Who would have thought that you could actually create a moving car with mostly Lego bricks? A crowdsourced project has made it a reality.
Australian entrepreneur Steve Sammartino and young Romanian techie Raul Oaida have successfully developed a Lego car, which was built on over 500,000 bricks. What is even more awesome is that tests show that this life-sized two-seater can actually drive, with top speeds of 30 kilometers per hour (about 20 miles per hour).
This yellow-and-black Lego car is powered by four orbital engines containing 256 pistons, all made of Lego. It runs using compressed air, making it a nightmare for oil companies (wink wink). Of course, there are some parts that are not made from these plastic bricks, such as the wheels, tires, gauges, and load-bearing components.
The project also takes an unconventional route. Instead of asking for pledges from backers in Kickstarter or Indiegogo, the pair used Twitter to promote their “Super Awesome Micro Project” venture. Forty Australians supported their project, contributing between AUS $500 and $1000 each.
“I wanted to do something interesting that shows there are a myriad of possible innovations for cars. We wanted to be an example to open people’s minds,” Sammartino told Australian journalists. “It’s something the car industry needs.”
The Lego car, which is designed to look like a hotrod, took 20 months to complete. It was built in Romania, then shipped to Melbourne for finishing details.
Source: Reuters
Image source: Josh Rowe
