Subject:
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Re: Hikaru Systems unveils new product
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.space, lugnet.build
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Date:
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Sun, 17 Dec 2000 20:44:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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20 times
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I originally came up with the idea for this late last summer while waiting
in my car. I was really bored and actually started writing down different
products that my fake company could make. On the windshield were these tiny
bugs that had kind of a Cicada shape but were about half a centimeter long.
They kind of hopped and flew like grasshoppers in short bursts. So I put 2
and 2 together and thought it would be cool if this company made a tiny 1
manned "air-mate" that could maneuver about by hopping and clinging to
different surfaces. I originally imagined it moving about in a giant urban
"forest", bouncing off of skyscraper walls.
> I really like the way that came out. The brown canopy helps
> dramatically, but what really struck me was how much the thermal
> sticker panel (Insectoids? UFO?) adds to the whole shebang. I'm
> a big fan of ships that "fly by instruments"--implying that the
> eyes are less trustworthy in combat than the interface--so I think
> this is a spiffy! core module.
Man I love those little heat sensitive tiles. A lot of people tend to trash
UFO but I think they had some of the neatest small printed tiles and slopes.
> I do feel it needs a bit more
> circuitry/electronica inside the module itself, though I know
> that's hard within the confines of the round canopy.
>
> I presume the 1x1 headlight bricks along the, um, "fuselage"
> represent standard interface junctures or somesuch? If so,
> why not take it further, and redesign it as a standard module
> with Technic pins or some other locking mechanism, a la the
> fighter pilot bays from "Space: Above and Beyond" (which I
> still feel is, technically, one of the best SF shows ever
> created in spite of any failures of scripting).
The thing is when I built it I tried to make it as small as possible. when I
was done I had just made the little pod and had not put anything else on.
Then I had the idea that the little pod could have all sorts of attachments
for different situations like treads, wings, legs, big wheels, big drill
bits, huge guns, giant rocket boosters...whatever. My problem is I got this
idea after I made the pod and it doesn't lend itself easily to connection-
and yet I like the simple design so much I don't want to change it. The
back, front, and top have no real areas to connect (not counting the studs
on the front top) On the sides I only have room for a one stud connection
(could use 1 x 1 technic brick but there still won't be anything holding it
down but the canopy). This leaves the bottom which has a good plate length
for connections. In the end without any changes I could have attachments
sort of wrap around and secure the pod inside.
The module
> as a whole looks like it would be very smart inserted into
> a chassis as is.
>
> I've fiddled with this idea, but only using the X-Wing style
> canopy, in part because I can make the module itself square
> for insertion into ships and vehicles directly. I've never
> tried for the butterfly effect your module uses so well--the
> hinging of the rear section really adds to the wrap-around
> "neurality" of the whole thing. Now, if only they made all
> of those lower parts in tan....;)
When your in the states I'd like to see a pic of the x-wing canopy version
if you have it built. The funny thing is that it doesn't need to open up in
the front like that anymore. Originally this was so because of the pilot and
room but I made some changes and he can get in and out without the feature.
I kept it because I think it looks cool.
This has made me think it might be cool to keep this version and play with
it some more but also make a version that better lends itself to additions.
I could make a small unit with connections on the top, bottom, back and
sides and then provide instructions for it on brickshelf. Then other
builders could use the core to build attachments. It would be really cool
seeing what sort of attachments people would make.
Thanks for the comments
-Jon
> >
> > LMNWYT
>
> N? :) yeah yeah yeah....
>
> best
>
> Lindsay
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Hikaru Systems unveils new product
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| (...) I really like the way that came out. The brown canopy helps dramatically, but what really struck me was how much the thermal sticker panel (Insectoids? UFO?) adds to the whole shebang. I'm a big fan of ships that "fly by instruments"--implying (...) (24 years ago, 17-Dec-00, to lugnet.space, lugnet.build)
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