The Magazine for LEGO® The Enthusiasts Magazineof for AllLEGO® Ages! Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 33 • March 2015
8.95
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The Robots are Coming! Builders:
Marc-Andre Bazergui Andy Milluzzi
LEGO Designer Lee Magpili
LEGO IDEAS Sean Kenney
Instructions AND MORE!
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Issue 33 • March 2015
Contents
From the Editor.............................................2
People Sean Kenney: Connecting Nature..................................4 Brian Cooper: Building Robots Big and Small........10 Making R2 EV3: Building the LEGO Astromech Using MINDSTORMS............................14 Making the Iron Giant............................21 Growing up with LEGO: My Journey to Becoming a MINDSTORMS AFOL.........................26 Crafting a Creep3r....................................32 Lee Magpili: A LEGO Educator...................................36
Building L3-G0: The LEGO R2 Unit.....................................44 You Can Build It: Mini Ghost.................................................49 BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art: Tin Robot...................................................52 Building a Robot: Atomic Robo............................................56 Minifigure Customization 101: This is not the FLO You’re Looking For................................60 MINDSTORMS 101: The Perils of Dead-Reckoning...........64
Community LEGO IDEAS 101: Finding Your Audience.......................68 Some IDEAS on Robots..........................69 Cogmation: Simulating LEGO Robots...................72 LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Beyond Expectations...........................74 Last Word......................................................79 AFOLs.............................................................80
What is FIRST® LEGO® League?
FIRST LEGO League introduces students in grades 4-8 to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. Teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society. Go to http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/fll to get involved.
People
Sean Kenney: Connecting Nature
Interview by Joe Meno Photography provided by Sean Kenney
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Sean’s Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed.
Sean Kenney is one of just a dozen people worldwide who build LEGO models professionally via a program run by The LEGO Group called “LEGO Certified Professionals”. For the past 10 years, Sean has built many large-scale models for clients around the world. One of his most recent works is a display that is currently touring the United States, Nature Connects. BrickJournal talked to him about the display before the Christmas holiday. BrickJournal: Who inspired you to build Nature Connects? Sean Kenney: The show was developed in conjunction with Iowa State University’s Reiman Gardens in 2011 and has been on tour since early 2012. Teresa McLaughlin, the director of the gardens, initially contacted me with the idea of producing a large outdoor display for their garden, but after lengthy discussion we came up with the idea of instead having the show tour gardens all around the world. Selecting the individual sculptures themselves are all a collaborative effort between myself, Teresa, as well as garden staff and other experts in the field of botany, insects, and animals. Fundamentally the show is about connections. Much as LEGO pieces connect, everything in Nature is connected in an intricate balance. It is important to me that each individual sculpture attempt to illustrate some of these “connections” found in nature, whether it’s a fox hunting a rabbit, a hummingbird feeding on a trumpet flower, baby ducklings following their parents on a walk, or squirrels raiding a bird feeder as the birds stand by helpless to stop them. Others showcase the beauty of nature, like a giant 7-foot-tall rose or a 5-foot preying mantis. There’s also a life-sized lawn mower that visitors often mistake for the real thing... which is good for a laugh, but also shows humankind’s connection to nature. I love the way the exhibit has come out; it’s really exactly how I imagined it. Seeing a sculpture installed at the botanical gardens, set outdoors and in a bed of tulips really makes the piece shine. It’s nice to see a work like this be given a proper presentation.
Pretty ducks all in a row.
“All in all, the 50 sculptures in Nature Connects took an unbelievable 10,000 hours to design and construct. “
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People
Brian’s model Siege Knightmare with motorized cannon hands.
Brian Cooper: Building Robots Big and Small Interview by Joe Meno Photography by Brian Cooper and Joe Meno
Brian’s Millennium Falcon.
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Brian Cooper is a builder that has been around for over a decade building and displaying his models. His online name is Klaupacius and is also known for creating and releasing the instructions to the Teknomeka, a large-scale mecha frame that can be customized for many different looks. He’s also done robotics and remote control LEGO models, so he was a good fit for this issue of BrickJournal. He took time out to talk to us. BrickJournal: I know that you are one of the first-generation builders, as I went to your Brickshelf gallery online and remember the Dropsheep and the Explorovore models posted on LUGNET (www.lugnet.com). When did you start building and what was your first MOC? Brian Cooper: My first LUGNET MOC was a Millennium Falcon model I made in 2000, but I’d been building sci-fi and anime themed MOCs for many years before that. Since the late ’70s, Classic Space and Technic sets provided the primary construction materials for countless space ships and giant robots. I would generally incorporate mechanisms in all my builds, not just gears for robot joints, but spacecraft with rackand-pinion operated airlock doors and other mechanisms for boarding ramps, flight control surfaces, etc... I called it “mechanical intrigue”, details that made a MOC more realistic to me. The Millennium Falcon had electric minimotoroperated landing gear, seemingly excessive, but it was just a longstanding tradition. Like other people, I had a “dark age” away from building through college and my first job, but I got back into LEGO with the introduction of the LEGO MINDSTORMS set in 1998, due to its synergy of computer programming and Technic model engineering. I built a series of autonomous battle bots
Above and left is MechaGodzilla, with motorized drill hands and jaws. Below is Teknomeka 2.0 demonstrating enhanced poseability.
