23/06/2011
We get to see many great LEGO MINDSTORMS models out in the world, and at the FIRST® LEGO League Open European Championship in Delft, the Netherlands we got to meet Anika, together with many other LEGO MINDSTORMS users, especially MCP members (MINDSTORMS Community Partners) and FLL teams from the whole world. It was some very exciting models that Anika had brought to show.
In Anika's words:
I’m Anika Brandsma, but I also use my nick-name Anika Vuurzoon. I'm a 17 year old girl living in the Netherlands. I'm going to high school, I'm now in the last year.
When I was just a few days old I got my first LEGO (DUPLO) set! While I became older I also received normal LEGO and LEGO TECHNIC sets. So I have played with LEGO bricks for whole my life now. In 2008 I bought my first LEGO MINDSTORMS. That was the moment my models came alive and that was really cool! I'm not the only one at home who likes LEGO. My entire family likes it (mum, dad, sister and even my grandfather). So I also build together with them.
My greatest model so far is my duck. This is a robot which looks like and behaves like a real duck. She can drive fully autonomous. While driving she avoids objects and searches for her nest. The nest is marked with a blue line. When the duck finds her nest she lays an egg in it. My father built a mean rat that steals these eggs from the nest. Using Power Functions I built two little ducklings, which you can steer by a remote control. By working together with my family, we created a complete animal story.
YouTube video of Rat and Duck
YouTube video of little ducks
My first LEGO MINDSTORMS model was the coffee assistant. This is a robot that puts sugar in your coffee and then stir it. The coffee assistant stirs your coffee with a real spoon. To connect the spoon I drilled two holes in it. So that’s why you will find holes in some spoons of my mother’s cutlery. Maybe this robot isn’t the easiest way to put sugar in your coffee, but I think that it’s the funniest way.
YouTube video of coffee assistant
I also built pure LEGO TECHNIC models. For example my Garbage truck. This is the first TECHNIC model I created by my own. This truck can empty the cans and can drive with a remote control. I put two Belville girls in it, because they fit perfectly. And it shows boys that they not the only ones who play with LEGO TECHNIC!.
YouTube video of garbage truck
On the following link you can find all the models from me and my family:
Our MocPages Creations
For my next project I want to do something with music and dance. I'm thinking of making an LP-player, wich can play your own song. The rest of my family is also going to make something with this theme. And I like that, because building together is even more fun than building on your own!
Thanks to Anika for sharing! We look forward to see more inventions from you and other like you in the future!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS team