Tag Archives: Technic

The LEGO Technic line was first released as “Expert Builder” sets in 1977, and LEGO has been producing Technic ever since, including Bionicle and MINDSTORMS. The custom Technic models featured here on The Brothers Brick include some pretty crazy and amazing mechanisms that’ll blow your mind, from self-sorting LEGO to automated Rubik’s Cube solvers.

Incredible self-driving LEGO train system shuffles balls around endlessly [Video]

This railway contraption by Akiyuki seems to have a single objective: mesmerizing viewers with an incredible orchestration of moving trains while appearing to be doing something relatively productive.

Its only function is a closed looped system that transports LEGO balls. This type of machine is commonly known by LEGO fans as a Great Ball Contraption. Here, the machine consists of a circuit of tracks and seems to perform a crucial task, and that appearance is itself quite a major feat of design and ingenuity. For me, I’d prefer to call it out as an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) machine—which is a fancy way of saying it gives me the shivers—and it makes me want to stare at it continuously.

Consisting of several modules and utilising four carriages to transport the balls from section to section, let’s take a look at the various modules that make this thingamajig tick.

Click to see the modules in detail

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The Mack Anthem semi truck roars to life with LEGO Technic set 42078 [Review – Part 1]

Once upon a time way back in the 1990s, in the far-away kingdom of Denmark, the LEGO Model Team theme was born — a theme so brilliant, none of the sets was ever called disappointing or failed. But one day the theme was violently discontinued with no hope that it would be brought back. For many years, both young and adult LEGO builders cherished their dreams about seeing those sets in toy stores again. And it looks like the much-needed flash of hope is finally here: LEGO Technic 42078 Mack Anthem seems to be an example of a nearly flawless toy and display model.

The set is the fifth biggest in the history of the LEGO Technic theme, counting 2,595 pieces. The Mack Anthem features no costly Power Functions or pneumatics elements, so its retail price of £139.99 / $179.99 / 149.99€ makes it the most reasonable choice for pure brick volume among LEGO Technic sets of the first half of 2018.

Click here to read the full review of 42078 Mack Anthem

Three LEGO motors, 17 LEGO pneumatic cylinders and a pinch of engineering magic

Apparently German builder Quanix knows about engineering with LEGO something that I can refer to simply as “magic”. With only 3 Power Function motors (plus 1 servo-motor) he somehow controls 17 independent pneumatic cylinders, which are capable of moving 1200 LEGO basketball/soccer balls around the circuit in an hour. This monstrosity is built with more than 3,000 LEGO bricks including more than 150 cm of conveyor belt.

Not sharing a video of this beauty in action would be a terrible mistake. Make sure nobody disturbs you during the next 10 minutes of this mesmerising performance:

All you need is a little Boost! [Video]

Remember Jason Allemann (AKA JK Brickworks)? He’s the LEGO builder who designed the LEGO Ideas 21305 Maze set. He’s also the mastermind behind several other awesome creations that we’ve featured over the years. Now Jason is at it again with this brilliant little machine, a candy catapult! He constructed it entirely from the newly-released BOOST Creative Toolbox set 17101.

See the video of Jason’s machine in action

LEGO Technic 42074 Racing Yacht [Review]

Unlike the charming LEGO Ideas 21313 Ship in a Bottle, the new LEGO Technic 42074 Racing Yacht, despite also being a ship, doesn’t come inside a brick-built bottle. Instead, this bright and vivid ship was designed for high-speed regattas. Even though its playability is rather limited, the set can give a young builder the very basic idea of a modern racing vessel’s mechanisms. The set is just 330-pieces big, but its retail price of £24.99/$39.99/29.99€ can make it a pretty good addition to your collection if you can deal with the model’s flaws…

Click here to read the full review…

Mesmerizing LEGO Kinetic Art with Video [Instructions]

Kinetic art is fascinating to me for both the seemingly impossible nature of its function as well its ability to evaporate a similarly impossible amount of time from the lives of those who are awestruck watching it. This video of a LEGO kinetic sculpture by aeh5040 is sure to entrance anyone who dares press play.

