Feb. 9, 2015 | By Kira
3D print designer Steve Medwin, who previously created this curved LEGO construction kit, has now released a set of curved LEGO Technic beams that can be connected with small pins to create unique geographic designs.
Technic is a line of LEGO interconnecting plastic rods and parts that can be combined to create more advanced models with complex movable arms. LEGO Mindstorms is another line of robotic products that uses Technic pieces in addition to software and hardware to create customizable, programmable robots.
For his first stop-motion experiment, Medwin used sixteen 3D printed curved LEGO Technic beams and connected them to a Mindstorms EV3 programmable brick, the ‘computer’ that controls the Mindstorms system. He wrote program that triggers the camera, advances the mechanism, and repeats this process over and over in order to create the stop-motion movement seen below.
Stop Motion: Experiment #1 from Steve Medwin
In the second and more complex experiment, his combined various 3D printed curved LEGO Technic beams with regular Technic gears. He used the same Mindstorms EV3 brick and program to trigger the motion and camera. With a bit of editing and a mirror effect, the result is a mesmerizing, mechanical, stop-motion display.
Stop Motion: Experiment #2 from Steve Medwin
Medwin has included several designs on his Thingiverse page that can easily be printed. In the file name, the fist number is the number of holes and the second is the angle between adjacent holes. You can also use the Customizer to experiment and make your own beams, you just have to enter the number of holes and the degrees between holes. The number of degrees sets the radius of the beam. It is even possible to make a full circle by adjusting the settings.
The LEGO universe has proven to be a creative breeding ground, not only for children but also for engineers, mechanics, builders, and now 3D print designers. This latest project by Medwin is just another example of how you can experiment not only within 3D printing parameters, but also with existing robotics systems and even photographic and cinematographic practices such as stop-motion—all based on a simple line of colorful building blocks invented more than 60 years ago.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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"Geographic designs"?
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