42158 - NASA Mars Rover Perseverance

[gyenesvi]

This seems pretty interestinng technically with the proper suspension and the steering modes. I always wanted to build such a suspension! The steering modes are shown to be selected by the lever in the middle of the body. So does that mean the front and rear wheels need to be actuated independently and the big turntables are used such that two functions could be transferred through them?

[AVCampos]

31 minutes ago, gyenesvi said:

So does that mean the front and rear wheels need to be actuated independently and the big turntables are used such that two functions could be transferred through them?

No, the mode should change whether the left wheels turn in the same direction as the right wheels, or the opposite. The "turn in place" mode is as shown in the box, whereas the "regular steering" mode works like the 8660 or the 8830.

[astyanax]

4 hours ago, JaBaCaDaBra said:

bad enough not the beer bar

 

[allanp]

8 hours ago, gyenesvi said:

So does that mean the front and rear wheels need to be actuated independently and the big turntables are used such that two functions could be transferred through them?

I was thinking something similar but you don't actually need two functions through the turntable for this. Usually we link the left and right wheels with a steering link, but in the mars rover the wheels are linked front to back, so to swap steering modes all you have to do is swap the direction of rotation through the turntable on one side, because in both steering modes the rear wheel turns opposite to it's front wheel. You would only need two functions through the turntable if it had crab steering which it doesn't.

Edited May 3, 2023 by allanp

[Akbalder]

Is the body of the rover connected to the wheel only using the turn tables? Is it only the balance which prevents the body of the rover to tilt?

[allanp]

24 minutes ago, Akbalder said:

Is the body of the rover connected to the wheel only using the turn tables? Is it only the balance which prevents the body of the rover to tilt?

No, there's a stabilizing link across the top of the body also, so rotationally the body should be keep half way between the two turntables.

[gyenesvi]

10 hours ago, AVCampos said:

No, the mode should change whether the left wheels turn in the same direction as the right wheels, or the opposite.

3 hours ago, allanp said:

I was thinking something similar but you don't actually need two functions through the turntable for this. Usually we link the left and right wheels with a steering link, but in the mars rover the wheels are linked front to back, so to swap steering modes all you have to do is swap the direction of rotation through the turntable on one side, because in both steering modes the rear wheel turns opposite to it's front wheel. You would only need two functions through the turntable if it had crab steering which it doesn't.

Oh, okay, thanks, I get it now, so you only need to switch what the left/right sides are doing wrt each other, and that can happen inside the body, that's nice and simple!

 

[lmdesigner42]

The multiple steering modes is a really cool addition. Is it possible that the 12 tooth gear is connected to an assembly of 3 bevel gears and a bracket, so that rocking the gear back and forth makes the outputs rotate in the same direction, while turning the gear makes them rotate in opposite directions? Rocking the gear would then cause turn-in-place, while rotating it would cause normal steer.

[EricZhou]

It is a good science and technic toy for teaching my three years old daughter, especially the six wheels steering system I have never seen. I like this kind of middle scale technic set , low pieces count but with rich functions, just like 42139.

Edited May 4, 2023 by EricZhou

[pleegwat]

For the steering mode, consider that the 'turn in place' mode really only works for a single steering position.

[aeh5040]

On 5/3/2023 at 8:55 PM, lmdesigner42 said:

The multiple steering modes is a really cool addition. Is it possible that the 12 tooth gear is connected to an assembly of 3 bevel gears and a bracket, so that rocking the gear back and forth makes the outputs rotate in the same direction, while turning the gear makes them rotate in opposite directions? Rocking the gear would then cause turn-in-place, while rotating it would cause normal steer.

 

4 hours ago, pleegwat said:

For the steering mode, consider that the 'turn in place' mode really only works for a single steering position.

Right. So perhaps "rocking" the lever into one position forces the two sides into their extreme positions for turn-in-place mode, with no rotation of the gear possible, while with the lever in the other position we can rotate the gear for normal steering.

That would be a nice control mechanism!

Edited May 4, 2023 by aeh5040

[Toastie]

@astyanax I love it

Spoiler

 

Here's a small obstacle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_diagram#/media/File:Phase_diagram_of_water_simplified.svg

Pressure on Mars is 6 mbar, damned. Do teach that in PChem, but with a very nicely done Piña colada

 

Thanks for sharing, haven't seen that one!

Best,
Thorsten

 

[AVCampos]

Well, inhaling gaseous beer should make for an interesting experiment.

