Sep 20

LEGO Useless Machine: Mindtroll

Posted in: Today's Chili

We’ve seen many examples of LEGO used to build something practical. This one’s the exact opposite. LEGO enthusiast Jason Allemann built his own take on the infamous useless machine using the newly released Mindstorms EV3 kit.

lego ultimate useless machine by Jason Allemannmagnify

Like the original useless machine, Jason’s contraption exists only to turn itself on. However, Jason programmed it to do other things before it turns itself off. For instance, it can delay the act of turning itself off, so you think that you’ve outsmarted the machine. It can also move away from you. In a hilarious bit of ingenuity, Jason also made the machine so that it can troll itself.

Head to Jason’s website to download the instructions and other files needed to build your own Useless Machine. You can buy the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit from Amazon for $350 (USD). Don’t worry, you can do other more useful things with it.

[via Viral Viral Videos]

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Feb 23

LEGO Mindstorms Robot Aims to Crack Elusive Tamago Egg in 37 Hours

Posted in: Today's Chili

As we already know LEGO robots can do all sorts of things, both useful and useless. This particular build falls into that latter category – unless you consider solving the completing the silly Tamago Egg app to be a good expense of time and energy.

lego tamago robot

For those of you unfamiliar with Tamago, it’s a smartphone app that simply involves tapping on the screen in order to crack open a virtual egg and see what’s inside. Oh, did I happen to mention you need to tap it 1 million times? This sounds like a job for a robot!

That’s exactly what LEGO NXT builder Jan Gerritsen created with his motorized Mindstorms NXT contraption, designed with a single purpose – to endlessly tap on the screen of his smartphone so he can finally see what’s inside the egg. Here, check it out:

If that Britney/will.i.am jam has to be stuck in my head, you have to deal with it too. I like how there’s a second iPhone sitting there whose sole purpose is to time the other one.

Anyhow, according to Jan’s math, the generally useless ‘bot will need 37 hours to tap 1 million times, and crack open the Tamago Egg once and for all. It’s not quite done yet, but while we wait, Jan recommends that we drink beer and eat some M&Ms. I couldn’t agree with him more.

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