Great Ball Contraption with 200+ modules moves Lego balls through the exhibition hall

The Brickworld Chicago, a Lego convention held on June 17-18, 2017, featured a Great Ball Contration (GBC), a large device in which Lego balls are moved automatically. The partly motor-driven, partly mechanically running modules added up to over 200 individual pieces at the event. Since Lego in a variety of forms - from Lego Star Wars to Lego robots - is a big topic here in the blog, the large device at Brickworld Chicago 2017 should not go unmentioned at this point.

Over 200 Great Ball Contraption modules transport Lego balls

Whether football, basketball or other round Lego marbles, they are all moved in the following video. Tom Atkinson, a veteran in the GBC scene, will guide you through the individual devices and modules. Moving and transporting Lego balls is one of the favorite goals of hobbyists and builders of Lego machines. Children also get easy access to the functionality of technology, mechanics and machinery - this video can therefore be viewed as a teaching piece:

Official website of Brickworld Chicago

From Star Wars Death Star to Mindstorms EV3

As I said: here in the Sir Apfelot blog there are reports about the popular and world-famous plastic building blocks. For years, information, details, offers and background information on individual sets or topics have been provided here. Far ahead are, for example, the Lego sets from Star Wars - for example in this post: The Lego Death Star for hardcore fans - or: Star Wars for adults. If you expect a little more interaction from your Lego set or want a bigger learning factor for the children, you can stop by here: Construction toys LEGO Mindstorms EV3: Control and program robots with Apple devices.

What do you think of Lego?

What do you think of the diverse world of plastic and fantasy? Are you the collectors or the hobbyists? Feel free to leave a comment on the topic here;)

Johannes Domke

After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.