MEGATech Showcase: Amazing LEGO Creations Beth Snyder January 28, 2014 Features This time around, we’re going to do something a little different. Not one thing in this showcase is something you can purchase. They all are, however, things you could, given enough creativity, engineering know-how, and an unlimited budget possibly create for your very own. I remain fascinated by the things people make out of LEGO bricks, and am quite regularly rendered speechless when I see some of the end results. For instance…the life-sized, working car made of LEGO, that can travel at speeds up to 20 mph. What?!? Who would have even though that could happen? Steve Sammartino and Raul Oaida had a dream, and using 500,000 LEGO pieces and 256 pistons, they made it happen. This LEGO car runs on air, and is fully functional. It was originally built in Romania, but has since been shipped to Melbourne, Australia. The boys say they drive it slow out of fear of having a “giant LEGO explosion”, and who could blame them. But…check this out! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ObE4_nMCjE] Source: Gizmodo This is what happens when a LEGO fanatic is also a Call of Duty fanatic. “ZaziNombies” is the name of this person, and he has created the MP-443 Grach as well as almost all of Ghosts’ weapons. The MP-443 not only looks pretty darn close to the “real” item, but it also features a removable magazine (with golden bullet) and slide action. He’s also created the ARX-160 and USR. Check out the video to see it in action. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFZ1Rc2C-RA] Source: Damn Geeky If you know anything about epic battles, you know that good and bad, or light and dark, are opposite sides of the same coin. This was brought home in a big way to my childhood mind during the fight between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, and now it is embodied in this LEGO portrait. Depending on which way light is applied, this portrait (made from 16,000 LEGO bricks) shows either Yoda or Darth Vader. This one was brought to you from Google Switzerland. Check out the video for a time-lapse of it being built. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhqXv6L1kC0] Source: Geekologie Philip Verbeek calls this his “Great Ball Contraption” (GBC). I call it “Mousetrap for Grownups”. However, as opposed to Mousetrap (I’m not the only one old enough to remember that game, am I?) or any other Rube Goldberg-type machine, the purpose of the GBC is not to actually accomplish anything in particular. Its purpose is simply to keep the little basketballs moving endlessly in a loop. In addition to about 2,000 bricks and other pieces, the GBC also uses elevators, moving ramps, and a particularly engrossing undulating bridge. It also incorporates LEGO NXT so it can be controlled via Android app while collecting system performance data. You’ve got to see the video to truly appreciate it. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb9HiCFDdwY] Verbeek has made downloadable instructions for building your own, and the project is currently looking for support on LEGO CUUSOO as well. Source: Geek.com Above you see Kansas, but Jeff Friesen has used LEGO to create dioramas of all 50 US states. Some of them are pretty darn funny (and of course I chose Kansas to feature because of my love for the Wizard of Oz), but all of them are equally accurate if sometimes stereotypical. He’s also selling prints of the photographs if you would like one or more for your very own. These are good for a giggle, and certainly worth checking out. Source: Laughing Squid Have you ever wondered what 80s movie characters would look like as LEGO minifigs? Dan Sheam did, so he set out to create them. Above you can (obviously) see the Blues Brothers, but he’s also created Judge Dredd and Beetlejuice, and is planning to create more as time goes on. By the time he’s done, he’s planning to create 80 different characters from 80s movies and I can’t wait to see them all. Source: Nerd Approved Speaking of the Blue Brothers…remember the car chase scene in the shopping mall? Wanna see it redone shot-for-shot in LEGO? Yeah, I thought you did. Who wouldn’t? The fine folks at BrickTease created this, and I bow down to their greatness. I love the Blues Brothers. The original one, not that travesty they remade a few years ago (although they meant well). And the mall scene is, while not my favourite scene in the movie, pretty high on the list. Check out the video to compare the two and judge for yourself how accurate the LEGO re-creation actually is…you’ll find it’s spot on. