How can you make a large, flexible square of LEGO pieces that expands outward, a bit like an elastic fabric of plastic bricks? Arranged in a mesh of tiny hinges, these green bricks stretch their square out when pulled apart. The Brick Bending YouTube channel demonstrates.
“Perhaps we could call this ‘brick folding’–one of the many lost brick bending arts.
“I honestly don’t fully grok how or why this works. But when I discovered it, I knew I had something strange, confusing, and very special–and now I finally get to share it…”
“In short this build primarily consists of two simple patterns of 1×4 plates that are mirror images of each other. When you interweave them together with hinged connections they are able to tightly fold up, and then expand, all fairly easily. All the extra bits around the outside edges just help foster the illusion of squareness in its compact form. I hope you enjoy.”
The project required 459 1×4 plates, 61 1×2 plates, 10 1×1 plates, and 2 1×6 plates.
Follow Brick Bending on YouTube, Instagram, and at BrickBending.com.
Previously: How to build a LEGO square wave kinetic toy.
Plus, more LEGO videos, including:
• Modifying a climbing LEGO car design for 15 obstacles
• JK Brickworks’ LEGO Drawing Machine
• A physics teacher explains tensegrity sculptures with LEGO
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