The aim of this project is to show the nonlinear dynamics of a vertically driven pendulum using Lego NXT. I use this toy in my Nonlinear Dynamics classroom.

Below you find building instructions and a video of the toy.

A pendulum with a fixed suspension point has two eq...

James Watt used the so-called "flyball governor" to regulate the speed of his steam engines (1787). It consists of two flyballs which are connected to the spindle by two flyball arms. The spindle of the governor is directly connected to the shaft of the steam engine. The flyballs move upward when th...

How to build a snake robot with LEGO? Snakes can perform different kinds of locomotion. Lateral undulation is a type of locomotion characterized by a backward propagating flexural wave along the length of the animal's body. Essential for locomotion is that the friction in transversal direction is la...