DIY Lego foosball table advances to Nerd Cup semi-finals (video)

Expert Lego builder Sariel managed to impress us a few months ago with his fully-articulated robotic arm, and he's now back with a particularly well-timed project: a foosball table built entirely out of Lego. While it's not fully automated (and therefore ineligible for the Robo Cup), it does use some WeDo motion sensors to automatically keep track of the score and announce goals on a laptop connected to the table (not to mention on some sliding Lego bricks above each goal), and it even packs a built-in ball return mechanism to help speed up play. Head on past the break to check it out in action.

[m66 Posted Jul 4th 2010 7:08AM]

The DPW vs. the Village People. Nice.

[NikAmi Posted Jul 4th 2010 11:35AM]

@m66 Do the players in blue fall over for no reason?

[SeeKo Posted Jul 4th 2010 11:41AM]

@m66

For all of you who can't get enough of yesterday's fantastic match Argentina - Germany, here's a brilliant video recap I found. Enjoy.
http://www.footytube.com/video/argentina-germany-jul03-51233

[Discourse Posted Jul 4th 2010 11:57AM]

@m66 Engadget needs more of these kinds of stories. Why is Engadget only good on the weekends now?

[dardub Posted Jul 4th 2010 3:43PM]

@m66
Why is there a gay little sound when a goal is scored. You should be hearing some yelling.


GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thinkingperson Posted Jul 4th 2010 7:16AM]

Very nice ... but wouldn't it be better to use thin 2 x 8 strips to extend the man figures downwards so that their turning axis is at the shoulders and not at the knee?

[The Madman Posted Jul 4th 2010 8:16AM]

@Thinkingperson Thanks. First thing that came to my mind.

[FallenArms3 Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:09AM]

@Thinkingperson 2x4 would work, wouldn't it?

[fourthletter Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:27AM]

@Thinkingperson
No actually the pivot needs to be behind the surface the ball strikes otherwise your players would break apart.

[Thinkingperson Posted Jul 4th 2010 6:31PM]

@The Madman We concur! :)

[Thinkingperson Posted Jul 4th 2010 6:37PM]

@FallenArms3 ah ... will need a figure to verify, but I think you are right! :)

@fourthletter Maybe ...or not ... guess we will have to try! ;) ... or get an angle piece to secure the 2x4 to the leg at the feet and the calves.

The present one look just strange with the figures doing push-ups. :o

[Vylen Posted Jul 4th 2010 7:21AM]

How about a combined helipad and wild animal enclosure?

Where can you possibly go wrong?

[DefPoet Posted Jul 4th 2010 7:41AM]

@Vylen
Use a team of rc copters and an attached pouch and you have a living blimp to spectate the riveting action

[GreenLanternCorps Posted Jul 4th 2010 8:16AM]

@DefPoet I say make a helicopter out of legos

[bentrizen Posted Jul 4th 2010 8:47AM]

@GreenLanternCorps I say give wild animals a lego helicopters

[stoney1973 Posted Jul 4th 2010 8:45AM]

Now if only Argentina could use lego men in their line-up....

[FallenArms3 Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:10AM]

Building this now.

[jamo23 Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:17AM]

There's only 9 players on each side. Should be 11. Fail.

[Greg7388 Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:23AM]

Years ago, there were actual lego soccer kits.

They were pretty cool.

[Born2Jew Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:32AM]

@Greg7388 yeah Lego used to make cool sets... The past few years have been pretty gay though. Good thing I started using my imagination young and just build all my own crap.

[fourthletter Posted Jul 4th 2010 9:32AM]

@sadburai
Nope, but what the hell has it got to do with Lego ? Go click the "tip us" button and shut up already.

[MattNZ Posted Jul 4th 2010 11:00AM]

Sorry, but I can't watch anything remotely to do with Soccer without the buzz of a vuvuzela in the background...

[R2 D2 Posted Jul 4th 2010 11:01AM]

Oh right you meant table football.

[Hraefn Posted Jul 4th 2010 11:52AM]

I'm putting my money on the Village People team; Paul the Octopus predicted that they'll win.

[dhatch Posted Jul 4th 2010 1:06PM]

Nice Asus UL20A laptop

[jwblaggy Posted Jul 4th 2010 2:05PM]

Ghosts N' Stuff always make strange/cool things like this awesome.

[ColonelKernel Posted Jul 4th 2010 7:21PM]

Sorry to poo poo all the effort, but it seems it only barely function as a foosball table. I don't see the point.

[jasonmicron Posted Jul 4th 2010 10:26PM]

While the table does look cool, deadmau5 once again steals the show :D

[Eternal Density Posted Jul 5th 2010 1:01AM]

Where's the Lego vuvuzela?