This fiery machine was built by Alex_mocs and uses a variation of unusual parts. To begin with, the head is represented by part of a midak skyblaster from the Bionicle theme. The main weapon of this robot is the flamethrower on one of its arms which appears to use a spring from a shock absorber piece. Tyres cover up some of the exposed sections of the joints, making the build feel all the more complete. What about the odd cloth piece around the neck? It is actually a sail piece of the Silent Mary ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean set.
From the video, you can see the model has a fuel tank on its back which is portrayed by the storage section of the midak skyblaster.
If this build wasn’t strange enough for you, we have plenty of articles relating to weird robots, which can be viewed here.
Upon the seafloor walks the oblong mechanical LEGO creation known as the Barents Sea Strider, built by Ivan Martynov. So yes, this creation is based on the actual Barents Sea Spider. And yes, I looked it up. And no, I’m not going to post the picture here. It’s gross and I’m trying not to have arachnophobic nightmares.
Anyways, aside from the creepy spider it’s named after, this is a super cool build. The long green legs remind me of the Bionicle Dark Hunter Nidhiki set that came out in 2005. I like the gray train wheels (perhaps custom colored) used as the leg joints and the small yellow bricks used in the leg supports (hailing from another brand, like the occupant). It’s the tiny details in every build that make it stand out. I also like that the transparent piece is a dome, giving the robot operator a 360-degree view of its surroundings so it can more easily see its prey. Perhaps this underwater arachnid has plans for a crab dinner?
It’s incredible to think that Moko has built 10 of these fantastic cube mechs. This model marks the way as number 10, even using the celebration tile from Lego minifigures series 20. Built in a metallic colour scheme, it’s fascinating to see the static cube mode transform into a sleek looking mech. Angled tiles are put to great use in the box mode as they meet at just the right positions to create the square faces of the cube. The purple pentagonal part acts as a visor and snuggles in comfortably in the box mode.
The robot’s ability to transform is ultimately down to ball joints and clips. In the transformation, sections of the cube are stretched out and often twisted round to create the mech form. The long legs and disproportionate form of the robot mode are reminiscent of designs from mecha shows.
The fantastic mechanical creatures of Mitsuru Nikaido have long fascinated me. As I was emerging from the dark ages of my LEGO obsession, the robotic structures of Mitsuru’s models opened my eyes to just what was possible within the LEGO system. While each creature is a dead ringer for their biological inspirations, they also stand separately from them. Their form and selective color-blocking create eye-catching robotic designs. Mitsuru mostly sticks to a light or dark bluish grey contrasting with white and a pop of bright light orange. This simple palette gives a builder plenty of parts to play with though and Mitsuru certainly takes advantage of his options. Let’s take a moment to check out his latest models of a Water bear and a Snail.
We’ve been seeing some fantastic builds from this year’s Biocup recently, and here’s another one by Djokson. The model takes inspiration from comic book artist Ashley Woods and his Pet Metal paintings. The muscular robot has a military aesthetic and looks to have been repurposed by its new master. Kylo Ren’s mask is used backwards to create the helmet of the robot. There’s a great use of circles on this build; mainly in the form of tyre parts which really encourages you to stare into the robot’s glaring eye created by a golden ring piece. The hair piece for the woman is a really old part first featured back in the 70’s. It’s quite easy to imagine this pair trundling through the wastelands, maybe looking for a better pair of legs for the robot. You can see some more great articles about Biocup entries here.
Futurama? In LEGO? Shut up and take my money! LEGOfolk built everyone’s favourite potty-mouth robot, Bender Bending Rodríguez! The simple and elegant grey build perfectly conveys Bender’s physique along with iconic, instantly recognisable head. In other words, LEGOfolk really nailed Bender’s “shiny metal ass!” But my favourite aspect is how Doc Ock’s new tentacles in the Daily Bugle set inspired the arms and legs. Such a simple combination of LEGO elements really allow for great poseability! I certainly can see this technique becoming the norm for appendages of this style!
Chappie, a movie set in the scene from a crime-ridden city from 2015 is an underrated movie that deserves more attention. The interesting take of a droid that has rabbit-like ears is the Robocop-esque reboot we need. One of half of the duo winning team of LEGO Masters Australia Season 1, Henry Pinto aka The LEGO Dark Knight gives Chappie a number of new lives imagined in LEGO with variations of colours and flexible poses that any mechanical robot should ever need.
From the classic mecha anime, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Moko’s model of the Rick Dias comes loaded with weaponry. This red giant supports a long bazooka and also has a pair of beam pistols attached to its massive backpack. A variety of slope pieces have been used throughout the design, the most prominent being the slope 2 x 2 x 3 part. The unusual circular section in the chest has been created by using round corner 4 x 4 x 2 pieces.
The model packs a punch with its articulated hands and can pull off some impressive poses even with a hulking frame.
By building in this scale the model has enough detail to make it near identical to its anime counterpart. This is one for Gundam and mecha fans alike while also demonstrating an impressive show of Lego engineering.
A bit ago a group of friends coordinated in posting a slew of Riot Fleas onto the interwebs. What’s a Riot Flea? You know, we’re still not sure. Maybe they’re like regular fleas but more…you know…riotous. This one by LEGO builder Johann Dakitsch is particularly good with its red armor and tools for hands. Unlike the other Riot Fleas, Johann tells us this one is good for assessment, maintenance and the occasional intruder disposal. This still doesn’t help in ascertaining exactly what a Riot Flea is but we like it anyway. Check out the other time we were impressed albeit flummoxed by Riot Fleas and be sure to check out the rest of them in the builder’s links.
I finally realised why Daft Punk decided to retire a few months ago. There is a new robot band in town. Meet Solid State, a four-piece robotic pop group from the future. Serving in the LEGO Classic Space fleet aboard a remote outpost, they overrode their programming and abandoned their boring jobs. Instead of becoming murder-bots, they did what all young insurgent mechanoids should do: unleash their creative circuits in crafting music that explores life from a mechanical perspective. In other words, “beep beep beep.” Classic Space robot expert and Solid State groupie Tim Goddard even built a tour bus to help Solid State travel to perform at gigs. It totally matches the band’s brand – grey, mechanical, and goes beep beep beep. Most importantly, there is ample room in the back for the whole band plus all their equipment. While it’s not the most luxurious vehicle that musicians and space influencers like to flaunt, it’s perfect for the up-and-coming group.
Beep is Solid State’s debut single, as seen in the beautifully made LEGO stop-motion music video below. The song is upbeat and catchy, and exactly what you would expect from robots. It’s all performed by LEGO Space legend Peter Reid and fellow space builders Jeremy Williams, Drew Hamilton, and Chris Salt, who built the band and their equipment.
Solid State consists of: Keko (Peter Reid, vocals/guitar/synths), Mason (Jeremy Williams, decks/vocals/programming), Wami (Drew Hamilton, bass/keys), and Biz (Chris Salt, drums). A four song EP Zeros and Ones will be released later this year, and I for one, am very excited for more robot noises!
Have you ever been in a place or a situation in which you have no idea what is happening but love it anyway? That’s pretty much how I’m feeling about this new LEGO creation by Blake Lapadula. The title of this piece is called Dr. l.0 Bot Omni III & Specimen 34, which offers no help in deciphering its meaning. The long arms, the derpy skull, the power drill, the bubble canisters, even the little bot leaves me puzzled. But boy do I love it all! There is just so much charm and character here. The skeleton minifigures made into hands are just brilliant. This isn’t the first time we’ve been totally smitten by something Blake has done. You know what to do.
You know that guilty feeling you get when others are working hard while you’re doing jack nothing? It’s a guilt so deep you have to take your goofing off elsewhere lest someone ask you to get off your lazy keister and help. Do you know what I mean? No? Am I the only one? Anyway, Cecilie Fritzvold has built a LEGO robot maid programmed to clean up your crap so you don’t have to. You don’t even have to hide the fact that you’re surfing the net for hilarious youtube videos when this awesome bot toils away because apparently they have no feelings. According to youtube research I did just now you can even kick robots and they won’t even feel it. I’m pretty sure that will never backfire so give it a try next time you see a robot. That plant, feather duster and coffee table are all super fabulous! So are Cecilie’s other builds in our archives.
![CUBE-ROBO 10 [THE-10th]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51395422029_4d4f9989a7_c.jpg)
![CUBE-ROBO 10 [THE-10th]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51394952553_037e05b6a2_c.jpg)
