When somebody thinks of genius engineering and cars, they probably think of something like a Tesla Cybertruck. (At least when it comes to anything but its windows.) But anybody can build an incredible car if they put their mind to it. At least out of LEGO anyway, as Finnish YouTuber Brick Experiment Channel shows with his latest demonstration: a LEGO car that can—in its final form—bridge gaps up to 30 inches wide.
Laughing Squid reported on Brick Experiment’s new LEGO car, which appears to consist entirely of Technic motors and pieces. For those unfamiliar, Technic is LEGO’s sub-brand of sorts that provides the means for creating more advanced builds; allowing builders to utilize gears, axles, and pins, and even pneumatic tubes and electric motors.
In the video above Brick Experiment shows how he iterated his LEGO car to be a beast of a gap beater. Throughout the four-and-a-half minute video, the “nerdy” experimenter shows how he evolved the car to overcome progressively larger gaps. The first gap, just shy of two inches, is enough to defeat the first, simple car. Wheels with expanded diameters, however, help the vehicle straddle both sides of the empty gap. In turn allowing the car to skip right over the negative space without issue.
From there the gaps grow larger and larger. Along with the LEGO car’s complexity. As the gaps grow from about two inches to four inches, then six, eight, ten, and beyond, Brick Experimenter continues to add wheels to the car. He also lengthens it, strengthens its frame, moves its battery around, and even adds a sliding beam. The beam, which appears on the car’s final iteration, allows the vehicle to behave as a horizontal elevator; creating a way for the semi-final, ultra-long car to shift its weight from one side of the gap to the other.
Perhaps the coolest aspect of the video is the way it demonstrates the evolution of engineering a functional object. Like a freaky-deaky snake that’s evolved over time to have a “spider tail” for baiting prey, this LEGO Technic car elongated, fortified, and adjusted itself for bridging gaps. (With a mega LEGO nerd taking the place of mama nature, of course.)
Featured Image: Brick Experiment Channel
