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posted by CoolHand on Sunday April 26 2015, @05:42AM   Printer-friendly
from the legos-for-everything dept.

Spotted at Hackaday is a link to a flip top display built entirely from Lego.

The display is programmed by arranging single-unit bricks on a template to either turn on or off a pixel. A set of fingers raise up, the new template slides in, and the fingers are lowered onto the template to set the display dot discs

The article links to youtube videos of the complete display in action and a single pixel mechanism showing the on/off sequence.

There is detailed information on the way it works in this forum posting, which links to further information on Chebyshev's Lambda Mechanism and the Dwell Mechanism used in the construction of the feeder.

 
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  • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by jasassin on Sunday April 26 2015, @09:28AM

    by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Sunday April 26 2015, @09:28AM (#175307) Homepage Journal

    Legos are retarded expensive, they make the Mac people look frugal.

    Props to the spoiled brats that got to play with Legos. Every time I see these Lego commercials on /. and soylent I think, fuck you... you Ri¢hie Ri¢h ass maf.

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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by archshade on Sunday April 26 2015, @12:10PM

    by archshade (3664) on Sunday April 26 2015, @12:10PM (#175326)

    I have heard the "Lego(s) is expensive" thing quite alot. It always seemed weird to me, When I was growing up Lego was pricey but not unaffordable. I got a large box for my 4th b'day and think it was the present that I have used most throughout my life.

    Today I have younger brothers who still like to build stuff with Lego and although it seems more expensive than it used to but not unaffordable and the second hand market is pretty strong. Part of the problem seems to be that there is less of the "construction" sets and more individual model sets. The model sets very hugely in price from about GBP5 to GBP200+.

    In a similar market there is K'Nex and Mechano. Both of these are priced to match (actually Mechano is much more expensive) but have been taken over less by the this kit makes this model thing which lego has been suffering with. I have also come across Megablox and in my (limited) experience they just don't work, they don't grip and slight movement makes them fall apart. In the UK Megablox seem to be priced to slightly undercut Lego so they cost about 5% less but don't work as well or last as long.

    If you are referring to "Mindstorms" and other programmable Lego parts then yes Lego is hugely expensive when compared to arduino. This project involves no electronics (in fact the mechanical computer seemed like coolest part of the project.

    Maybe the difference in opinion comes from something that is very different between the UK/EU and the US. Maybe other construction toys are cheaper, or Lego is more expensive. But as someone who has seen Lego last generations of use and still work fine I think it is a solid investment. I can't think of a toy that has a lifetime of 25yrs + and a interest period for children of ~10yrs. Well maybe Mechano that stuff is pretty much indestructible (I had some that belonged to my grandfather) and I still keep a box around for making simple machines, you can make stuff that can actually do useful stuff (albeit on a small scale).

    • (Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Monday April 27 2015, @05:50AM

      by GungnirSniper (1671) on Monday April 27 2015, @05:50AM (#175597) Journal

      Lego bricks are amazing for their backward compatibility. Decades-old stuff will work with just about anything off the shelf today.

      The Lego Stores used to offer cheap Grab Bags of loose bricks for 7 or 8 bucks. It was just broken down store displays, but it was an amazing way to get new parts cheap. Now they've done away with this my impulse to stop into their store isn't what it was.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 26 2015, @05:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 26 2015, @05:46PM (#175392)

    A pack of 1000 bricks is about 49$/45€ tax included. That doesn't sound retarded expensive to me. And if you buy them second hand, it's even cheaper.

    Now if you go stupidly buy the retarded expensive stupid Star Wars models then you're even more stupid than your retarded post makes it look like.

  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday April 27 2015, @06:32PM

    by Freeman (732) on Monday April 27 2015, @06:32PM (#175805) Journal

    Assuming you can't afford brand new legos, used legos are a great option. My wife got one of the large Harry Potter sets at a flea market for $5. It was missing a few parts, but it was a great deal. Can't get as good of deals from e-bay, but they aren't terribly expensive either.

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