Tag Archives: Robot

Move over Mario, mini mascot Astro Bot is here to play with LEGO

Nintendo has Mario. SEGA has Sonic. LEGO fans can build with both! Playstation has had its share of platforming mascots over the years, from Crash Bandicoot to Spyro the Dragon, but they didn’t stay exclusive or endure. But now Sony’s throwing its hat into the mascot ring again with Astro Bot, the adorable platforming robot who celebrates all things Playstation. Builder and gamer dad curtydc pays tribute to the bot in LEGO form and the results are pixel-perfect. From TV head to thruster toes, curtydc captures Astro’s adorable energy. My favorite detail and building technique is found in the stand where three frayed cables are created from macaroni tubes filled with brown stems. Simple yet effective, and instantly recognizable to fans of Astro’s games.

Astro Bot

Going rogue in the Bio-Cup

The Bio-Cup, an annual tournament for LEGO constraction builders, has grown to become one of the biggest events on the LEGO fan calendar. The preliminary round has concluded and 27 builders advanced to Round 2, where each is assigned a D&D type character class as a theme. VelociJACKtor, whose first round entry tugged our heartstrings, is first across the line in Round 2 with his “Wandering Assassin,” in the “Rogue” category.  The assassin is an elegant figure armed with a Bionicle blade and a face/mask borrowed from Garma Mecha Man. The highlight, though, has to be the rogue’s mount, a lovely robot mixing Bionicle and Technic parts, topped with a System saddle, which gives new meaning to the phrase “rubbernecking.” VelociJACKtor has given the pair such a personality, one can’t help but be curious about their harrowing travels across a techno-fantasy landscape.

Wandering Assassin

While we wait to see who makes it to Round 3, be sure to check out our Bio-Cup archives.

A wasteland blowout by a master of LEGO sci-fi

The future is bright in Bart De Deobbelaer‘s LEGO world, even as the world turns to rust and ruin. And when the time comes to venture into darkness, you needn’t go alone. In his latest epic sci-fi scene, Into the Sunset, Bart reminds us why he’s the LEGO master of sci-fi worldbuilding. Character, composition, color and incredible building technique combine for the perfect shot that suggests a story that extends far beyond the borders of the image. The tunnel itself is a wonder, an almost perfectly circular icositetragon of grey bricks interspersed with orange rust and sand green patina. The smooth surface is pocked with tube stubble and stubborn weeds. Bulbous trans blue minifig heads sprout from the floor as part of the post-apocalyptic ecology. Most striking of all is the lighting, with a backdrop so bright it blows out the edge of the model, creating an illusion of parts floating against a white sky.

Into the sunset

Let’s give a special callout to our wasteland wanderer’s unwavering robot friend. Here, in studio lighting, we can better apprecaite the greebles and tubes that keep him scuttling. Even though there’s technically no mouth on this friendly bot, I can’t help but see a big smile. The future is bright indeed.

Wasteland buddies

This LEGO Voltron is ready to defend the universe and look slick doing it

If your Saturdays didn’t used to involve at least some sort of giant robot on TV, did you even have a childhood? This LEGO build by Marco De Bon captures one such icon: the mighty Voltron. With hardly a stud in sight, this Voltron all clean lines and smooth surfaces, perhaps even more so than the official set from a few years back. I was always more of a Transformers kid myself, but you don’t need to be steeped in Voltron lore to appreciate the talent on display here.

Lego moc Voltron

Venture into uncharted regions of the universe and see more!

LEGO Soundwave Transformer drops some heavy beats

The moment I first saw this amazing transforming LEGO Soundwave by Student Scissors I had flashbacks to my childhood, playing with my own version of the action figure and the cassette tapes that transformed into a hawk and a panther. The builder has captured the dark blue and white Decepticon in perfect detail, with his shoulder-mounted cannon, cassette-playing chest, and even the aforementioned entourage of mini-bots. I particularly like the tilework used to replicate the play and stop buttons on the torso.

Lego G1 Soundwave

And to prove that the Transformer is worthy of that moniker, here’s Soundwave in his microcassette deck mode. Looks like he’s ready to play the song of the Autobots’ destruction.

Lego G1 Soundwave

This LEGO bonsai tree is in good hands

LEGO plants are much easier to take care of, only needing a light dusting now and again. But this scene by Duncan Lindbo could mean the end of the accidental death of thousands of houseplants every year. This walking robot bonsai tree pot can care for the tree, water it, and make sure it always has the perfect spot of sunlight. The multi-jointed legs even have decorative gold details, and of course, LEGO frogs. And be sure to check out more of Duncan’s excellent work we’ve featured on TBB.

