Lego™ AT-AT USB Hub

Ambrus · 1st October 2008, 05:37 AM

In case there was any doubt left anywhere that I'm a complete geek...

In need of a USB hub for my new laptop, I drew inspiration from an R2-D2 4 plug USB hub that I saw advertised online. It occurred to me that I could use a Lego™ AT-AT I bought a few years ago to create my own hub. So I went out, bought a Dynex® USB 2.0 7 Port Hub, dismantled it, and set about the task of marrying its electronic components to the AT-AT.

Three of the ports are concealed inside the chassis and are permanently occupied by my peripheral devices' cables. Two of the cables (those for my GPS and PDA) remain coiled inside their own storage compartment concealed behind a hatch in the AT-AT's side. The other four ports are accessible below the hatch. The docking cradle for my iPod Shuffle is tucked inside the AT-AT's head/cockpit. All other leftover space within the chassis is used to house excess connecting cables. And here it is:

I'm inordinately pleased with this spiffy toy and am happy that I now have a (semi)practical reason to display my AT-AT on my desktop.

Blackrat · 1st October 2008, 07:01 AM

Dude! That rocks! Awesome

Reveille · 1st October 2008, 07:34 AM

Whoa! Thats a lot of USB ports.

EricNoah · 1st October 2008, 08:39 PM

Careful -- a cable wrapping around its legs is exactly what someone could use to knock that thing off its feet in the midst of combat!

Ambrus · 1st October 2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricNoah

Careful -- a cable wrapping around its legs is exactly what someone could use to knock that thing off its feet in the midst of combat!

Heh. My first idea was to wrap all of the excess cables all the way around the four legs as in the Empire Strikes Back, but it ended up looking more messy than cool. So I instead crammed as many cables inside the chassis as I could and gave the job of bringing down the AT-AT hub to little Lego Luke Skywalker hanging from the bottom from his tether.

Demongirl · 2nd October 2008, 04:31 AM

Thats pretty nifty.

Thunderfoot · 2nd October 2008, 04:50 AM

*SINGS*
Is it any wonder I've got too much <clap clap> time on my hands...
*SINGS*

My wife is total Star Wars nut and now she wants one, thanks a lot...

However, I have to admit, being a bit of an amateur electronic engineer - Kudos, great usage of existing materials. And the iPod dock is too cool for words.