TOOLS

Gearing Ratio Calculator

Check out the Beta version my Lego Technic Gearing Ratio Calculator Tool:

This tool allows you to upload your Lego Technic project .ldr file and analyse the gearing ratios between any two connected gears or axles. Currently supports most gears, axles, worm gears, some differentials, cv joints and universal joints. See the video tutorial on how to use it. It is a work in progress and I would love to hear your feedback on it. Click here to try it out.

Note: As of 25 Septemeber 2021 the tool supports CV joints, linear speed via the radius of the component and improves on the frame rate for higher numbers of parts in a model).

Technic Elbow Art

This is a tool to create "Lego Technic Elbow Art" - a series of intertwined elbow pieces as a single sequence. Choose your dimensions and search parameters and search for new dense solutions and set a record! 

Download your Elbow Art as an .ldr file and build it yourself. Click here to try it out!

Lego Technic Two Degrees of Freedom 2 speed Automatic Gearbox

21 Feb 2021

This lego technic 2 speed automatic gearbox implements it's second gear by using a two degrees of freedom configuration and blocking and unblocking the lower gearing ratio path by using a switch and rotary catch. The rotary catch is driven by a torque detector and once enough load is detected at the output it is rotated 90 degrees to unblock the low gearing ratio path. Upon the path being unblocked it becomes the path of least resistance and the output gearing ratio is reduced to give a higher output torque.

Alternative lower gearing ratios can be implemented in this lego technic 2 speed automatic gearbox by changing out the lower gearing path gears.

This 2 speed automatic gearbox operates in a bi-directional manner - meaning the input motor can rotate either way and the automatic gearbox still functions.

More to explore

Lego Technic torque in practice - how to work with torque in automatic gearbox design

29 Oct 2020
Lego Technic torque in practice - how to work with torque in automatic gearbox design

n this video I present a ten level Lego Technic torque creation gadget for testing lego power function motors and automatic gear switching mechanisms. The effect of torque on a large lego PF motor is tested against the theoretical power curve to compare the optimal gear switching point in practic...read more

Lego 2 speed automatic car. Part 1

3 Oct 2020
Lego 2 speed automatic car. Part 1

This video explores the use of the lego technic "smoothly switching 2 speed automatic gearbox" inside of a test car to see how well it works to climb up a ramp.

The gearing ratio of the 2nd gear of the 2 speed automatic gearbox can be set using a manual 4 speed gearbox to choose...read more

Lego Technic Gearbox Theory Applied - how to apply theory to help design 2 speed automatic gearboxes

10 Nov 2020
Lego Technic Gearbox Theory Applied - how to apply theory to help design 2 speed automatic gearboxes

This video applies lego technic gearbox, torque, and gearing ratio theory to design a prototype lego 2 speed automatic gearbox. First I describe the main components of an automatic gearbox, namely a gearing ratio selector and a torque detector. The ideal gear switch over torque point is described...read more

Lego Technic smoothly switching 2 speed automatic gearbox evolution with instructions

11 Sep 2020
Lego Technic smoothly switching 2 speed automatic gearbox evolution with instructions

This video presents my latest compact and smoothly switching 2 speed automatic gearbox made out of Lego Technic.  It is both smoothly switching and compact.

The MOC gearbox automatically switches down in gearing ratio when the load on the output is sufficiently high by using a new te...read more

Lego Technic 2 Speed Automatic Gearbox - Compact! With build Instructions.

15 Aug 2020
Lego Technic 2 Speed Automatic Gearbox - Compact! With build Instructions.

Here I present a design for a compact lego technic 2 speed automatic  gearbox. Instead of using a differential to react to torque on the output it uses the force on the gear teeth to push a liftarm to automatically change the gearing ratio to the 2nd speed once the torque threshold has been ...read more

Lego Technic Automatic Reversing Gearbox MOC with Instructions

1 Aug 2020
Lego Technic Automatic Reversing Gearbox MOC with Instructions

This lego technic gearbox has been designed to automatically reverse if there is a high load on the output. For example you may have a car that drives into a barrier and it will start driving backwards to avoid it. The MOC gearbox works by using a differential to react to the torque on the output...read more

Lego Technic 3 Speed Automatic Gearbox

1 Jul 2020
Lego Technic 3 Speed Automatic Gearbox

Here a Lego Technic 3 speed automatic gearbox is presented. The gearbox automatically switches between one of 3 gear ratios, namely a ratio of 1, 1/3rd and 1/9th depending on the load on the output.  It uses two 2 speed automatic transmissions in series to create the three speed automatic ge...read more

Lego Technic Powerful 2 Speed Auto Gearbox

3 Jun 2022
Lego Technic Powerful 2 Speed Auto Gearbox

Here I present my design for a compact and powerful Lego Technic 2 speed automatic gearbox.

The gearbox uses the Lego Technic Powered Up functions to detect speed and deduce torque from that to make gear switching decisions. The gearbox switches between a high gear of 1 to 4, to a low gea...read more

Lego Technic Servo Driven 3 Speed Automatic Gearbox

13 Feb 2021
Lego Technic Servo Driven 3 Speed Automatic Gearbox

A lego technic 3 speed automatic gearbox is presented using a lego technic power function servo motor to drive the gear change mechanism. The servo motor is driven by a lego electric switch which in turn is driven by a torque detector using a differential at the output.

The technic automa...read more