Week TechVideo, 2009 #06 - Ready for the winter

Now that we have seen first images for the new sets to come in the 2H, I decided to highlight in the weeks to come, some Videos with MOCs representing the same type of machines that LEGO is going to release next summer.

The first one will be the new Snow Groomer from Sariel. A fully remote controllable version of the same type of machine where LEGO Designers got inspiration to develop the new 8263.
Maybe there were the rumors, we have heard about LEGO going to launch such model machine since months, that inspired Paul to build his own version!?

This time Paul surpassed himself, by building an almost 4Kg machine, powered with 11 PFS motors.
Not even the apparent PFS limitation of 4 channels to control 8 motors was enough to refrain his imagination.
Of course this was only possible to achieve, because some motors (3) were not directly coupled to any IR channel and work independently.

The 11 included motors are used for several functions like: drive and steer the beast... to control the crane through a few linear actuators, to drive a compressor that feeds the front and rear blades pneumatic circuits and the motors that actuate these circuits.

Below also one video that Paul prepared just to give some light to his MOC chassis internals and how some functions got implemented.
I would mention a special attention to:

• The PF light flasher actuated by a PF switch and an eccentric motor setup.
• The less uncommon auto-valve system, that determines when the compressor motor should or not run (thus one of the techniques used to avoid one IR channel and making this motor to run automatically).

Behind the video, I would also mention the advanced steering technique used in the drivetrain where each track is driven by its own PF XL-Motor, to overcome the model weight demands.
These motors are setup in a dual longitudinal subtractor, but connected each other by an M-Motor, which can rotate both in the same direction. Thus, making the chassis to steer, as one track slows down while the other speeds up. This technique makes possible to turn the model in place and in arch as well.

For a deep explanation on his Snow Groomer, you may refer the two Sariel's original posts, at Klocky and Sariel.pl.
You may also find the complete image gallery at the correspondent BS folder.