Lego popularity is shown by the embodiment of this plastic
construction toy in a variety of media such as books, movies and artworks. Not
only used as an educational tool, Lego also inspires many inventors to create a
lot of interesting products, one of the inventors is Jason AlleMann. AlleMann
pours his love to Lego by creating a unique device.
This is not the first time for AlleMann to create a unique work;
previously he had made simple toys such as mechanical kangaroo to the miniature
of particle accelerator unit of the European Organization for Nuclear Research
(or CERN). Alleman's next project is Bricasso, a printer which consists of Lego
blocks, it's able to scan the image given, and then print a Lego mosaic ala
pixel art.
So far Bricasso is the most complex and ambitious work of
Jason AlleMann. This device consists of a combination of the traditional
printing system, 3D printer, and scanner. It took several months to complete
it. All parts of Bricasso are assembled with Lego blocks, combined with a
series of machine from Lego Mindstorms EV3. The last component is needed
because it has a color sensor unit, and also becomes a data storage medium.
Here's how it works: Place the base plate and also the
illustration image in the provided areas. When the start button is pressed,
Bricasso will begin to scan. Then press another button to start printing. An
arm serves to take Lego blocks one by one to create a mosaic. The blocks supply
utilizes gravity system on the vertical 'cartridge' beside the printer. Bricasso
is capable of storing 450 separate blocks with a total of nine different
colors.
Data storage capability ensures Bricasso to produce an
accurate mosaic. AlleMann also adds 'legend' guideline in the first line of the
image so that the program can recognize the initial location of scan. One mold
has 256 mosaics (16 × 16) on a square field - without counting the legend. In
addition, AlleMann also gives complementary such as clip holder so that the
paper won't move during the scanning process takes place.
Assisted by program, previously AlleMann wished that
Bricasso was able to scan and print all kinds of images, and let this unique
tool to produce plates based on its interpretation. But unfortunately the
accuracy of EV3 color sensor was very limited. Finally, he must first create pixilated
illustration as a guide. You can see Allemann works in JK Brickworks site (jkbrickworks.com).