A YouTuber took the dynamics of assembling LEGO blocks to an “autonomous” level by designing and building a printer that, using artificial intelligence, automatically assembles these pieces. This machine, known as Pixelbot 3000, is capable of creating stunning works of art.
Pixelbot 3000 is inspiration by Bricasso
The inspiration for the Pixelbot came from another LEGO printer called Bricasso, created by Jason Allemann eight years ago. Although Bricasso was technically impressive, it required a complicated process that involved designing a mosaic, printing it and then scanning it. In contrast, the YouTube channel Creative Mindstorms has simplified this process by using custom code and artificial intelligence.
This is how this smart printer works. Source: Creative Mindstorms
An easy-to-use printer
With Pixelbot 3000, users only need to enter the artwork they wish to create. This command is sent to OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 model, which generates a simple 1024 x 1024 pixel animated image.
It is important to mention that the printer is designed to handle smaller mosaics (32 x 32 LEGO bricks). Instead of reducing the AI-generated image, the Pixelbot 3000 code divides it into a 32 x 32 grid and displays the color of the center pixel in each square, producing high-contrast, better-looking thumbnail images.
Curiosities of the “LEGO Printer”.
Despite its capabilities, the use of LEGO as an artistic medium has limitations. Plastic parts are available in only 70 different colors and the Pixelbot 3000 uses only 15 of them. The AI-generated thumbnail image goes through final processing to find the best color combination for each pixel, corresponding to the 1 x 1 LEGO bricks used to assemble the final mosaic.
Designing, building and programming the Pixelbot 3000 requires as much effort as assembling a LEGO puzzle, which can have more than 11,000 pieces. However, watching the Pixelbot 3000 in action for 15 minutes can be a relaxing and fascinating experience, showing how ideas become reality.
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Source and photo: techlade