My son was inspired by Toy Story and asked if we could build a Lego Claw. We built the skill crane using a Mindstorms NXT and RCX kit. Below is the video and instructions so you can build your own!
The skill crane uses the NXT to drive the claw, programmed using LeJOS NXJ. The claw itself is powered by a Lego RCX Robotic kit, programmed in NQC. The model was created using MLCad, a great design tool for Lego building! You can find the model, complete part list, and building instructions here. Below are some pics of the game along with additional construction details. Have fun!
The entire skill crane consists of over 600+ Lego parts
The claw is made up of three Lego beams, it was the most difficult to engineer because of the angles, but my 4 year old son insisted it have 3 and not 4.
The top of the claw includes an NXT motor for moving it back and forth, and an RCX motor for moving it up and down.
The middle track motor drives the claw forwards and backwards.
There were lots of wires connecting everything together, rubberbands were used to keep things organized. I had to raise the NXT up in the air because the wires weren't long enough.
The controller consists of 4 NXT buttons and one RCX button. I also have a utility button on the RCX used for raising the claw back to its original height.
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