If you’d like to make your own copy of this piece of LEGO kinetic art, you’re in luck. Check out instructions and related materials for this build over on Rebrickable.

What’s in the box, er, silo?

This Technic Silo Truck by Designer-Han shows that sometimes boxy is sooo good. The design elements of the model are pretty simple, with beam-built body panels and a SYSTEM brick-built “silo” as cargo. The roof of the cab shows some thoughtful details, including a rack of lights, top air dam, and CB antenna.

Click here to see the play functions and a video of the truck in action

BuWizz in style with the Technic Corvette C1 [Instructions]

JamesJTechnic on YouTube brings us this classy 1961 Corvette C1, powered by a BuWizz motor and remote control.

This model demonstrates an excellent use of Technic panels for the body side panels, hood, and trunk lids. It also features a detailed front bumper. The removable hard top provides a nostalgic touch. I like how the model uses flexible hoses on the hood to add contoured ridges to the model’s hood.

Powered by the BuWizz motor and remote control, the Corvette drives and turns thanks to a Power Functions M-Motor and Servo Motor.

If you want to build this classic yourself, the building instructions begin at 2:28 in the video.

Moving earth with the massive LEGO Technic Cat 7495 [Video]

Combining LEGO Technic and System bricks into a cohesive model can be challenging, but Arjan Oude Kotte is a master LEGO engineer. Arjen brings us this incredibly detailed model of the Caterpillar 7495 Electric Rope Shovel built to minifigure scale. This model of the titanic heavy equipment machine towers over the minifigures and pickup truck in the image below. I love the attention to detail evident in the catwalks, ladders, and upper deck of the model visible from its left profile.

The model also includes a dizzying array of realistic power functions. An operator can remotely lower and raise the digging arm, close the bottom trap of the shovel, move on its treads, and swing the model side-to-side on its base. Check out the video to see it in action.

Digging deep with a motorized LEGO Technic Bucyrus RH400 Mining Shovel [Video]

Among the largest excavators in the world, the Bucyrus RH400 stands over three-stories-high and can move 9,000 tons of earth in an hour. Sheo. miniaturized this mining giant to a minifigure scale model, complete with Power Functions.

The top deck of this machine shows thoughtful details like railings, water tanks, fire suppression equipment, and even a service crane. The digger arm contains graceful (and functional) curved shapes combining Technic and System brick. The operator cockpit even has space for minifigure operator.

Click to see a video of this excavator in action

Keep Calm and Truck On

Builder Ingmar Spijkhoven builds a mean-looking truck, complete with its trailer and a payload with chains to secure them all. Though it’s not modelled after any given brand or manufacturer but purely from the builder’s imagination, it stands out enough with a very classic “truck look” that reminds me of the infamous transformer Optimus Prime — especially with the colour scheme Ingmar used.

The best part is that it’s actually motorised with Power Functions and remote control features. Details go beyond the surface with a detailed engine block, fully done up interior, and doors that function as expected. At about 3,250 elements and 3 months of toil, I’d say the outcome was worth it!

See more photos of this fantastic LEGO truck

LEGO BOOST 17101 Creative Toolbox [Review]

The 17101 BOOST Creative Toolbox represents the latest initiative from LEGO to introduce children to the worlds of engineering, robotics, and computer programming. LEGO recently expanded their range of supported devices, so we’re finally able to bring you a review without purchasing a brand new iPad. LEGO has targeted the 7- to 12-year-old age range for the BOOST product, one of the youngest demographics for a LEGO robotics kit. Unlike the MINDSTORMS series of products that features Technic, BOOST liberally incorporates LEGO SYSTEM brick (in addition to Technic) as the mechanical parts of the robots.

For this review, I engaged the services of an appropriate expert: my 6-year-old daughter, Artemis. Overall, she had few difficulties building the Vernie model, although she occasionally lacked the hand strength to push the Technic pins in holes (particularly when seating multiple pins at once).

Who has two thumbs, builds robots, and won’t eat broccoli? This girl!

Read our Boost review after the jump