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Maker’s LEGO Typewriter Actually Types Using Gravity-Fed Tiles

The DIY build answers the 2021 LEGO set’s limitations by placing letter tiles onto a reusable plate.

Overview

  • YouTuber and designer Koenkun Bricks demonstrated a working LEGO typewriter that forms messages by pressing 1x1 letter tiles onto a rotating white plate.
  • Each key press releases a specific tile from a gravity-fed hopper, and on release a rubber-band pusher drives the tile through a ramp and a guiding arch that orients it correctly.
  • The carriage advances one stud automatically after each character via a ratcheting mechanism, while line feeds are performed with a small manual reel.
  • To fit 26 letters in a compact footprint, the keys are arranged in staggered rows to prevent neighboring mechanisms from interfering.
  • The system is functional yet imperfect, with occasional misplacements, a slightly flexible frame, manual scrolling, and spacing blocks that require manual resetting after each line.