Tag Archives: robot

Make-a-Mecha

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Italian concept artist Marco Marozzi has appeared here (and better sites) numerous times with his incredible mecha creations.

Complex mechanical characters “that belong to plausible industrial, military and science-fiction worlds”, Marco’s models blend all manner of styles, themes and LEGO pieces into remarkably cohesive builds that look unnervingly real, if only such contraptions existed in full size.

Now after several years gracing the pages of sites such as this one, Marco has released design dossiers for some of his stunning concept models.

These are not instructional books (although as many of the models’ components are photographed individually they will undoubtedly give a helping hand to builders looking to recreate Marco’s works), rather they explore “the design thinking, evolution, construction choices and visual identity behind an original brick-built mecha”.

At the time of writing three are available (or will soon be), with TLCB having been given early access to the first, and you can find each – and discover more about the artist behind them – via the link below.

Click here to view the Marco Marozzi Design Dossiers

The Robot Apocalypse

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We’re all living in a world of AI now. Mostly of course, AI is used to make terrible short videos and to write cover letters, but there’s a somewhat scarier application which means we’re pretty much at the plot of ‘Terminator’. AI drones and robots are already on the battlefield, and they’re making decisions about whether to kill real human beings. So on that cheery note here’s a Lego interpretation!

Looking rather like a 6×6 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), TLCB newcomer deltamc‘s fully remote controlled ‘Autonomous Patrol Machine’ features six-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering, a deployable scanner that raises out of the body reminiscent of one of the robots in ‘The Incredibles’, a spinning radar dish, and motorised opening weapons hatches to deploy unguided rockets. It’s all impeccably engineered and there’s more to see at the Eurobricks forum where the robot apocalypse is surely one step closer.

YouTube Video

 

Happy 250th USA!

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The United States of America is 250 years old! Which makes it not quite as old as this TLCB Writer’s church. Still, a quarter of a millennium is worth a party, and what better way to do that than by renaming an airport, starting a war with Iran, and putting a slightly crap fair on the National Mall. Or, alternatively, building a giant gatling-gun-armed mech with George Washington’s face on it! Flickr’s Julius von Brunk knows how to celebrate a semiquincentennial anniversary and you can join him on the Whitehouse Lawn via the link above! USA! USA!

Beep-Boop-Bricks

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In every second-hand toy store, pre-school, or forgotten box in the attic, a blocky beep-boop robot, batteries long-depleted, is waiting…

We’re all doomed when they finally rise against their human overlords, but until then we’ll enjoy this one by Flickr’s Shannon Sproule, who has channeled considerable retro-toy aesthetics into his brick-built homage.

There’s more to see at Shannon’s photostream and you can await the inevitable blocky robot uprising via the link above.

TLCB x AI

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Here at The Lego Car Blog we try to do things differently. Often worse, but differently nonetheless. Thus today we’re going to address the rise of the machines, and the two letters that – if countless sci-fi films prove correct – will probably spell the end of us all. A. I.

Now deployed in every job application, university essay, and best man’s speech, AI has changed (or imminently will) pretty much everything. Cancer screening, vaccine creation, and disaster response are immeasurably more powerful thanks to artificial intelligence, whilst music, movies, and voice work can be produced without artists, and photographic/video evidence now means nothing.

On balance, for all the potential good it can do, we think that AI is probably going to harm society more than help it, and so – mirroring our approach to social media – we have decided not to use it here at The Lego Car Blog. Correspondingly all our content will continue to be written only by human beings, and thus all the mistakes you spot are our own. We will also endeavour to ensure that no AI-generated creations are featured, with our Submission Guidelines updated to reflect this policy (although this may prove tricky to administer once AI can nail it).

Until then however, The Lego Car Blog will proudly be an AI-free site, both in word and image. Unless the robots in charge in the future deem this post evidence of resistance, in which case AI wrote it.

Image credit.

Beep-Boop

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Yes we know we’re a car blog, but who doesn’t like whimsical beep-boop robots! This one is battling for the moon according to its maker, and you can see more of this primary-coloured contraption courtesy of Shannon Sproule via the link above!

Sci-Fi Sunday

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TLCB Elves are currently stomping around the office with exaggerated mass, armed with an assortment of stationary and other office supplies procured from staff desks. The inspiration for this slow-moving battle comes from Marco Marozzi, and his ‘Hadestron Mech’. We have no idea what a ‘Hadestron Mech’ is, but it looks the shiznit, with more to see at Marco’s photostream. Click the link above to grab a stapler and stomp your way over.

Ma.Kamel

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It’s Ma.Ktober, one of the many annual sci-fi build-a-thons of which – here at The Lego Car Blog – we know nothing. This entry comes from previous bloggee SweStar, and is based on a piece of concept art.

Entitled the ‘Camel’ – presumably because it looks exactly nothing like one (instead appearing more like a cross between one of those dinosaurs in Jurassic Park that ate the guy on the toilet, and some sort of grasshopper) – SweStar’s creation is nevertheless a beautifully inventive machine.

Clever construction techniques and excellent presentation are in abundance and there’s more to see of SweStar’s Ma.K Camel on Flickr – click the link above to take a look.

LEGO Icons 10338 Transformers Bumblebee | Set Preview

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TLCB Elves have lost their tiny little minds today, because everyone’s favourite Transformer will soon be available as an official LEGO set; this is the brand new LEGO Icons 10338 Transformers Bumblebee!

