NASA’s Curiosity rover has landed safely on Mars, and the celebrations have begun. Photos and data will soon begin pouring in from Curiosity, revealing more of Mars in an effort to rise to President Obama’s challenge of sending humans to Mars by the mid-2030’s.
In an effort to support the NASA mission with a creative endeavor, a LEGO version of the Curiosity rover has been created, complete with moving parts. Doug Moran and Will Gorman, members of Battle Bricks, created the replica using LEGO Mindstorms NXT robotics kits. According to Gorman, Battle Bricks is a low-cost alternative to BattleBots-type robotic combat.
The LEGO rover was created using 7 LEGO NXT bricks, 13 LEGO NXT motors, 2 power function motors, and thousands of LEGOs. It has the ability to make 360 degree turns, just like its 1-ton real-life counterpart. Gorman was quick to point out that no glue was used in the LEGO Curiosity’s construction. Take a look below at how the LEGO rover moves to simulate the real thing:
This is not the first version of Curiosity that has been created using LEGOs. Gorman and Moran built a first version of the rover for its launch from Kennedy Space Center last year. Gorman stated that since then the LEGO rover has gotten a more “robust” chassis and wheels. Below is the first version of Curiosity as a LEGO creation:
