After inviting fans from around the world to come up with their own inventive concepts, Volvo Construction Equipment and Lego Technic are showcasing the results in an exhibition called FutuRE:BUILD. And for a limited time only, the exhibition will be at the London Transport Museum from 10th May to 16th May 2019.
The many entries have been whittled down to the top 10 models chosen by a panel of judges. Together they showcase a spectrum of technologies, including driverless automation, 3D printing, solar panels and drones. Entrants were asked to build their own models using at least 50% existing Lego Technic bricks.
The grand prize winner is 27-year-old Romanian architect Vida András, who was inspired by the challenge of finding an environmental solution to construction machines and presenting that in the most elegant way. Pictured above, his self-driving model, the Volvo Rottweiler, is fitted with a pneumatic drill, a dozer and a 3D printer – making it capable of autonomously taking on any construction challenge in the most hard-to-reach places.
He says: “To me, the design is not just about playability, it’s about really exploring the potential for future technologies. In my industry, 3D printing is one of the biggest trends at the moment, so I wanted to incorporate that into my model. I have 20 years’ experience playing with Lego sets. I’ve loved it forever and have always had this confidence that I could sit down and build for hours and eventually it would all come together in the end.”
Other models on display include Volvo Icarus (pictured above), a mobile solar power plant with advanced off-road capabilities, and the Volvo Excavadrone (below), built to operate on land and in the air.
Arvid Rinaldo from Volvo CE says: “We were overwhelmed with just how far people went with their creations. The best-in-show were picked because they prove that the boundaries of our future construction machines are seemingly limitless. Some of these designs look like they have come straight out of a sci-fi movie. We are at an exciting point in time for the industry and these models are actually not too far removed from what could be coming to our construction sites of the future.”
London Transport Museum director Sam Mullins added: “We’ve all enjoyed the imaginative play of Lego bricks and I am sure our visitors will be thrilled to see these fantastic, futuristic creations. As well as offering a great day out, one of the key things we do at London Transport Museum is to turn childhood enthusiasm into a career in engineering. These driverless diggers will certainly inspire young minds. And budding young inventors should also pop into our Future Engineers gallery after exploring the new FutuRE:BUILD exhibition.”
