If Rube Goldberg and MC Escher sat down to build a LEGO contraption, it still wouldn’t be nearly as cool as this modular free-throwing automata from Philip Verbeek. Dubbed the GBC 5 (Great Ball Contraption-5), this self-replenishing ball tosser uses roughly 2500 pieces in five modules with two motors and a 9V pneumatic pump to continually cycle, split, accelerate, shift and shoot miniature basketballs around its table top-sized track.
A LEGO NXT controller acts as the system’s brain and also tracks the number of shots made. If only the Golden State Warriors could hit their free throws as consistently. [FB via Geek]