Answers.Body: <p>There is, LEGO Education, and the current series is <a href="https://bit.ly/SPIKEprime" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SPIKE Prime</a>, they are costly (~500 parts with motors programmable hub for $700) don't buy them unless you are some education facility. I used to teach with the <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=45544-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Education sets</a> to primary school kids ~10 years ago, they came with lessons/instruction for teaching kids mechanical/programming principles. complexity was on par with the simpler things from those YouTube channels.</p>
  <p>In defense of getting sets while expensive, they are still a good way to learn, their mechanical actions show an application of the principals involved integrated into some structure in a way to not interfere with the rest of the functions.
  Trying to follow along using not quite the right parts isn't really a bad thing, seeing how something works and replicating with the constraints of a limited selection is a good chunk of fun/challenge.</p>
  <p>Now for something completely different: there is an early access 'game' <a href="https://www.gearblocksgame.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Gearblocks</a> (demo is free on <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1305080/GearBlocks/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Steam</a>), it's almost a LEGO Technic and physics simulator, it doesn't have lessons but would be a fine substitution for buying LEGO sets.
  Recreating the things from the videos in it and driving them around would be just like LEGO except on a screen and with copy/paste save/load undo/redo.
  To illustrate its capabilities: from the beams, axles, gears, motors, wheels, and plates I've made an 8-wheel drive independently suspended truck, with per axle differential locks, a manual hi-low transfer case, and a 3-speed automatic transmission that changes gears with a centrifugal governor.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-10-02T04:18:24.587Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-10-05T11:13:54.993Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2024-10-05T11:13:54.993Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: That_LEGO_Guy
Body: <p>I've been inspired by YouTube channels like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BrickMachinesChannel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brick Machines</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Bricks.Master.Builders" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brick Master Builders</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BrickExperimentChannel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brick Experiments Channel</a>, which use Lego pieces to demonstrate mechanical engineering principles for things like vehicles and other mechanisms for specific purposes. I figure doing something like this would be a great way to learn applied mechanical engineering (in addition to reading).</p>
  <p>I've been trying to find a set or series of sets that would allow me to follow along with these videos/playlists but I have not had much success. It seems the recommendation is to buy wholly unrelated sets for specific projects (ie build this race car) and then use your amassed collection to try to follow along.</p>
  <p>Does anyone know if there are:</p>
  <ol>
  <li>A &quot;course&quot; somewhere to walk through a bunch of mechanical engineering problems and build Lego solutions to them</li>
  <li>A set of Legos or a series of sets specifically for this?</li>
  </ol>
  <p>I'm looking specifically to tailor everything around this use case rather than buying a ton of particular sets for building a car/plane/robotic arm/etc.</p>
  <p>I also don't need the LEGO brand name, just something that would be compatible with LEGO.</p>
  
Tags: <mechanical>
Title: LEGO Sets for Learning Mechanical Engineering
UserDisplayName: Naftuli Kay
ThreadText: # LEGO Sets for Learning Mechanical Engineering
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-01)
  
  I've been inspired by YouTube channels like [Brick Machines](https://www.youtube.com/@BrickMachinesChannel), [Brick Master Builders](https://www.youtube.com/@Bricks.Master.Builders), and [Brick Experiments Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@BrickExperimentChannel), which use Lego pieces to demonstrate mechanical engineering principles for things like vehicles and other mechanisms for specific purposes. I figure doing something like this would be a great way to learn applied mechanical engineering (in addition to reading).
  
  I've been trying to find a set or series of sets that would allow me to follow along with these videos/playlists but I have not had much success. It seems the recommendation is to buy wholly unrelated sets for specific projects (ie build this race car) and then use your amassed collection to try to follow along.
  
  Does anyone know if there are:
  
  1. A "course" somewhere to walk through a bunch of mechanical engineering problems and build Lego solutions to them
  2. A set of Legos or a series of sets specifically for this?
  
  I'm looking specifically to tailor everything around this use case rather than buying a ton of particular sets for building a car/plane/robotic arm/etc.
  
  I also don't need the LEGO brand name, just something that would be compatible with LEGO.
  
  **Tags:** mechanical
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2024-10-02. Score: 1
  
  There is, LEGO Education, and the current series is [SPIKE Prime](https://bit.ly/SPIKEprime), they are costly (~500 parts with motors programmable hub for $700) don't buy them unless you are some education facility. I used to teach with the [LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Education sets](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=45544-1) to primary school kids ~10 years ago, they came with lessons/instruction for teaching kids mechanical/programming principles. complexity was on par with the simpler things from those YouTube channels.
  
  In defense of getting sets while expensive, they are still a good way to learn, their mechanical actions show an application of the principals involved integrated into some structure in a way to not interfere with the rest of the functions.
  Trying to follow along using not quite the right parts isn't really a bad thing, seeing how something works and replicating with the constraints of a limited selection is a good chunk of fun/challenge.
  
  Now for something completely different: there is an early access 'game' [Gearblocks](https://www.gearblocksgame.com/) (demo is free on [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1305080/GearBlocks/)), it's almost a LEGO Technic and physics simulator, it doesn't have lessons but would be a fine substitution for buying LEGO sets.
  Recreating the things from the videos in it and driving them around would be just like LEGO except on a screen and with copy/paste save/load undo/redo.
  To illustrate its capabilities: from the beams, axles, gears, motors, wheels, and plates I've made an 8-wheel drive independently suspended truck, with per axle differential locks, a manual hi-low transfer case, and a 3-speed automatic transmission that changes gears with a centrifugal governor.
  
  
  ---
  
  