#mechanical-design

#mechanical-design

To imag­ine our­selves into the time of Leonar­do da Vin­ci, we must first imag­ine a world with­out such things as heli­copters, para­chutes, tanks, div­ing suits, robots. Yet those all exist­ed for Leonar­do him­self - or rather, they exist­ed in his imag­i­na­tion. What he did­n't build in real life, he doc­u­ment­ed in his note­books, leav­ing behind mate­r­i­al for appre­ci­a­tions of his genius that would con­tin­ue half a mil­len­ni­um lat­er.

The Aquarium's defining characteristic is motion achieved through analog mechanics. Rotate strategically placed dials and watch a fish traverse its path, coral sways in invisible currents, a crab emerges from cave shadows, and a treasure chest opens to reveal secrets. These aren't battery-powered gimmicks. They're hand-cranked rituals that reward interaction, transforming passive viewing into active participation. The design language here speaks to an older era of mechanical toys and curiosity cabinets, where engagement meant touching, turning, discovering.

The recreation of the classic 80s Tomy game by LEGO enthusiasts BRICKUP and JodyPad captures everything we love about interactive brick design. This 600-piece masterpiece has already captured over 1,000 supporters on the LEGO Ideas platform.