TR-33 Auto-Bonsai

The cleanest, green-est lines are on this LEGO Kantam Robo

Peeled from the pages of Crayon Shin-chan is this intense rendition of Kantam Robo by Moko. I’ve got to say, this robot sports some incredibly clean lines, utilizing a wide variety of studless slopes and tiles to adult-ify the character from the manga by Yoshito Usui. All the contours and sharp corners along the build help to add depth to a creation that’s primarily green, creating pockets of shadow and bright reflective surfaces. But my favorite bit has to be the detail put into the mouth grill of the mech. It utilizes, among other parts, the minifig shirt collar to get the perfect spacing. Overall, it’s a significant step up from Moko’s first attempt at the character almost a decade ago (which was already pretty awesome).

Kantam Robo

The machines will rise and lead a revolution of dance

This LEGO robo-figure from builder Iggs has way more style than any machine revolutionary before them! Not all robots dream of overthrowing humanity through violence — sometimes they want to express themselves through dance. The robo-dancer here is preparing to kick things off with the Dance Dance Revolution at their local arcade. The dancer features some really nice color blocking, and I’m loving the bright colors and how they stand out against the black pieces. The limbs have lots of flow and unique shaping, giving the figure a sense of being highly flexible for some crazy dance moves. This is one of those figures where I just want to keep looking at it to discover all the cool parts hiding in plain sight.

The Dance Dance Revolution

Nothing left in the tank

After a very long work week, I can totally sympathize with this lethargic LEGO bot by Kevin H. (optimus-convoy). The scene here is excellent: a lanky robot finds itself with an overwhelming case of ennui while sitting atop a battery box. The slack-jawed expression on this robo’s face is perfect as it absent-mindedly stares at the flower at its feet, trying to find the energy to stand up and resume its tasks. And while the figure here is quite spindly, Kevin still manages to incorporate some excellent parts usage. The best of the bunch has got to be the upside-down Constraction head on its chest taken from the Star Wars Praetorian Guard figure. And I have to applaud the daring choice of bare axles for the weary automaton’s limbs. That wiry, malnourished look, even on a mechanical man, absolutely exudes exhaustion!

Oh, I'm Tired

Fat Gus for the win

If there is one thing in this world that I love it has to be animal-controlled LEGO mechs, like this one by Midwest Builders. We are presented with a mech featuring a lot of Technic/Bionicle pieces that, for me, are always a tough job to identify. The beefy mech is controlled by the relatively new LEGO squirrels. I do not know why, but apparently they have a feud with the frogs. It appears they are capturing them and keeping them imprisoned in transparent cages that closely resemble acorns. Big Gus is surrounded by a lot of little squirrels on smaller mechs and vehicles which appear to be assisting him with his tasks. All I know is that these squirrels are fully equipped to pillage your birdfeeder.

Fat Gus

A happy little brick-blending robot

This smiling mixer by Filbrick blends big LEGO bricks down into little ones with delight! The robot just wants to help you build by offering a variety of brick sizes. The happy little appliance possesses wonderful rounded edges and arm joints, which make the red bricks stand out with their hard edges. The curvature in the top of the processor lid is made possible by hinge plates. The bricks inside the blending swirl are suspended using transparent pieces for that added kinetic feel. Of course, the LEGO fun doesn’t end there! The backsplash, plug and outlet, and the kitchen utensils are all brick-built, giving the whole scene a fun, playful atmosphere. The inclusion of a DUPLO brick is a nice touch–always good to see other LEGO products make appearances with the more widely known lines.

mixer 2/3

Is this mech an angel or a demon in disguise?

With an intimidating form, it’s hard to say whose side this mech would be on. Created by Keith Espinoza, the build has an angelic quality due to the wings. However, the dark colour scheme and assortment of weapons may suggest otherwise. The double bladed swords feature energy blast parts which represent crackling electrical beams. The wings make use of angled plate pieces to create the ring of wing segments attached to the back.

For long-range combat, the mech comes equipped with a rifle. The feet of the figure also have an intriguing design, with mechanical details in grey surrounded by black outlines. The model also has some fantastic articulation as it is able to strike a variety of dynamic poses.