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-stcy2er7w] Source: Geekologie Since we’ve recently celebrated Apple turning 30, what better time to show you this LEGO Macintosh? Jason Kinsella and Charlotte Bakken created this one, which is actually a scale model of the original machine (if you’re old like me, you remember how new and space-agey and wonderful these were) made entirely of LEGO bricks. It’s not exactly perfectly accurate, however: they created a slot in the side so you can slide an iPad into it to be used as the display. Which means it’s kind of like a LEGO Macintosh touchscreen hybrid. I like it! The video is a stop-motion of it being built. [vimeo http://vimeo.com/80817057] Source: Technabob Are you familiar with Rapidash? I have to admit I am not, as Pokemon was a thing in that in-between decade when I was too old for toys to be cool any more and also not old enough for toys to be cool once again. But that doesn’t matter, because this is neat. Rapidash is a Pokemon who runs so fast flames burst from his back and fetlocks, and his tail and mane are made of fire. Mike Nieves aka Retinence made this entirely out of LEGO bricks. Source: Nerd Approved Holy Rivendell! If you think the picture above is amazing, take a peek at the other one in the gallery, which shows artists Alice Finch and David Frank posing with their creation. It’ll give you some idea of the scale of this thing. However, you need to check out the source article for detailed close-ups as well as an interview with the two of them explaining the work involved in creating this masterpiece. My jaw dropped. Literally. This took them over a year to design and build, and I am eternally grateful they did. Source: The Brothers Brick Who wouldn’t want a GeForce GTX 690 the size of a twin bed mattress? OK, maybe it’s a bit smaller than that…crib mattress? That’s probably not quite big enough. Xiaosheng Li decided after all the hype surrounding nVidia’s latest and greatest card, he would make one out of LEGO bricks. This replica measures a whopping 6 feet by 2 feet, and is made from 11,396 LEGO bricks. It’s built with amazing attention to detail, taken from a CAD drawing of an actual GTX 690 using special LEGO modeling software. Source: Damn Geeky If you squint just right, or perhaps take off your glasses, this is a perfect rendering of the Mona Lisa. Marco Sodano created her, as well as a few other famous paintings, out of LEGO bricks because he believes that all children are artists with the magic plastic shapes. They obviously don’t show the detail of their originals, but they are fairly instantly recognizable to those who are familiar with art. And really…he’s right. All children are artists, right up until the world tells them otherwise. Millions of refrigerator-mounted drawings don’t lie. Source: Incredible Things While I’m not a Downton Abbey kind of girl, I can appreciate how neat this particular creation is. This tabletop-sized version of the Abbey includes several minifigs of characters from the show, and was created by Eric Stevens. He even made a minifig of himself so he could become part of the show that is gaining popularity by leaps and bounds. The video is an interview with Stevens, talking about his project. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN_U0LYxWf0] Source: Technabob Paul Hetherington, aka Brickbaron, created this amazing replica of an amusement park using over 30,000 LEGO pieces. It’s even mechanized, and full of traps for Batman and Robin as befits something modeled after the Joker. He put this together in just two months, working around silly commitments like his day job to bring his vision to fruition. The detail here is amazing! Check out the video to see all the mechanics. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95gUCiT_-A8] Source: Nerd Approved These are the things that make me giggle. Anatomy of a Minifig, brought to you by Jason Freenie. Who is my new hero. It stands 7.5 inches tall, and is entirely hand-sculpted. The silliness factor coupled with the potential ick factor appeals to the part of my brain that also adores cheesy B-grade horror movies…in fact, the only way to make me love this more would be the addition of some fake blood. Source: Walyou I’m closing this one out with another video. I don’t really have much to say about it, other than that Brian Anderson re-created the scene from The Dark Knight where Batman Interrogates the Joker. Mostly. Just watch the video, you won’t regret it. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PJd4hfHOrM] Source: The Awesomer Share This With The World!
