Tag Archives: Robots

Can’t find a good LEGO connection? Just add more!

I get a real kick out of seeing parts from the old Star Wars Planets line used in LEGO creations. I’m not sure why that is – perhaps it’s the round features juxtaposed with the often angular lines of other bricks, or the challenge of having only two connection points. Well, I say only two… Nuhvok_mok has come up with an inventive way to add more! In this somewhat sinister droid, the Death Star is used for the top portion, with the photoreceptors attached to it using LEGO magnets. Ingenious! Appropriately enough, the whole things reminds me of the Death Star interrogation droids from Star Wars: A New Hope. I wonder if there’s a tiny interrogation droid floating around in there…

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LEGO Icons 10338 Transformers Bumblebee – Does this Beetle-bot beat all bots? [Review]

LEGO has once again dipped its toe into the world of Transformers action figures. And while Optimus Prime and Megatron are likely the two most well-known of the Hasbro toy line, the Autobot Bumblebee has definitely got the number three slot locked down. First released in Japan in 1983 as Microchange Wagen, this scout-bot wins the hearts and minds of children everywhere with his “never say die” attitude that always looms much larger than his stature. While recent theatrical appearances have popularized a Chevy Camaro-version of this Transformer, LEGO has opted to return to the roots of the robot with the original Volkswagen Beetle design in LEGO Icons 10338 Transformers Bumblebee. The set clocks in at 950 pieces and hits store shelves on July 4th (July 1st for LEGO Insiders), retailing for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK £79.99. But after the success of LEGO Transformers 10302 Optimus Prime back in 2022, will B-127 measure up to his leader? Read on to find out!

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Smile for the camer-androids!

A few days ago, Joey Klusnick staked his claim for NPU of the year with his LEGO camera robot. It’s certainly earned my vote, not least because now, it’s got a little sibling! Rather than a functional camera, the head of this one is a Duplo accessory. In fact that camera throws off the scale slightly – it’s not until you look at some of the parts used elsewhere, like the windscreen in the body, that you realise that this droid is actually pretty small.

This next shot gives you a better idea of that! The consistent colours make them both feel like part of the same family. There’s some more clever parts use in the tyre and rubber band for the camera lens, too. But the cleverest detail might be the names. The bigger bot is called Megapixel; so what’s the smaller version called? Why, Thumbnail, of course!

A robot that’s a few bricks short of a load

The word “LEGO” tends to inspire thoughts of the traditional bricks that have been a staple of playtime for generations. But this spindly bubble-bot by Djokson is here to remind us of just how far the LEGO system has come. With nary a traditional brick to be found, this collection of gears and tubes is assembled into a robot that’s teaming with personality while being short on traditional studs.

The perfect place to go when your battery’s running low

Everyone needs to recharge every now and again; especially robots. And builder Rubblemaker has just the thing for a drowsy droid. This marvelous robot req. room comes equipped with plenty of charging devices and even a serving of a delicious Blue Alcobot to take the edge off. And you can’t beat that view!

Hook a brother up, will ya?

This LEGO creation by Duncan Lindbo imagines a world in which man and machine work together as one. Our Minifigure driver in the cockpit there spends the day moving heavy steel beams with the help of his mech. Sometimes such strenious activity can work up a mighty thirst (for the human, not the mech) and that’s why it’s nice that this powerful robot arm is gentle enough to grasp the fellah’s boba tea and hand it to him. I’m sure the bot asks for nothing in return except a little gratitude from time to time. I just love it for its striking blue color scheme!

Clean-up in apartment 2A, please

Housework is a real bore. It’s so easy to procrastinate over it. It’s why I’m here writing articles about LEGO on the internet. What I really need is a robot that can do my cleaning. Not a Roomba – I’m picturing something more like Duncan Lindbo‘s clean-up bot here. Sure, it’s more designed for toxic spills than doing the dishes, but look! It’s got a vacuum cleaner in one arm, and a net for… Hmm. What is the net for? Laundry? Actually, if the videos I see on the internet are anything to go by, some animals get really spooked by robot vacuum cleaners, so is it to catch unruly pets? That doesn’t sound very safe. And I might need to widen the doorway a tad to get it into my apartment. You know what, perhaps I don’t need a house-cleaning tachikoma. Not yet. Probably.

Avert your eyes, purists! Illegal Robot is here!

It’s not the biggest or most elaborate LEGO creation we’ve ever showcased here on The Brothers Brick but I was excited to write about it nonetheless. This little offering by Josephine Monterosso is called Illegal Robot and apparently, that was enough to pique my interest and get this wee bot onto my to-write list ASAP. She goes on to explain that this was built from modified parts and illegal connections. The shoulders and upper arms are cut ends from a chain and the hands are held in place via cut stickers wrapped around the pegs. The purists would not like this; the last time we upset them we got a record number of complaints from folks with AOL email addresses. I’m chuckling inside, Josephine. Thanks for being a total rebel!

A family gathering

OK, so the builder of this awesome LEGO robot family, Bartosz Sasiński, didn’t actually imply they’re a family, just that they’re a team. But especially with the little four-legged dog bot, I prefer to think of this as a cute family of exploration drones, and they’re magnificently sculpted with a clean aesthetic that Bartoz has carried through to the display base, which is perfectly minimalist.

Puny meat sacks are no match for this menacing machine

I’ve been watching game footage from Atomic Heart, a shooter set in an alternate timeline where robots designed to be faithful servants of man go on a murdering rampage. This robot by Pohaturon would fit right into that world. Long gangly legs look more than capable of running down any meat sacks on foot or in their pitiful vehicles, and that radar dish can probably detect meat sacks wherever they cower in fear.

Video killed the... Humans?

At first glance, I thought this LEGO TV mecha by Sebastien Racicot looked rather charming. Bright colours on the screen, big expressive eyes, and generally a neat idea for a robot-mecha-thing. But that was before I noticed the wasteland that it’s walking around in. And the ominous caption, which simply reads “LEGO robot TV domination”. Suddenly those big red eyes and grabbing claws look a lot more menacing. It makes you wonder if he might have listened to the Buggles one time too many, and killed a little more than the radio star. Although I’ve just remembered a ‘minifigure’ called Tee-Vee from the Alpha Team sets, so maybe this is just that character’s bigger sibling looking for him? Yeah, let’s go with that. That sounds much less scary!

Scolia the Venomous

This LEGO creation by Ivan Martynov is not for the faint of heart. Or at least not for people who are afraid of wasps and mosquitos. This little critter looks like it is not only equipped to defend itself against harmful villains. It looks like it was built to act out Order 66. It looks like a mean killing machine that won’t be taking prisoners. I can already see lots of people defending themselves with menu cards, rolled-up newspapers or a fly swatter. These beasts roam the tourist hotspots like zoos, playgrounds, ice cream parlours, and let’s not forget public parks. To top it off, they appear to be venomous and vigilante.