Following one’s passion can lead to amazing results. Sometimes this results in technological marvels; other times, one marvels at the use of the technology. An exemplary display of the latter is The Citadel.
Over the course of three years, redditor [Shadowman39] pieced together this monstrous K’nex structure. With over 17 different paths(!), 45 different elements, and over 40,000 parts, you would expect some meticulous planning to go into its construction — but that’s not the case! [Shadowman39] assembled it largely on the fly with only a few elements needing to be sketched out and only the main elevator proving to be troublesome. Three motors power the structure — one for the main elevator, one for the smaller lifts on the bottom, and one for the release gates.
This is an absolute leviathan hobby project. To satiate the obvious curiosity of anyone who stumbles across this picture, its intricacies can be seen in the video:
This surprisingly sturdy structure cost [Shadowman39] $922.38 in parts, not including the ones they already owned. Whether for fun or for a whiteboard plotter, K’nex is perhaps a very under unappreciated tool in a maker’s kit. Go figure.
[via /r/pics]
This is absolutely mindbogglingly insane!
Poor gravity, it never gets a break. People are always fighting with it or forcing it to work.
That is awesome. I love the four-way tipping device at 1:17. Would look beautiful in a dark room with light-up balls…
sounds oddly erotic
proud of you
We are unworthy!
Now I wish I was one of those balls.
Brilliant! That is an outstandingly wonderful build.
(Also, I am less confused now that I realize that “The Citadel” is the name of the sculpture and not a reference to the military college in South Carolina)
What an incredible build! There are so many things going on in there that I never knew could be done with K’Nex.
12:28: Pain that no plastic robot should have to endure.
Poor little K’nex man, smashed in the goolies over and over and over for all eternity.
Beautiful, pure genius. Now how do you get it out of that room?
A lambo style hole in the wall would do the trick nicely.
I bet they could make a mechanical computing machine that way.
I was thinking the same thing. Part of it looks like it can be used as a shift register.
Egad, the work into just counterbalancing all of that is impressive enough, let alone everything else about it.
Nicely done on the Portal reference, too.
When will someone build something like this that plays a song? :)
Like this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q
Love the portal reference at 11:30 – https://youtu.be/zwZAM5G9g_A?t=11m30s