using the RCX units which culminated in the development of a really neat guidance system that used infrared tracking. I demonstrated these “Infradreadnaught” robots at the 1999 MIT Media Lab “Mindfest” MINDSTORMS exhibition. How did your building lead to building mecha? And what inspired you to build the Teknomeka? How long did it take to design the current version? After the Millennium Falcon, I was eager to revisit another blast from the past, giant robots, using new types of Technic parts to solve old design problems. I had always wanted to make a free-standing biped robot model with as many functional geared joints as possible. This became a long term development path that I ended up sharing in the form of LUGNET posts, my “Dark Gundam” website, and the eventual Teknomeka instructions in 2005.
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People
R2-EV3, WALL-EV3, and EV3RSTORM on display.
Making R2-EV3:
Building the LEGO Astromech Using MINDSTORMS Article and Photography by Marc-André Bazergui (Baz)
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Marc-Andre Bazergui is one of the most well-known MINDSTORMS builders in the world having built a large WALL•E robot that has been shown at events worldwide. He is also a member of the MCP—the MINDSTORMS Community Partners, which is a small group of LEGO robotics builders that work with the company at events. Some of his work can be seen online and in the packaging of the LEGO MINDSTORMS set. Since WALL•E, he has been working on another project that has been seen now in the past few months—a working R2-D2 that uses only MINDSTORMS and LEGO elements. This wasn’t an easy project, and here, Baz (as he is known by his friends and fans) talks to BrickJournal about how he built his R2 unit. After having so much fun and making so many people happy with my latest creation — the transforming WALL•E5 — I started looking for something new that might get the same instant recognition from the public. A Dalek model I built was not it (I guess being Dr. Who’s and the human race’s worst enemy wasn’t helpful)—I needed something more lovable. It became clear: I needed to build an R2-D2 model.
Starting a Droid Factory
Admittedly, Artoo turns out to be my favorite character in the Star Wars movies, and I’ve been thinking about building him for a while. Since 2012, I have been pushing the idea to build a large-scale transforming R2-D2, using a network of NXT MINDSTORMS programming bricks connected by a Dexter Industries XBee controller. It was also going to be a joint venture between several MCP (MINDSTORMS Community Partners) around the world. I had Mark Crosbie working on programming, Eric Steenstra sharing his Meccanum wheels, Vassilis Chryssanthakopoulos sharing his omniwheel design, and Jildert De Wachter and Mathieu Pedneault helping with other structural concepts. All of the discussions and design were going on via a Facebook group and occasional Google hangouts.
Initial prototyping for the large-scale R2 unit.
The head dome was designed first on LEGO Digital Designer.
This was going to be the most awesome R2 ever. I gathered all the LEGO parts I needed to start prototyping and built the skeleton far enough to start testing the leg movement for the transform from two legs to three legs. By the middle of Summer 2012, however, I discovered that the R2 unit was so big and heavy that it was collapsing under its own weight. The shoulders would not hold, even after using some techniques from some of the best MINDSTORMS builders in the world! Discouraged, I put this project aside. Around this time, the MCP was getting more and more involved in the imminent launch of the MINDSTORMS EV3 set. I realized that making a NXT show robot wasn’t a good idea, as the MCP were already getting pre-production equipment and being asked to design bonus robots for the new system. I posted the following message on our Facebook group: “Hi all, a little update. I’m afraid the current idea for the R2D2 has failed. I am now rethinking it from the ground up. Remember when I was presenting two possible sizes (the 9L and 7L dome)? Well, I believe the logical solution now is to start looking at a smaller scale robot and doing it full EV3.” I also set up a building session with my friend Mathieu Pedneault in August 2013. With his arrival, we would try and build the new smaller scale R2-D2. R2 in one of its final iterations before its scale was changed. At this time, the EV3 was just launched.
