It has never been easier to build a complete Great Ball Contraption (GBC) loop yourself! It features multiple GBC modules which all work together in harmony to make a full loop so the ball flow will never end. This GBC is entirely built using only parts from the LEGO 42129 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck set and can be referred to as Alternate Build of the 42129. When building this GBC it makes sure you master the GBC building techniques and tricks so that you eventually also can build your own GBCs. The whole machine is powered by multiple LEGO motors which comes with the LEGO 42129 set and controlled/programmed via the official LEGO Powered Up App or Pybricks.
This GBC is established in collaboration with Jorian Doornenbal who shares the same passion what we have for building great ball contraptions.

It’s alive!

Always dreamt of having your own robotic arm in your control? Now you can! The GBC 57 Robotic Control Center is the first Great Ball Contraption by us which features a fully programmable robotic arm to transport GBC Balls. With various ball tracks going all cross each other there is so much going on. Truly a feast for the eye.

The GBC Balls enter at the Double Ball Pump Module. You can connect other GBCs to this point at your liking. One pump (left) recirculates the GBC Balls back to the Wide Stepper Module while the other pump (right) passes the GBC Balls through to the Robotic Arm Module.

By default the Robotic Arm Module will take one GBC Ball and drop it off at 2 different locations. This is done alternately. First the orange drop off point, then the white drop off point, and so on. Optionally you can add a LEGO Powered Up Color Sensor Bricklink.com: Part #88007 to make the robotic arm sort the white and orange GBC Balls for you. How cool is that! Installation and software is easy and more information is available in the building instructions.

Once the GBC Balls are dropped off by the robotic arm they fall on the Pinball Lane. The left drop off point can be upgraded with a GBC Funnel Turbo Spin – Left or Right. This is an optional part and the GBC will also function without it. The right drop off point redirects the GBC Balls to a Weight Balancing Beam. Once 4 or 5 GBC Balls fill up the complete beam, it drops them to the side and the race is on. Which GBC Ball will be the first down? Various rotating and moving obstacles make the GBC Balls bounce around in the Pinball Lane. Some of them can even be controlled manually, like the shooter and rotating ball splitter! This interaction is great fun.

When the GBC Balls eventually find their way down they are being picked up by the Wide Stepper Module. This is also the point where the GBC Balls from the left Double Ball Pump Module enter to recirculate. The stepper modules brings the GBC Balls up so they can roll back to the input bin of the Double Ball Pump Module.

Fun Fact

The LEGO 42129 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck set includes multiple motors and a smart hub. So what can we do with that? Checking the inventory of the LEGO set we noticed a few useful parts for making a robotic arm. From there on we started tinkering with different ideas to incorporate this into a GBC module. How cool would it be if you can sort GBC Balls by color using this robot arm? But there is no color sensor included. Luckily LEGO makes a color sensor which we can use for that. It will be an optional part for making the GBC work.

Work Together – Enhance building skills

The whole GBC is split into different parts/modules which are assembled together during the build. Ideal for working in groups as each builder can work on a sub assembly and later click everything together. Because of this construction and flexibility it is also always possible to separate the modules again and make your own unique configuration or use modules as separate machines.

A really cool feature of the GBC 57 Robotic Control Center is its ability to convert with ease into a GBC Layout Module. You can simply add your other GBC Modules to the side and drop the GBC Balls on the input bin of the Double Ball Pump Module. An output on the other side can carry the GBC Balls to the next GBC Module. Simply tilt the return path so that GBC Balls can take another route and enter another GBC. In this way you can easily connect this GBC to all our other GBCs to make the loop even bigger. More information in the building instructions. Clean and simple: Convert with ease.

It is possible to move the whole structure at once.
Footprint GBC 57 Robotic Control Center: 43 cm (17 inch) by 50 cm (20 inch).

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