This will be our doom. In a few years, a NXT controller somewhere will go sentient, and Lego factories the world over will start building plastic terminators to kill us all. We must start a resistance movement now before it's too late! *grabs shotgun*
Wait... this doesn't just build some static model of a car or something -it has variable input parameters and can build anything within its dimensional allowances that its parts stores allow? My mind is blown!
And there's custom software on a PC between the Lego designer software and the factory, but apart from that all of the factory's own components are Lego products, too (including three Mindstorms controllers).
It doesn't actually have THAT many parts to choose from, and can only pile bricks on other bricks and not, say, assemble gear-trains. But this is like carping about the speed of the Lego 3D scanner or the picture quality of the Lego movie projector.
Thanks you for the reactions (and ofcourse a big thank you for putting me on the blog).
@ Red October, you're indeed very right in what you say. This factory is not only capable of building a small Lego model on it's own, but it can build (nearly) anything that you can imagine with the limitation of the bricks available in the warehouse and some limitations on the building techniques you can use.
You can use the Lego Digital Designer software to design the model you want the factory to build, after which the software I've written myself will interpret the model and convert it into building steps for the factory.
@ Daniel Rutter, you mention that it uses three Mindstorms controllers, this is in fact even five Mindstorms controllers. There are three on top of the factory, 2 on one of the robots there and 1 on the other robot. And there are also two on the ground (or table ;)) that control some other functions.
Dan, please excuse this threadjack, but... One of the first things that I ever purchased by your suggestion was a Squid Light. I still have that sucker even now and have maybe changed the batteries thrice since I first got it.
The one I have is that ugly purple color. One of the tabs on one arm snapped off, but that's okay because I never use it that way. I just wanted to say, thanks for your fine work and thanks for my squiddy.
8 November 2010 at 9:46 pm
It's starting to look a lot like Christmas.
8 November 2010 at 11:10 pm
This will be our doom. In a few years, a NXT controller somewhere will go sentient, and Lego factories the world over will start building plastic terminators to kill us all. We must start a resistance movement now before it's too late! *grabs shotgun*
9 November 2010 at 6:02 am
Just waiting for the Von Neumann-compliant version...
9 November 2010 at 3:19 pm
Wait... this doesn't just build some static model of a car or something -it has variable input parameters and can build anything within its dimensional allowances that its parts stores allow? My mind is blown!
9 November 2010 at 5:16 pm
Yep.
And there's custom software on a PC between the Lego designer software and the factory, but apart from that all of the factory's own components are Lego products, too (including three Mindstorms controllers).
It doesn't actually have THAT many parts to choose from, and can only pile bricks on other bricks and not, say, assemble gear-trains. But this is like carping about the speed of the Lego 3D scanner or the picture quality of the Lego movie projector.
10 November 2010 at 8:23 am
Thanks you for the reactions (and ofcourse a big thank you for putting me on the blog).
@ Red October, you're indeed very right in what you say. This factory is not only capable of building a small Lego model on it's own, but it can build (nearly) anything that you can imagine with the limitation of the bricks available in the warehouse and some limitations on the building techniques you can use.
You can use the Lego Digital Designer software to design the model you want the factory to build, after which the software I've written myself will interpret the model and convert it into building steps for the factory.
@ Daniel Rutter, you mention that it uses three Mindstorms controllers, this is in fact even five Mindstorms controllers. There are three on top of the factory, 2 on one of the robots there and 1 on the other robot. And there are also two on the ground (or table ;)) that control some other functions.
@ AdamW, who knows, some time in the future :P
12 November 2010 at 2:14 pm
I love the little factory dudes sitting in the crane controller booths!
13 November 2010 at 1:55 pm
Dan, please excuse this threadjack, but... One of the first things that I ever purchased by your suggestion was a Squid Light. I still have that sucker even now and have maybe changed the batteries thrice since I first got it.
This is the original post, I think. It was in maybe 2005 when I first read it. http://www.dansdata.com/ledlights13.htm
The one I have is that ugly purple color. One of the tabs on one arm snapped off, but that's okay because I never use it that way. I just wanted to say, thanks for your fine work and thanks for my squiddy.
You rock.
14 November 2010 at 1:43 pm
Time to blend Lego and Kinetic Sculpture. How much for Bob Kojima's Rolling Ball Clock ?