A real heart beats at roughly anywhere between 60bpm or 100bpm on average… LEGO builder Anatomical_Brick’s ‘Motorized Beating Heart’ outputs 55bpm, providing a near-perfect replication of what an actual beating heart looks like. The coolest part, the entire thing is made from LEGO bricks and is powered by a set of replaceable batteries.
Designer: Anatomical_Brick
At the heart of the model lies a LEGO Technic frame equipped with two interlocking slider mechanisms and a scissor element. This ingenious design allows for dynamic adjustments to the width and height of the central structure. A flexible outer shell, crafted from interconnected segments joined by rubber bands, envelops the core frame. This construction creates a captivating illusion of movement as the structure expands and contracts. The entire model is roughly 3x in scale (to make sure the heart moves effortlessly), and is powered by a motor linked to a battery pack, bringing it to life.
“I initially wanted to make a heart for Brickvention due to my fascination in the organ and had never seen it done using LEGO pieces. When telling others about this project, the reoccurring feedback was that it should move. They were absolutely right! After many months of trial and error, I’m finally happy with the results and so were the people at Brickvention,” said Anatomical_Brick.
The final result is a marvel of technology as well as biology. Sure, LEGO bricks only get you so much realistic detail, but watching the heart beating feels nothing short of captivating, The auricles and ventricles of the heart expand and contract, simulating the effect of blood being pumped through the organ. The red part of the heart indicates where oxygenated blood passes through the organ, whereas the blue part shows the passage of deoxygenated blood.
Currently a submission on the LEGO Ideas forum, Anatomical_Brick’s MOC (My Own Creation) is gathering support from the broader LEGO community. With more than 700 votes under their belt, the submission is en-route to the coveted 10,000 vote mark, following which LEGO’s internal team will review it before turning it into a buyable box set!
