Motorized Mario Kart by Anika Vuurzoon
Anika Vuurzoon is a Mechanical Engineer from Eindhoven, The Netherlands, by day. In her spare time, she designs robots out of LEGO. She started this hobby as a child and never stopped. In the past, she used to build robots with her father. Nowadays, she builds LEGO models with her boyfriend. Anika specializes in games and animals that react to their environment. For her, building a robot is not only about function but also about aesthetics. Hence, her projects have an element of realism to them.
Has your building style or project interests changed over the years? How have you grown as a LEGO builder?
My first robots were not really strong; they would easily fall apart at an event. Over the years, I learned different building techniques to improve the strength of a robot. Also, my software skills improved, making it possible to also make more complex robots.
Which sets did you use for your Mario Kart project?
I used set 72037 as the base of the creation. In order to make it move, I added a large Technic motor in the back of Mario which uses a differential to rotate the back wheels. A small SPIKE motor was added in the front of the Kart to enable steering. A SPIKE Essential hub was also added to the Kart and programmed to react using the city train remote.
What inspired you to add LEGO robotics to the Mario Kart set?
I have always loved playing Mario Kart. When I saw the Mario Kart set, I was disappointed that it couldn't drive. But I quickly decided I could try to add this function myself.
How do you do a remix? What are the steps to a successful remix?
For this remix, the challenge was to keep the remix as close to the original set as possible. I wanted the look to stay the same despite adding the motors and hub. I started by building the base set using the instructions. The original set already had a steering function, and so I only needed to add a motor to it. As there was some room left in between Mario's feet, I decided to add the steering motor there. The next step was to add the driving motor. As the set is quite heavy, I started with a large motor. First, I installed a differential between the two axles of the back wheels. I removed all bricks that were in the way and added the large motor to it. Then, I started to rebuild the back of the Kart with alternative bricks where needed while trying to keep the model as close to the original set. Next, I added the SPIKE Essential hub. When the hardware was finished, I programmed the Essential hub using PyBricks. Then it was time to race! and play Mario Kart in my living room.
Do you always build the base set first before trying to add the electronics? If yes, what are your thoughts on the set itself?
Yes, first I built the set using the original instructions. This is a good way to get a feel for how the model is made and to get a feel for where there is space to potentially place motors. I really like building the set. Especially the Mario figure, which had some nice building techniques
What are some challenges that you faced in this project? How do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was to place the big motor inside the model without losing the overall look of the set. As the back of the seat and the back of Mario are not really visible, I decided that those could be removed in order to make room for the motor.
What is one advice you might have for a young person who wants to do projects like yours?
Divide your project into subtasks. Start with the easiest function/feature of your project and add more one by one. Also, just try things out. Maybe you will fail the first time, but this will give you insights and knowledge for your next attempt. In the end, you will get there.