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People
Making the Iron Giant
Article by Joe Meno Photography by Mike Hallock
A movie that has had a cult following since its release in 1999 is The Iron Giant. Directed by Brad Bird (who later went on to direct The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), the animated movie is about a boy, Hogarth Hughes, who befriends a large alien robot. The style of the robot is from the ’50s, and has become an icon. Mike Hallock, an application developer at Disney, is a fan of the movie, along with his son. He’s also a sculptor that was inspired to build a large-scale model after seeing the Disney-based sculptures at the LEGO Imagination Center at Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World. Because of his background, he wanted to build a model in a larger scale. This would let him build the model with the detail he wanted. It didn’t take long for him to decide what to build as his first largescale building project: an Iron Giant that was motorized. It did take him a long time to build it, though—3 years, to be exact. Iron Giant TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
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People
Growing up with LEGO:
My Journey to Becoming a MINDSTORMS AFOL Article by Andy Milluzzi Photography by Joe Meno 26
Everyone has a unique connection to the AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) community. AFOLs come from all walks of life, all sorts of backgrounds, but have one thing in common: the desire to create with the iconic LEGO bricks (or beams). I can’t say I’ve ever completely shared my LEGO story, either in print or otherwise. Parts of my story are probably very unique, but I think the underlying passion is something we can all relate to. It all started with a story, I really don’t remember. I was too young, but I have heard it countless times over the years from my mother. As a child I loved to build; LEGO of course was my favorite toy (although I liked, and still do like, model trains). I was maybe 3 years old and my mother came in and saw me building a LEGO set. She said, “Andy you’re going to be an engineer someday.” To which I replied, “But mom, I don’t wanna drive a train.”
During the 2010 FIRST® LEGO League World Festival at Atlanta, Georgia, there was a meeting of the LEGO MINDSTORMS team with the MINDSTORMS Community Partners, a network of fan builders that helped the LEGO Group with MINDSTORMS design and programming. Many of the people in this photo are among the best MINDSTORMS builders and programmers in the world. Andy Milluzzi, the author of this article, can be seen at the top center in the light purple shirt. Other builders seen here that Andy mentions include Marc-André Bazergui
I honestly can’t remember a time where I didn’t have (or want) LEGO bricks as a kid. I am sure I was not alone. It was great family time (and just recently, my father is getting back into building with LEGO bricks). However, I had another passion: electronics and computers, a derivative of LEGO blocks, so to speak. In 1998 those two worlds collided. When LEGO MINDSTORMS (LMS) was first introduced, I took to it like a duck to water. I was far from an expert, but that didn’t stop me from trying to build and create bots. I vividly remember building the Mars Explorer add-on for it with my dad and showing him all the cool stuff LMS could do. Sure, the RCX was simple by today’s standards, but it opened a whole new world to me. I quickly discovered the extensions the AFOL community made. The work of people like Steve Hassenplug, John Barnes, Philippe Hurbain, Ralph Hempel, and David Baum (and countless other notable MINDSTORMS AFOLs, the list could go on for pages) made a huge impact in what I did with my free time. They might not have known it, but they inspired me to be an engineer. (Although my mother maintains I was going to be an engineer all along.) Time progressed and just before I graduated high school, LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT came out. It added fuel to the fire, so to speak. The advent of digital communications and additional processing power enabled new creations. Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio
(front row, right end), Steve Hassenplug (center with the dark gray shirt), John Brost (back row, sixth from the right end), Jay Kinzie (back row, fifth from the left end), Bryan Bonahoom (back row, eighth from the left end), Ron McRae (back row, sixth from the left end), Laurens Valk (front row, third from the right end), Lee Magpili (third from the left edge) John Hansen (back row, fourth from the left edge), and Steven Canvin (center, between Laurens and Steve.
hosted an annual LEGO robotics competition for high school students. My senior year it was based on the DARPA Urban Challenge for autonomous navigation. Long story short, after weeks of developing software, I led my high school to victory. (The video of the NXT navigating the course is actually one of the first videos I posted to YouTube.) It wasn’t long before I started my B.S. in engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Little did I know, that move to Terre Haute, Indiana would completely change the next chapter of my life. College is a transitional time for everyone and I was no exception. I moved into my dorm room with my NXT kit and started to emulate those who I looked up to. I got into creating my own sensors. In writing this piece, I actually came across an email chain with Philippe regarding creating a color sensor. I was becoming a member of the MINDSTORMS community, and it is that great community that helps so many people around the world, that makes the platform what it is today. It was around this time I crossed paths with Xander Soldaat. We both were working with Deepak Patil at Mindsensors. com. There were many Skype sessions discussing how to use the various suite of sensors. I also met Jay Kinzie, a fellow student at Rose-Hulman and a MINDSTORMS 27 Community Partner (MCP). I worked on quite
People
Lee Magpili: A LEGO Educator Article by Joe Meno Photography provided by Lee Magpili and the LEGO Group
The LEGO® MINDSTORMS® set is different things to different people. To the majority of LEGO builders and the public, it’s a complex and somewhat intimidating set that combines building models with computer programming. To a few unique builders, the set is a gateway to building models that go beyond the usual static model to one that can move and even react to different things. The LEGO® Group has focused the MINDSTORMS sets for use in schools as a way to teach science and technology. LEGO Education is a branch of the company that creates and provides resources for classrooms, including dedicated MINDSTORMS sets and curriculum. Lee Magpili is a MINDSTORMS model designer for LEGO Education. Since 2010, he has been creating models of creatures and more recently, scientific devices.
