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!

Spirograph Machine

19 Dec 2023

Here I present a Lego Technic Spirograph machine programmed using Powered Up. The powered up controller is used to maintain the desired gearing ratio between the turn table and the inner gear to draw a spirograph that replicates the real original spirograph drawing toy.

More to explore

How to measure a Lego Technic Crane's Efficiency. The results surprised me!

27 Nov 2019
How to measure a Lego Technic Crane's Efficiency. The results surprised me!

Here I demonstrate how to measure the efficiency of a Lego Technic MOC crane using basic physics. Efficiency is the ratio of the useful energy output (the potential energy put added to the weight) the to the input energy (power source power). The efficiency curve is interesting and does not look ...read more

Lego Technic PU 2 Speed Automatic Gearbox

8 Jul 2022
Lego Technic PU 2 Speed Automatic Gearbox

This video presents a lego technic two speed automatic gearbox using two motors and the Powered Up (PU) lego technic control system. Each motor uses a pivoting gear to either connect to it's gear to the left when rotating in the forward direction or to the gear to the right when reversing. Th...read more

Lego Technic New 12/20 Gear High Speed Friction Test

21 May 2022
Lego Technic New 12/20 Gear High Speed Friction Test

The Lego Technic set 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle introduces two new gears - a flat version of the 12 tooth bevel gear and a flat version of the 20 tooth bevel gear. These gears are designed to have less friction.

In this follow up video I measure the high speed difference ...read more

New Flat 12/20 Gear Friction

23 Apr 2022
New Flat 12/20 Gear Friction

The Lego Technic set 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle introduces two new gears - a flat version of the 12 tooth bevel gear and a flat version of the 20 tooth bevel gear. These gears are designed to have less friction.

In this video I measure the difference in gearing efficiency...read more

Lego Technic Pi Day Machine

14 Mar 2022
Lego Technic Pi Day Machine

 

Here I present a Pi Day special Lego Technic machine that produces a gearing ratio of Pi/8 using a 56mm wheel driving a 13x13 square wheel.

The correctness of the ratio is confirmed by matching it with output of a 2 differential gearing system that produces a ratio of 355/9...read more

Measuring Gearbox Efficiency

6 Nov 2021
Measuring Gearbox Efficiency

This video describes a method for measuring the efficiency of a gearbox using the Lego Technic Powered Up hub. Gearbox efficiency is defined as the ratio of the output power to the input power and here I show how to measure each of these values to allow you to calculate the overall efficiency.read more

Lego Technic Gearing Ratio Calculator Tool

16 Jul 2021
Lego Technic Gearing Ratio Calculator Tool

Here I present my new Lego Technic Gearing Ratio Calculator tool. This tool allows you to upload your Lego Technic .ldr (Lego Draw) file and it will simulate the gearing system and visualize it as well as showing the gearing ratios relative to the input component.

The tool can be accessed...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 3 Speed Automatic Gearbox - FAIL!

18 Sep 2020
Lego Technic 3 Speed Automatic Gearbox - FAIL!

This video presents a lego technic 3 speed automatic gearbox design that failed to work as expected. This design is based on an earlier design of a 2 speed automatic gearbox with smooth transmission that worked very well.  That technic gearbox was extended by adding another speed to the oran...read more