Crawler set will be better yet: I still think that a MONSTER TRUCK should have the monster-sized Power Puller tires/wheels....

One could form a hexagonal grid with 10288 parts and 2L Technic Axles, to simulate Carbon Fiber or reptile scales:

Nice replica of the upcoming (2H2012) 9393 Tractor set!

This canine likes the kitty!

Maybe you could have a hopper full of various Lego balls, mounted above a rotating 40-Tooth Technic Gear (on which four Technic Liftarms are attached, to form a rotating pinball-type paddlewheel). The balls fall onto the rotating paddlewheel, which spits out balls in a narrow, gate-like opening.

Well, then, don't use any Lego sports balls -- only Zamor Spheres in the Zamor Sphere launcher!

As reported by Fernando Correia on this TechnicBRICKS article, there are two new Lego Technic Connectors (just released with the new 9468 Vampyre Castle set). Bricklink 10197 "Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Hub with 2 Axles" -- Lego Element ID 6005755 (for now available in Dark Bluish Gray only): Bricklink 10288 "Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Triple" -- Lego Element ID 6005331 (for now available in Dark Brown only): If you ordered these from "Lego Direct" (Lego Customer Service), using the Lego Element IDs above, what would you do with them? I have some ideas: 1) The 10288 Connector could be used for a "bicycle wheel" or "Ferris Wheel"-type setup, where stacks of the 10288 Connectors could be rotated SLIGHTLY to allow numerous spokes to go outwards from a common center: 2) The 10288 Connector could be used to form GEODESIC DOMES, with Technic Axles connecting them together in pentagons and hexagons: 3) Four 10197 Connectors could be used with four 32034 Technic Connectors (center picture below), to form a 5x5 SQUARE version of the 64179 "Technic, Liftarm 5 x 7 Open Center Thick" part (right picture below): What are your ideas?

@ Burf2000: If you had access to LOTS of Lego Technic Connectors, you could form concentric rings (like those used in my Lego Technic Crown below). You could form a cylindrical neck, change sizes for the head rings and finish off the top with some Technic Liftarms. Note that the rings are not circular; they are OVAL (to conform to the shape of a human head). The lengths of the connecting axles differ to make the varying, oval shape. As I explained on MOCpages, "To make your own Prince Crown, start with a single ring fitted to your head, then place 3-long (3L) Technic Pins in ALTERNATING holes. Build your second ring and slide it down over the 3L Technic Pins of the first ring, then pop 3L Technic Pins into the empty vertical holes of the #3 Technic Connectors. That way, successive rings will be connected together as the crown is built upwards. Keep alternating 3L Technic Pins as you build upwards."

Talking LEGO robot skull reciting movie lines (with fashionable shades): num1builder made a nice, big Lego Technic "Human Head" (whose images I cannot link here).

Here is some additional information by the MOC's creator (from the comments to his ):"Weight - 3 kg spacing arm - 113 cm Chest circumference - 68 cm Height - 41 cm" "The slower movements of the head are possible though I prefer to run faster. Wrist rotation slowed down as it was possible. The mechanism must include the clutch and be as lightweight. The head is constructed so that it is lightweight as possible and still has a large inertia due to clearances in LA, and back links on the wrist. These clearances are not to circumvent." piotrek839 also discussed his Terminator Robot at length on LUGPol, in this English translation of the original Polish. He also posted (showing details):

You could perhaps make a ball plunger mechanism with your Lego Power Functions Medium motors to replicate this Lego Train Piston setup (as shown on this animation from Stiegsfeld): The front of the piston rod could be contacting the Zamor Spheres or Lego sports balls, and the PF Medium motor could be turning a large, 40-tooth Lego Gear connected to a rod that is oscillating back-and-forth. The orange gear wheel end of the NXT Motor is doing the same thing with its ball plunger....

@ Phoxtane: You could analyze the ball firing mechanism on Brian Davis' "OGRE - A LEGO NXT Tank" See his below and Brickshelf gallery. While the OGRE is not a simple machine, it is basically using this simple design from Thomas Lupson-Darnell (from MOCpages). Using his Lego Digital Designer (LDD) .lxf Building Instructions file, I built his ball-shooter attachment (which has a Lego Mindstorms NXT motor connected to Power Functions, like he did), and it works well. YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC2ISxtpQww

SeTechnic posted this PDF document on "Stressing the Elements by Jamie Berard" (Legal and Illegal Building Techniques). It shows (though many illustrations) how poor, defenseless Lego plastic elements get STRESSED (but still fit together)....

piotrek839's Brickshelf folder shows 32 pictures of his "Terminator Robot":