Biggest LEGO Technic set is a replica of a Liebherr model

Developed in partnership with Liebherr, the 4108 piece model of the R 9800 excavator comes with an array of true-to-life features and functions, introducing LEGO builders to advanced elements of engineering, while the LEGO Technic Control+ App puts the builder in complete control of the model. The Liebherr replica is not only the new flagship of LEGO Technic models but also the first smart device connected kit, which allows programming. The feature enables the user to control the model entirely via a smart device, reproducing the operations and applications of its original Liebherr counterpart.

“I think that for any brand, being contacted by LEGO Technic for a project like this is a great honour,” said Grégory Schuh, Marketing Manager at Liebherr-Mining Equipment Colmar SAS in France. “Even more, when it is to develop the flagship of the range for the year to come, this is clearly a strong signal. This means that your brand is attractive and conveys values of quality and performance. We experience the fascination for our huge machines and the sophisticated technology behind them. We believe that the LEGO team has done a great job in capturing this fascination and turning it into an impressive model that can ignite the joy for engineering.”

“We wanted to give fans an even more authentic experience when they build for real with LEGO Technic elements,” said Niels Henrik Horsted, Marketing Director at the LEGO Group. “This new way of controlling your LEGO Technic set bridges the physical and digital world and gets you even closer to the real-life model replicas that you build.”

In the course of the partnership, Liebherr provided comprehensive support to the LEGO project team, not only during the development of the model but also for the development of the marketing campaign, which was revealed in early October on the LEGO Technic and Liebherr social media channels. LEGO team gained unrestricted access to the machines, logistical support, and contact with the customer to make this project possible.

New Control+ App

Liebherr has stated that it is pleased to be associated with the launch of the Control+ App, a major innovation that complements the consumer experience. This new smart device connected platform delivers a richer and more immersive LEGO play and building experience for LEGO Technic fans, regardless of age, replacing the Power Function system.

The sophisticated app technology enables super-precise movement and functionality, while delivering digital play combinations. The multi-function control screen on the app enables users to drive the excavator in all directions, rotate the superstructure, extend and raise the boom, open and tilt the bucket, play realistic sound effects, and get real-time feedback, such as boom position, power usage, and drive distance – authentically mimicking the original.

With the one-touch screen, LEGO fans can use drag patterns to control the boom, arm, and bucket, while the custom-built movements screen enables users to choose pre-set commands or record the model’s actions to create complex movement sequences. Finally, with the challenges and achievements screen, users can complete challenges that unlock reward badges.

The Liebherr R 9800

The Liebherr machine, on which the LEGO model is based, is produced at a Liebherr site in Colmar, France. The mining excavator is one of the heaviest machines in the Liebherr range. With its 810 t weight, the Liebherr R 9800 weighs approximately three times more than a large passenger aircraft. The bucket size is 42 m³ and can hold 80 t of material in one bucket – as much as filling 300 bathtubs. Due to its size and heavy parts, 28 trucks are required for the shipment of one R 9800, and 12 weeks are required.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/22102019/biggest-lego-technic-set-is-a-replica-of-a-liebherr-model/