I’m not sure how this one slipped through the cracks, particularly since it was announced back in December of last year, but LEGO will apparently be rolling out these new ‘Digital Box’ kiosks to select toyshops around the world that allow you to see a 3D representation of what the LEGO model looks like when fully assembled. The kiosk uses a built-in video camera and custom augmented reality software developed by a German company called Metaio, and because the model exists in 3D, you’re able to interactively turn and move it around to see it from all sides.
Now I can’t say I’ve ever had any trouble with LEGO misrepresenting what the final product looks like on their packaging, but being able to see a 3D model in the store can only help boost the anticipation of tearing that box open when you get home. Or, if there’s a particular model on store shelves that you’ve been trying to build using your existing LEGO stock, this could make it a lot easier to reverse-engineer how it was constructed.
Sure, many considered Transformers to be the worst film of 2007 (including yours truly) but robots that transform into cars can transcend even the most terrible of scripts. And even I’ll admit the movie spawned some pretty well-designed toys, which is what LEGO fan ‘Gyuta K.‘ based his Barricade Transformer off of. And not just the overall design of the toy either, but how it transforms from a police cruiser to a robot as well. I’ve included a video of him transforming his LEGO version of Barricade, and while it needs a special support frame while in robot mode (he appears to be a bit frail) it’s no less impressive because of it.
We’ve seen beer gadgets before. But beer cannons that can shoot a beer into your hand from across the room will look like the stuff of amateurs when compared to this. A beer pouring machine made of Lego blocks. And what’s more is that the device is controlled by an iPhone. A message is sent to the iPhone and the machine pours you a brew.
There are already robot bartenders that can do the job faster and pour a nicer beer, but this device appeals to the geek-heart within me. And if we’re lucky maybe a DIY set of instructions will come out so that others can have a geek-brew.
See the video of the LEGO beer pouring gadget after the jump.
Italian company Scirocco has come out with a new radiator that is both effective and will likely make a great conversation piece to any house. The fully functional radiator is styled to look like a series of LEGO blocks. The radiator, named Brick, was designed by architect Marco Baxadonne.
The Brick is also a very effective radiator, with its large surface area it is able spread the heat around the room rather well.
If this doesn’t convince you to get one for your kid’s room(and your own room), then listen to this. The radiator is built in several pieces that you get to connect together, just like real LEGO blocks.
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