Mini LEGO Technic Tank Patrols Your Desk Under ESP32 Control
Hackaday readers probably don't need to be told that LEGO isn't just for kids; We've seen so many projects live in a colorful brick wall that we haven't even begun to brainstorm what we've seen over the years. But while LEGO (and especially Technic's product line) is great for prototyping and getting projects done quickly, off-the-shelf electronics are not. That's why [Jason Kirsons] works to bridge the gap between LEGO bricks and "real" LEGO bricks.
His LEGO Technic Tank is an excellent example of this principle. Although the design of the tank itself is standard for LEGO, it is integrated with the electronics. With an Adafruit Feather ESP32, a custom motor driver board, and 3D-printed NEMA 8 Pitch Technic adapters, this little tank does a lot more under the hood than expected. While this project is more proof of concept than anything else, the techniques [Jason showed] can be taken into consideration the next time you build Billund's best.
[Jason] Feather chose the ESP32 because of its small size, but you can get away with a regular board if you're not trying to cram everything into such a small footprint. Of course, if you choose another board, you will not be able to use the printed circuit board he designed, which is connected to Luma and has four Pololu DRV8835 drivers.
The most important component of this project is the work [Jason] has done to develop adapter plates that allow NEMA 8 motors to be used with LEGO Technic parts. He's posted adapters on Thingiverse for anyone looking for a solution to give their artistic creations something special.
LEGO has a long history with hackers and makers. We've reviewed some absolutely amazing projects built with the Iconic Buildings Collection and see no sign of them slowing down in the future.
[Thanks to Adam for the tip.]
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