Awesome Motorized

Maker AxelMadeIt created a truly unique work of kinetic art – a 3D printed book that demonstrates different kinds of mechanisms on each of its pages. It only has four pages, but each one is a slimline marvel of engineering, showing off how gears, linkages, and electronics through practical demonstrations.

If you spin LEDs fast enough, a persistence of vision effect can produce the illusion of a 3-dimensional object. Nick Electronics shows how he built a motorized volumetric display that uses a small grid of LEDs and wireless power to keep it illuminated. Some of the slow-motion patterns it makes are more pronounced on video than to the naked eye.

Over the years, we’ve seen all kinds of interesting vehicles built from LEGO bricks. Build It with Bricks made this LEGO Technic drift car, which moves around using a fan blade. Its propeller is driven by a powerful BuWizz motor module geared to maximize speed. An additional motor lets its driver steer the blade’s direction remotely.

You only need to overtighten and break one object in a vise, and you’ll realize there’s value in a vise that can automatically adjust its grip to hold items at a set intensity level. The MakaGiC VS01 motorized vise grips items with the push of a button and holds items up to 125 mm (4.92″) wide. An add-on work light includes a magnifier for working on small parts.

Digital clocks typically use LCD or LED screens to display the time. The Rantoge clock uses electro-mechanical components instead. Each digit on the clock is made from a set of flat metal segments, flipped into place using motorized levers. The DIY clock kit blew through its funding goal on Japan’s Machi-Ya crowdfunding site and is heading into production now.

Inspired by fellow creators munimuni Bekkan and Brick Experiment Channel, LEGO builder Dr. Engine thought making his collection of movable LEGO bridges would be fun. Each of the eight motorized bridge designs works in a different way to provide passage for boats beneath and vehicles on the roadway overhead.

What’s the best design for a LEGO vehicle to conquer a difficult off-road obstacle course? LEGO Technic expert Dr. Engine created four very different vehicles and tested them on a tricky course with loose, uneven terrain and a steep slope to see which design was the most capable in challenging conditions.

While an all-terrain personal mobility device sounds like a good idea, we’re not sure that boots that drive like tanks are the best way to get around. Joel Creates shows off his design for a wearable off-road vehicle that’s totally impractical yet extraordinarily cool to see in action. They’d balance way better if they had longer tracks.

The NERF HyperFire can launch about 300 darts per minute. Michael Pick built a custom NERF weapon that can (theoretically) fire 2560 darts in the same amount of time. It’s powered by a dozen motors and has four 15-round magazines. We’d love to see how many darts it could fire with a larger magazine setup.

MicroCoaster’s miniature roller coaster kit lets you create custom tracks from over 900 parts, with 19 feet of track and a battery-powered lift hill. The S-scale coaster that rolls on its rails was inspired by Cedar Point’s Maverick coaster and rolls on 30 steel wheels. The initial batch is sold out but subscribe to their newsletter for updates on more releases.

Brick Technology has a keen interest in testing LEGO cars in all kinds of driving environments. This time they take a look at what it takes to give LEGO vehicles enough traction, mass, and stability to be able to traverse a sand-filled pit reliably. As you’ll see, it’s not just as simple as going with four-wheel drive.

These days, it’s pretty easy to find a clock that tells time with words. But this clock from Twisted&Tinned is the coolest variant we’ve seen. Behind each of its 114 letters is an individual servo motor that moves the letters into focus as they light up, adding a sense of depth to the display. A DIY kit is available on Tindie.

This silent, motorized camera rig helps you capture smooth dolly shots on any flat surface. It drives along circular or linear paths or a pre-set route you draw with the Trexo mobile app. An optional turntable kit lets it turn 360º either on a tripod or as a base for objects. It can also be programmed without a smartphone.

After impressing us with a LEGO car that can climb over a stack of books, the Brick Experiment Channel is back with a simpler vehicle design challenge. The plan? Dial in the right mix of traction, gearing, wheelbase, and weight balance to climb the steepest sheet of glass possible. And then, start cheating.

If you slap wheels onto a basic motorized LEGO vehicle, it will have a hard time climbing over obstacles. The Brick Experiment Channel tested out a variety of design and drivetrain modifications to their car to see what it would take to climb over stacks of books with the best results.

We always assumed that LEGO constructions were fairly delicate, and certainly not capable of lifting more weight than we can. But the Brick Experiment Channel shows off a contraption they built that can lift 102.2 kg, or about 224.8 lb, using only LEGO Technic parts and string.