Learning with Lego technic
I do love Lego, but I especially enjoy Lego technic. Ever since my younger brother started collecting it in the 1980s, I became a major fan. The models you can get today are amazing and it's interesting to see how the models and technology have advanced over the last few decades.
I’ve always been interested in mechanical and electronic things. I learned how to service (maintain) my bicycle when I was very young. I learned by trying things out. I’d fix punctures, replace brake cables and brake pads, adjust handlebars, fix wheels and service pedals. I failed many times. I was persistent. I kept going until I either made things a bit worse or I fixed it! When it came to electronics, I've always opened things up. Watches, toys, radios, TVs - I opened them all. I was curious. I just wanted to know how they worked! Sometimes these activities didn’t work out so well. There were times I took something apart and it didn’t quite go back together the same. My curiosity would cost me. Mistakes could be expensive :).
Then there’s Lego technic. It’s such a great way to discover how things work. It’s the perfect kit to try things out. For example, gearing. It can be complicated. How do I make something spin faster or slower? Or how do I make something more powerful? Understanding how gears work can be useful, and Lego technic is an ideal playground to help with that learning.
The technology doesn’t stop at gearing. There’s engine blocks and pistons, steering pinions, gear boxes, drive shafts, cam shafts, slip differentials, suspension and pneumatics. I learned about these technologies by playing with Lego technic. Building scaled down functioning cars, forklifts, trucks, airplanes, truck-mounted cranes, helicopters, motor bikes and more. There are just so many models, and they cater for 7-year-olds to adults.
There’s a very useful range of electric motors and Bluetooth control boxes available too. You can build your own RC (Remote Controlled!) models that can be controlled from a smart phone. There is a whole chapter in the book ‘Jambot’s Guide to Technology’ on motors and batteries. They are used everywhere. It pays to understand how this technology works. Our electric cars are now like scaled-up Lego cars running on batteries powering large electric motors!
Building the models from the instructions is one thing but there is nothing stopping me from building anything. The largest kits have over four thousand pieces. The only limit here is my imagination.
With beautiful models such as the Lamborghini Sian and the Porsche 911, Lego technic is a great way to learn about the technology being used around us today. Every year Lego release new models with unique features. The build is always fun for me. I find it therapeutic. Hours pass like minutes. I get in the zone. It can take days to complete the larger models. That’s a good thing. It’s a challenge. Completing it is rewarding. I learn a bit from the build. I’m left with a beautiful working display model and an itch to check out the next model I can invest in. It was fun when I was a teenager. It’s even greater fun as an adult. As they say, ‘you don’t stop doing things because you grow old, you grow old because you stop doing things!’. I think I'll continue to build Lego technic into my old age. If you haven’t tried Lego technic, I recommend you give it a try. It’s fun, you’ll have something amazing to show for your work, and you’ll surely learn something in the process.