This is the little Aquarium that could as the Clockwork Aquarium has achieved the support of 10 thousand Lego Ideas Fans which means it goes to the Lego Review board. This next step in the process will take months as Lego decides if this has potential as a marketable product. I’ll keep you posted on the status of the review and if the project is selected.
Once again, I’d like to thank all of those who supported this project. For those of you interested in instructions, I’m working on them now and will post them to Bricklink Gallery when I’m ready and after asking the Lego Ideas team if that’s okay.
Bricklink Stud.io Gallery Version!
And finally, here is the original video once again!
Well the big day is finally here. I’ve been waiting quite a while for Lego to announce their version of my Cosmic Rocket Ride. In the process of working with Lego on this little project, they asked me to make a little overview and comparison video. So lets start with the comparison of my submitted fan design to the official final Lego design:
They edited it down and used it for a little Facebook post which has been well received with predominately nice comments.
The little rocket ride is already showing up on Ebay and being listed for $75 to $99 even though its just a 154 piece set.
A Bit of the Behind the Scenes: Lego hosted a small contest on their ideas site called “Moments in Space.” One of the stipulations was that your entry could require no Lego parts in colors that have not already been made. What I learned during the process, was that they actually wanted to make the final design using only parts that were currently in their inventory (so no customs whatsoever). That tidbit right there was the prevailing reason the design’s colors were altered in so many places. I think the simplicity of my designs color scheme was possibly a benefit in it winning that contest with those particular set of rules…that and it did end up getting the most fan votes, but they had indicated at the start that they had the liberty to choose from the top 5 or so fan voted entries.
After I submitted my entry, I did make a few tweaks, particularly to the gizmo inside that makes it move. Lego made further modifications to that design. One key update they made resulted in the motion being slightly larger but also a bit asymmetrical. Lego made one of the technic pins a friction pin so that the ride could be left frozen in a “pose”. This was a good idea, it makes the motion smoother, but harder to perform. They made the design a little longer too, as you can see they added stairs, a step, and elongated the rocket by 2 studs.
The biggest concession was the handle for the crank. By the time Lego requested extra photos of my design, I had changed my crank handle from a gear to a really nice arm with rotating handle. Its smooth and a gives a nice crank. The final version was reduced to a twisty stick. It works, it has grip, but its not quite the buttery smooth crank I had. Their version does seem to be primed and ready for motorization if someone wanted.
Evolution of my design: My design went through a few stages including an initial prototype, the submitted version, and some further tweaking:
Make your own: If you weren’t lucky enough to get a free one from Lego during the promotion, here are my directions to make your own. This is my version with updated movement, but my original body and base design. If you make one, let me know in comments and share some pics! Best of Luck!
Well, its a little piece of wonderful to have my little rocket ride turned into an official Lego set. It is such a high honour and I’m very pleased. I hope the little rocket ride is well received and am thrilled to have been involved!
Adventure Baby Squad is an elite team of babies that are ready to charge into the world and help at a moment’s notice! They are fully equipped with big hearts, small rides, and an expanding headquarters. With their tiny pocket-sized rides, the fun doesn’t have to stay at home – bring one with you on away missions, in the car, or out on the town.
See the Adventure Baby Squad in action in their epic rescue mission!
The Adventure Baby Squad is a proposed Lego set entered into the Lego Ideas Contest. You can support the idea and see more pictures over at the Ideas Entry!
Meet the Squad
Known only by the colors they wear the team is comprised of:
Pink (Reconnaissance) flies the Sci-Fi Spaceship – Shirt design: Butterfly
Yellow (Mechanic) flies the Space Shuttle – Shirt design: Duck
Green (Chef) drives the Tricycle – Shirt design: Turtle
Blue (Tech) flies the Prop Plane – Shirt design: Elephant
Teal (Secret Agent) pilots the Submarine – Shirt design: Dolphin
The Vehicles and Robot
The babies all drive their own different craft which give them command of the land, sea, sky, and space! In certain tricky situations, the vehicles can be linked together to form a robot with a multitude of configurations. With multiple options for the head, arms, and the option for a jet pack, wings, or both, the robot can be tailored to your liking.
Headquarters
The headquarters build is a bit more complex than it may seem. The front sections slide out to reveal the lido deck -a hidden pool that connects underground to a local river system and used for the submarine dock. The plank in the back center can then slide out over the pool to create a platform for the robot to be displayed, maintained, or modified by the squad.
Other features include:
Parking for all vehicles – trike and plane can be hung up on the side supports
Conference Room – complete with custom modern art blueprints
Kitchenette – stocked with fridge, stove, sink, and plenty of extra bottles
Mechanic’s Bay – with tools and essentials
Command Center – features a sophisticated computer and communications desk
Fold down ramp in the back
Two landing pads
Storage slips for the robots arm extensions
Compact design for shelf space or expansion for display!
Included
This proposed Lego set would include everything you need to go on adventures of your own:
6 Babies in 6 colors with prints on each
6 Pocket-sized vehicles ready for land, air, and sea
1 Headquarters main build with slide outs and all the amenities a team could want
Ability to create a multi-configurable robot!
Custom tiles with modern art and blueprints
4 colored arm extenders for the robot
Excitement and a glorious sense of Adventure!
Help this Idea become a full on Lego Set by free supporting it at Lego Ideas!
Lego has produced quite a few variations of the famous Star Wars Corellian YT-1300f light freighter, the Millennium Falcon. Some have ranged from $4 up to $800! Not too long ago, Lego set 75105 came out with the Force Awakens movie in 2015, and now for 2018, the Kessel Run version has come out. The Key differences are the Kessel Run set is shiny and new, white and blue, and has a strange shuttle/pod that gives its nose a long triangular sleek look. It feels like a “Phantom Menace” type of ship to me. The front shuttle/pod has never been part of the Millennium Falcon lore and was not portrayed even in the Prequel’s easter eggs. Most people, including me, probably don’t relate much to this front appendage as it just doesn’t resemble the Millennium Falcon they grew up with, but I’m starting to come around. Prior to seeing the movie, I’m expecting this to be a swanky custom add on for the freighter, much like how you can buy a tent to attach to the rear of end of some SUVs. So not so much a standard option but more so a deluxe and perhaps after market upgrade.
Either way, that Shuttle/Escape pod seemed interesting to me, but I have no interest in spending 170$ on another Millennium Falcon set. So instead, I set out to build my own pod for the Force Awakens set. I didn’t want to modify the original Lego model at all for this shuttle and succeeded in that goal. The Force Awaken’s Falcon has 2 rows of rails inside its notch which makes for a perfect attachment point for a shuttle.
I did some off-color prototype work and then ordered most of the parts from bricklink for under 16$ with shipping. With my Escape Pod/Shuttle slid in, the set came out looking quite nice!
Animated Gifs:
Here you’ll find a Video tutorial of how I built my Escape Pod and Parts list.