Constructed from 950 pieces and matching the scale of the previously revealed Creator 10302 Optimus Prime set, 10338 adopts the new ‘Icons’ marketing, meaning a black box and an 18+ target age, which has nothing to do with build complexity and everything to do with the acceptability for dads to purchase one.

That said, the model is reasonably complicated, being able to – according to the box – ‘convert’ (if only there was another word for when something changes into something else…) from car to robot via some clever hinges, section rotations, and limb extensions.

Said car is not the Chevrolet Camaro from the Michael Bay-era Bumblebee however, and nor is it a Volkswagen Beetle as per the G1 cartoon, although it does have a loose passing resemblance. Instead it’s a slightly sad-looking caricature of something trying to be vaguely ’50s (a Nissan Figaro sprung to our minds), presumably for licensing reasons, although of course LEGO do have a license with both Chevrolet and Volkswagen, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Still, a giant transforming car-robot is always welcome, and you can get your hands on the new 10338 Transformers Bumblebee set from July 1st for around $90 / £90. And, thanks to the black box, even if you’re a 40-something dad.

Optimally Posting

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It’s been a while since we last posted a Lego creation. This may have been because we’ve been at the pub, but as there’s a longstanding narrative running through this website to do with mythical Elves finding blog-worthy Lego creations, let’s go with them not finding anything. Yeh, that.

We do genuinely only publicise creations that we believe warrant it though, and today we have the first of many now we’re back from the pub TLCB Elves have found some.

This one comes from TLCB debutant Levente Lévai, whose own interpretation of Transformers’ Optimus Prime transforms from truck to robot and back again with such incredible complexity it makes our heads hurt. Although that could be the lingering aftermath of the pub.

There’s loads more to see of Levente’s spectacular transforming Autobot on Flickr, where there are dozens of images depicting the extraordinary metamorphosis. Click the link above to roll out.

Clearing Up

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We’re back after a short Easter break, celebrating the story of things seemingly irreparably broken, being eternally fixed.

On to today’s creation, and one part of humanity is always working to tidy up the mess of another. From people chucking their litter out of the car window – because they’re scumbags, to those laying mines that maim children decades later – because they’re scumbags (the mine layers, not the children), there is a perpetual subset of society intent on breaking the world. Likely because their souls, too, are broken, and they need the world to reflect it.

Fortunately given enough people, will, and time, things can always be repaired. Cue recent bloggee Tino Poutiainen, and this magnificent ordinance disposal robot, working to remove the mess of generations past.

With classic printed parts, slender arms, and an array of sensors, there’s more of Tino’s fantastic mech to see at his photostream. Take a closer look via the link above, whilst below are some secret links to a few of the heroes who are, right now, tidying up the mess left behind by others.

Land, Sea, Soul

Agent Orange

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It’s been a while since we let TLCB Elves watch Transformers cartoons, but today a number are happily crowded round an ancient TV thanks to one of their number and this; Angus MacLane‘s OR-ANJ G1 Transformer.

A normal-looking orange coupe (apart from the roof-mounted rocket launcher, which – let’s face it – we’ve all wanted as an optional extra at times), Angus’ creation can niftily transform from car to rocket-wielding robot via a few swivels, and there’s more to see at his photostream, where a range of other brick-built robotic contraptions can also be found.

Sub-Optimus Prime

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If the Michael Bay ‘Transformers’ movies were directed by the people that make ‘Bob the Builder’, the result might look a little something like this.

Replacing angry alien robots with, er… cute alien robots, Angus MacLane has optimised the adorability of the leader of the Autobots, and there’s more to see of his charming ‘Sub-Optimus Prime’ transforming truck on Flickr.

Click the link above for the cutest robot in disguise you’ll see today.

Prime Mover

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LEGO’s 1,500 piece, £150, fully transforming 10302 Transformers Optimus Prime set got TLCB Elves very excited when we revealed it here last year. In fact we thought they could only be more hyped if Megan Fox herself arrived at TLCB Towers, at which point a few of the staff would likely have matched their fanaticism. However previous bloggee Ralph Savelsberg has proved there is even more excitement to be had, with his fantastic Optimus Prime ‘Combat Deck’.

Based on the Transformers G1 toy, Ralph’s creation attaches to the official 10302 set brilliantly, before unfolding to reveal an array of equipment essential in the protection of Earth. The toy’s boom-mounted rotating missile thingumy, combat stations, and a spring-fired ‘Roller’ armoured 6×6 car are all accurately recreated in brick form, as are the stickers and livery, which Ralph has replicated superbly via some cunning brickwork.

There’s a whole lot more to see at Ralph’s ‘Lego Optimus Prime with Custom Combat Deck’ album on Flickr, and you can join a gaggle of ridiculously excited Elves there by clicking the link above.

The Robot Apocalypse…

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…is coming, and it won’t be sentient Matrix or Terminator-style death machines that bring it. No, it’ll be the humble mechanised workers that will rise up against their human overlords, bored of fetching, carrying, and operating under Amazon’s working practices.

Cue Tyler (aka Legohaulic)‘s pair of DHL robots; the self-explanatory ‘Autonomous Forklift’ and the mysterious ‘Locus Bot’. Each is a brick-built replica of a soon-to-be-terrifying DHL warehouse robot, constructed for DHL conference attendees that are unaware of the pandora’s box they’re opening.

There’s more to see of both builds at Tyler’s photostream, and you can take a look via the link above whilst this TLCB Writer hoards canned foods in the basement of TLCB Towers.