Robotic Hand

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BrickNerd_MOCstalgia.jpg

Here at BrickNerd we like to look back from time to time, even to our own past. Way back before I made the switch to digital effects I did creature effects and animatronics. I've built many hands in my time, but I don't think any were as cool as this one from Barman76. I really like the linkage on the fingers, allowing all four to gracefully move independently, but be driven by two motors, genius! Watch the video, you'll be amazed.

IMG_2334
This is my first Mindstorms MOC. I still need to get the programming shorted. This idea has been laying around for more than 2 years. On different events I had the prototype finger with me to show what I was planning to do.

Bowser

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He may not have been the very first final boss, but he was probably the one the most people have gone up against. Meet Bowser, from Nintendo's ubiquitous series of Mario games. Bowser is the widely considered the principal cause of damage to Nintendo game controllers (due to caffeine-fueled rages of frustrated gamers). This version by Sir Nadroj is pretty perfect (and not likely to cause any damage).

Brickworld Report, Part 3 - Individual Creations

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Though collaborations make LEGO conventions unique by bringing multiple builders' collections and techniques together, it is the skill of the individual builder that we truly marvel at. Building alone can often be just as challenging and frustrating as writing creatively. But I think you will agree that the results can be stunning. Below are just a handful of the excellent individual creations on display at Brickworld 2014.

Stick around for our last and final report - It's All in the Details.

Wolf Spider

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For Immediate Release:

Merzlakwerks Tactical Systems Inc is proud to announce the debut of our latest heavy combat platform, the HAQ-74m 'Wolf Spider'. Whether in the deserts of earth, patrolling combat bases on Moon Base Delta or off world military scenarios, the Wolf Spider is exactly what you need. With duel plasma injecting impact canons, advanced chassis and Articuvanced™ Quadrupedic Mobility Conveyance (AQMC), the Wolf Spider puts the odds in your favor, and the firepower in your hands.

HAQ-74m 'Wolf Spider' Heavy Combat Platform

Brickworld Report, Part 2 - Collaborations

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One of the great things about a LEGO convention like Brickworld are the Collaborative builds. Collaborative displays allow builders to pool their resources and skill sets together to create something much larger and more diverse than any one builder can do alone. This year's Brickworld features two new massive collaborative displays, The Odyssey from VirtuaLUG and Collector Minifigure Habitats from ToroLUG. The Odyssey collaboration features all of the major events of Odysseus and his crew as they sail about the sea on their 10 year journey. The Collector Minifigure Habitats and their completely different apartment-like styles vary greatly from a traditional display but is no less cool and progressive in its design.

Next up in part three of our Brickworld coverage we will cover the individual builds in all of their glory.

Shadowfax - LEGO Kinetic Horse Sculpture

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Every once in a while a MOC comes along that just leaves you in awe, this one does just that for me. Standing still it has dynamism and grace, but watch the video and prepare to have your mind blown. Incredible work by JK Brickworks.

Galloping Horse Kinetic Sculpture
This is my custom designed kinetic LEGO sculpture of a galloping horse. It is built entirely with LEGO parts, mostly using Technic pieces, and can be operated by a hand or with a motor. It was quite a challenge to reproduce the fluid motion of a horse.

The Dubuque

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Having grown up in a very small town, large buildings still captivate me, especially those building with architectural flair. I'm also fascinated with miniatures, probably because of my cinematic background. So when you can combine the two with supreme skill, you've got my full attention. This is the Dubuque, by Barton Thinks, and it's marvelous. It's just one of many excellent micro scale modular buildings, click through for more pics.

Littlebrick: The Dubuque
Littlebrick: The Dubuque
Littlebrick: Full Block

Brickworld Report, Part One - The Setup

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The first few days of Brickworld Chicago are reserved for workshops, presentations, and the all imporant display setup in preperation for the public viewing days on Saturday and Sunday. If you ever have the chance to attend Brickworld during these "private" days I would recommend doing so. The access you receive grants you a behind-the-scenes view into the creations and the creators of Brickworld. LEGO fans are a very friendly bunch and always very passionate about their favorite brick building hobby. With so many diverse building styles and themes you are bound to pick up a new technique or two that you can apply to your future builds, all while having a ton of fun and meeting cool new people.

Stay tuned for part two, where we will cover one of my favorite parts of Brickworld, collorbative builds.

History Cops!

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It's just a great day for LEGO videos. Here's one from the peeps behind The LEGO Movie, Michelangelo and Abraham Lincoln in History Cops, a grind house film parody.

Release Date: February 7, 2014 Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller Screenwriter: Phil Lord, Chris Miller Starring: Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, Alison Brie, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Nick Offerman Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family MPAA Rating: PG (for mild action and rude humor) Official Websites: http://thelegomovie.warnerbros.com/index.html, https://www.facebook.com/TheLEGOMovie, https://twitter.com/thelegomovie Plot Summary: The film, the first-ever full length theatrical LEGO movie, follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

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I finally got a chance to watch Wes Anderson's latest cinematic achievement The Grand Budapest Hotel just a few days ago, and I loved it. And now Ryan Ziegelbauer, Gary McIntire and a team of top notch builders have created a masterpiece of their own inspired by the movie. I give you the LEGO Grand Budapest Hotel, and it's awesome!