Lee with the models he built for LEGO Education.
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“If you want to be a designer, don’t forget to keep I know I am not the best builder
His history with LEGO began when he worked at the LEGO Store from 2004 to 2006. When he left, he recalls, “I had a good relationship with the company and was eventually called to work on a branding activity at Toys ’R’ Us in Christmas 2008. That led to me getting invited to the US LEGO office in Enfield, CT in 2008 for the ten-year anniversary of MINDSTORMS.” In that time, he had already been introduced to FIRST® LEGO® League and was starting to do workshops at The Town of Ramapo Challenger Center (previously known as the Lower Hudson Valley Challenger Center). He created a LEGO Robotics program for the center that is still going on now, and also started a FIRST® LEGO® League team there. Lee also did a freelance building job in Enfield. By 2010, he was contacted by the LEGO Group to work, and he went to Billund, Denmark (the LEGO Group’s headquarters) in May of that year to meet the design team. Over the next five weeks, Lee covered five tables with models he built. He explains, “For me, it was like being in a candy store!” For LEGO Education, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. LEGO Education’s MINDSTORMS set is different from the set sold at retail stores. The Education Core set has a different assortment of parts and sensors and a rechargeable battery, but no programming software. Software is available from the LEGO Education site, as well as supporting materials, such as curriculum packs. These packs are different lessons and models that can be used to teach and demonstrate design or scientific principles. Currently, there are three sets: Design Engineering Projects, the Space Activities Pack, and Science Activity Pack. For each pack, there are a selection of models that are not seen anywhere else. Also, LEGO Education has an expansion set that adds some more new parts and new models. Lee designed the models for the Design Engineering and Science Activity sets. The Design Engineering set is project-based, with three sections: Make it Move, Make it Smarter, and Make a System. Building is based on modules or building ideas. As an example, one of the models is a LEGO rendition of a Venus Flytrap. Lee explains, “The design brief for this model was not to build the model literally, but to create a programmable robotic creature that could sense light and dark conditions in the environment. This creature would also respond with different behaviors for each condition.” Lee’s first impression was to build some type of flower.
mastering your art and being humble about it. in the world. I’m always learning.”
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Building Minifig Customization 101:
This is not the FLO You’re Looking for! by Jared K. Burks
Through the course of this series we have covered how to customize or modify many different kinds of minifigures. These techniques can be applied to most any LEGO part. In this article we are going to use just a couple of droid minifigure parts and some non-droid parts to create something new. I challenge you to look outside the classical minifigure parts when creating custom figures. Get creative; don’t limit yourself to only LEGO parts — look everywhere for inspiration. So let’s create a FLO minifigure — no, not that Flo (left). Let’s look at FLO, also known as WA-7 from Star Wars. FLO is a unicycled service droid in Dex’s Diner on Coruscant. According to the Star Wars wiki, FLO had a built-in transmitter, keeping her in contact with the kitchen and a paired set of repulsor stabilizers that allowed her to maintain balance as she moved around her customers. Apparently FLO disliked low tippers and was often seen flirting with the dishwasher unit.
You wanted Flo?
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FLO was featured in several scenes of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones when Obi-wan drops in to visit Dex. She also made an appearance in the LEGO Star Wars Video Game, where Dex’s Diner featured as the hub for the game. It is the video game version of FLO that I will use as inspiration for the figure. As in most of the games, the designers take license to create figures using parts that either do not exist or combine elements to create new ones. Well, we can do that too.
Inspirational images for WA-7 droid.
Caution: This article will feature cutting and gluing elements together. Always use safe practices when cutting any LEGO part. When possible use sandpaper instead. When not possible always cut away from yourself. If you are a younger reader, please get your parents’ help before attempting to cut any part. Parts List (Wheel Up):
Part 3464c01 Wheel Center Small with Stub Axles (Pulley Wheel), with Black Tire 14mm D. x 4mm Smooth Small Single (3464 / 3139)
Part 2607 Magnet Holder 2 x 3
Part 3938 Hinge Brick 1 x 2 OR Part 2415 Plate, Modified 2 x 2 Thin with Plane Single Wheel Holder
Part 3794 Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with 1 Stud (Jumper)
Part 2555 Tile, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip
Part 30375 Torso Mechanical, Battle Droid
2x Part 30377 Arm Mechanical, Battle Droid
Part 4150 Tile, Round 2 x 2
Part 3749 Technic, Axle Pin without Friction Ridges Lengthwise
Part 32474 Technic Ball Joint
Part 6019 Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal
Part 4485 Minifig, Headgear Cap—Long Flat Bill
Part 87685 and 87686 Minifig, Plume Wheel Complete Left and Right, Dragon
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