[tomfow]

Damn, this set would be perfect with some kind of optional sensors...just saying. But still I like it is finally something different :D

[R0Sch]

Just found these high res photos of the set:



And this is what the AR will do:

Edited May 13, 2023 by R0Sch

[Lipko]

So you have to use a rusty wrench to assemble it?

[howitzer]

2 hours ago, Lipko said:

So you have to use a rusty wrench to assemble it?

Yes. The Rusty part is very important, you'll fail miserably if you attempt to assemble it with a shiny new wrench.

[Maaboo the Witch]

It's been 20 years since the last Mars rover. I highly doubt that this is coincidental.

Also, the app screen features a rock sample collection mission. Looks fun!

Edited May 14, 2023 by Maaboo35

[gyenesvi]

5 hours ago, Lipko said:

So you have to use a rusty wrench to assemble it?

I was also wondering what that has to do with Lego. Probably some visual marketing megablocks..

[Johnny1360]

2 hours ago, gyenesvi said:

I was also wondering what that has to do with Lego. Probably some visual marketing megablocks..

Yeah probably meant to indicate how interested in mechanical stuff the person assembling the model is, as well as space, with all the planets laying around. Otherwise it would be most unconvincing, that the individual is even slightly interested in the subject matter, instead of a room full of LEGO.

[HydroWorld Outlook]

6 hours ago, Maaboo35 said:

Also, the app screen features a rock sample collection mission. Looks fun!

The game does look fun, but it's a real shame that TLG seems to be letting us down again with their Augmented Reality Experience app. A rock sample collection game doesn't sound all that much different from the racing games they released for the licensed pullback cars before, and unfortunately, it doesn't look like the app profile for the 42158 set will have much focus on the actual functions of the model like the 42129 set did back in 2021. TLG could have used their Augmented Reality Experience in an educational way to demonstrate how the real-life Perseverance Rover actually worked, and its a real bummer that they chose to pass up that opportunity—again. Yes, the pullback cars only had their pullback motors as functions, but this mars rover as we know it contains many more functions than that, so the number of functions the set has cannot be a legitimate excuse for why TLG didn't do better with their AR experience for this model.

According to the box label, this set is recommended for kids aged 10 and over. In the grand scheme of things, sets from the Technic line are supposed to educate children on how the mechanisms used by real-life machines work while also doing their part of encouraging the next generation to pursue future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). While the 42129 Zetros set was applauded for extending its educational value by employing AR technology to demonstrate how its internal mechanisms actually worked, this set (42158) kinds of wastes that opportunity with what is essentially another racing game. While such a game can be fun for most children, I do not see how it alone accomplishes this set's true "mission" of teaching its recipients how the real-life rover actually works.

If TLG wants to incorporate augmented reality functionality into their Technic sets that badly, they should at least use their power for a good cause and embrace this technology to extend the models' educational values and provide genuine learning opportunities for kids who buy the set and download the app, especially if they're going to primarily market these sets towards children. And besides, parents are usually far more willing to purchase a toy for their children if they see it has considerable educational in return for sacrificing such large amounts of money that they otherwise could have just as easily used in far more productive ways, like saving into their child's college fund or donating to those in need. I mean, once this set is released, it will cost a whopping $90 in the United States. That's a lot of money to spend on toys for many American families, especially those without electronic components. In fact, this set costs so much that I won't be too surprised if some simply cannot afford it altogether. And remember, this set isn't even motorized. Parents of these families would want considerable reasons to buy this set for such a high price, and its educational value would be a very important decision factor in these cases.

So my advice to the Technic team is that they learn from the experience and feedback that results from releasing this set, and thoroughly consider the educational value of future products and app features they release before revealing them to the public community. I also advise that they take the augmented reality features that worked with 42129 and apply them to future sets. By doing these things, it's almost guaranteed that they would see much better sales through maximizing the educational value of products they release,

At least that's my two cents.

Edited May 14, 2023 by HydroWorld Outlook

[Jundis]

This model turned out way better than I first thought!

Will surely get this :-)

[HydroWorld Outlook]

52 minutes ago, Jundis said:

This model turned out way better than I first thought!

Will surely get this :-)

I would get this too if the model's educational value were worth the 90 US Dollars the TLG claims it to be.

[Maaboo the Witch]

I also like that TLG chose a girl who looks somewhat like Jessica Chastain to really push the Martian thing. Should've just gone all the way and used Matt Damon, TLG...

[allanp]

38 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

I also like that TLG chose a girl who looks somewhat like Jessica Chastain to really push the Martian thing. Should've just gone all the way and used Matt Damon, TLG...

MUUUURPH!!!! Sorry, got mixed up with the other space movie starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain