Review: 30682 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance
Posted by Huw,Polybag collectors can rejoice in the fact that there are plenty being released in 2024, and perhaps also that they are not yet being replaced with paper bags.
In the UK, 14 of them are available already and can be purchased at Brick-a-Brac-UK.com for just £3.50 each, or three for £10.
I ordered some a few days ago and they've arrived already, and so did CapnRex101 it seems, so we'll review the more interesting ones in the coming days, starting with 30682 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance.
Summary
30682 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance, 83 pieces.
A small but perfectly formed model
- Working suspension
- Not readily available everywhere
It's surprising just how accurate and functional this tiny little 83-piece model is, incorporating many of the features of its larger cousin, 42158 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance.
The vehicle's sophisticated suspension system has been replicated here and works as it should, with all six wheels on the ground, even when encountering Martian rocks.
The two sides are linked together to provide stability. The rod between them is held in place by an unorthodox but effective method, sandwiched between two bars.
The only thing wrong with it compared to the prototype is that the wheels should be inline, but the centre one sticks out. Excusable given the scale of the model, I think.
The front probe arm can be rotated to its operating position by twisting the axle joiner on the right.
I do like the Technic polybags that have been released recently and this is certainly one of the best: recognisable and functional, more so than some of the larger models!
It's just a shame that it won't be readily available everywhere...
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32 comments on this article
While I liked the big version, somehow I kinda prefer this small one. Sure, it's a bit more simplified, but for such a small thing these are pretty clever mechanism! Technic in it's purest form!
Hope I can get my hands on one soon!
This was one of the 2024 sets that stood out to me when pictures started popping up, and it looks like it will absolutely live up to expectations! Like you mention, Technic polybags have been exceptional lately and this continues to up the ante. Can't wait to pick a couple of these up!
I found this at Walmart last night...it was a nice surprise.
Are those pieces used for wheels new? I don't recognise them from anywhere else.
Just an FYI regarding the middle wheel placement, these wheels stick out on the real rovers too, both Perseverance and Curiosity.
@Graysmith said:
"Are those pieces used for wheels new? I don't recognise them from anywhere else."
No, they are this piece https://brickset.com/parts/design-55889
A fantastic build of an extraordinary vehicle! I really like the number of implemented functions, it feels much more than the also tiny Heavy Duty Bulldozer's.
If I can find this, I'll probably pick it up, but I still wish Lego would make it easier to get polybags
I was gonna write what Rare_White_Ape said as well and a quick google search leads to NASA where one can even see the Perseverance Rover in 3D:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/rover/
I love that the Technic polybags are continued because they are always the better sets from the first half year waves. And this one doesn't disappoint as well with more functions than more expensive sets.
Nice small set, and I for one am glad that it will be a generally available polybag instead of a GWP that only comes with purchase of sets worth 5-10 times as much, like many similar sets.
@sbpyrat said:
"I found this at Walmart last night...it was a nice surprise. "
Off to Walmart then soon, I guess.
The first modern Technic polybag (helicopter) I don't think was sold in the US, and by the time I learned Target had the Volvo loader listed online, it was too late (I was broke that month, and it was out of stock the next). At least I found a seller with a ton of them for $5 each here in the US on Bricklink.
I think it should've had 1x1 round tiles for photoreceptors, but it still looks cute!
A very neat little build. Will definitely get it if it shows up locally. Not sure about from one of the usual double or treble RRP ripoff merchants.
Come on Lego. Stock all polybags at lego.com!
A very nice little build. I have the Ideas Curiosity, but I'll look for this one to get it a little friend.
Quite a few nice polybags for the coming year, I'm glad my local Smyths (formerly Toys-R-Us) stocks them pretty reliably.
I also found them at Wal Mart a week ago or so. Walmart had many, many Jan 1st sets on the shelf. Not the roses, but many of the creator ones, polybags, etc.
Oh, and I just LOVE this set. A very accurate likeness of a very cool, scientific marvel, for a tiny price! I plan to get one for my desk at work and a few for at home. I hope they keep making sets like this!
This is the fourth year in a row that they've done a Technic polybag, and it's the first year that I felt it looked cool rather than embarrassing. I got two.
@Rare_White_Ape:
@R0Sch:
With that 3D view, it's possible to line the wheels up where you can see that the centerline of the outer wheels still falls within the box defined by the corner wheels. This is not the case with the polybag build, where the wheels are less than two modules in width, part of that width is the offset hub, and the center wheels are a full module farther from the chassis. Keeping them in line with each other might have actually been more accurate to the real thing. While the basic configuration of the suspension arms is accurate when viewed from the side, the front and rear arms actually angle out from the chassis. This is something that would not be achievable in such a small scale, and shifting the center wheels in to a more accurate position would have required a significant deviation from the basic design of the suspension arms. It still looks weird how far the center wheels stick out.
If I can't find it for sale around here or by itself online, I hope Target does another collection like 66777. I was so glad to find out about that.
@TheOtherMike:
In the US, I've only heard of Walmart carrying them. Another member of my LUG found this, 30676, and 30661 at a local store, and I ended up running across the same three a few days later. I tried to find this on their website, several different ways, and had no luck. Pretty much every Walmart should end up with all three of those shortly, though.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Rare_White_Ape:
@R0Sch:
With that 3D view, it's possible to line the wheels up where you can see that the centerline of the outer wheels still falls within the box defined by the corner wheels. This is not the case with the polybag build, where the wheels are less than two modules in width, part of that width is the offset hub, and the center wheels are a full module farther from the chassis. Keeping them in line with each other might have actually been more accurate to the real thing. While the basic configuration of the suspension arms is accurate when viewed from the side, the front and rear arms actually angle out from the chassis. This is something that would not be achievable in such a small scale, and shifting the center wheels in to a more accurate position would have required a significant deviation from the basic design of the suspension arms. It still looks weird how far the center wheels stick out."
Let's not exaggerate on the exact proportions of this tiny build. It looks pretty good to me considering the min. thickness in Technic is 1/2 M. https://i.imgur.com/NMKX6AW.png
So better to include this detail (and especially the rocker-bogie suspension) than to make all 6 wheels equal like they did in the large set with the wobbly wheel arms.
Does the suspension system really work as it should, when getting over that brick? I can see it overcoming a height of one plate thickness at once but surely when the wheel comes up against a brick it just stops as it is taller than the wheel is high.
@CCC:
Unfortunately, the specific design of the suspension arms is such that the center wheels are prone to tucking under and lifting the rear wheels clear of the surface. Fortunately, when this happens, it becomes a pretty standard 4-wheeled vehicle, as the offset mount for the rear wheels locks the rear suspension arms from rotating up more than ~90 degrees.
@CCC said:
"Does the suspension system really work as it should, when getting over that brick? I can see it overcoming a height of one plate thickness at once but surely when the wheel comes up against a brick it just stops as it is taller than the wheel is high."
No, it wont traverse obstacles like that by itself, and neither will the larger one, partly because the wheels have no grip.
I can't believe that this is just a polybag. I mean, that is a very worthy build, and even if you don't like it, those are still some very useful pieces. This is pretty awesome.
@CCC said:
"Does the suspension system really work as it should, when getting over that brick? I can see it overcoming a height of one plate thickness at once but surely when the wheel comes up against a brick it just stops as it is taller than the wheel is high."
Keep in mind that on the real thing all wheels are powered, which would have a much different effect then when pushing the wheel against an obstacle. The real thing should be able to pull itself onto a taller obstacle at least to some degree. So while the suspension is probably quite accurate, it just doesn't work as well like this.
@WizardOfOss:
The 6-wheel suspension is designed to handle uneven terrain, not mount boulders. When they're sending commands, they have to plot as smooth a path as possible, since there's no such thing as real-time control here.
The rocker bogie suspension is pretty counter-intuitive unless you know what the intention of it is supposed to be. At its very core, instead of keeping the vehicle platform as level as possible at speed like you would expect in a conventional car that we use on Earth, the design is supposed to cause the platform to angle upwards at 50% of the total difference in height between the left and right wheels.
That's why they're connected by that swiveling rocker arm that goes over the body of the chassis. When the front wheel on one side encounters an obstacle, it drives up and over it, while the suspension arms twist the entire geometry. That gets transferred across to the other side, and manifests as a tilt in the body of the rover. The real rover is designed to handle a 45-degree angle between the wheels, but the software is designed to limit it to 30 degrees (in real terms a 15 degree tilt on the rover).
There are no springs or dampers to control vertical movement, as they would want to find equilibrium over both sides and cause large angles of tilt. The rover moves so slowly that a bump doesn't cause the rover to bounce uncontrollably, so it's not useful here. It's just a way to allow the rover to cross uneven terrain without upsetting it too much, while also letting it cross foot-tall boulders with minimal stress. When you think about it, it's more similar to watching an animal walk over uneven terrain.
It's very clever and very low maintenance. These Lego models are the perfect way t check out how they work on the real rovers. This polybag is great because you don't have to spend $100 to have one for yourself!
@PurpleDave said:
" @WizardOfOss:
The 6-wheel suspension is designed to handle uneven terrain, not mount boulders. When they're sending commands, they have to plot as smooth a path as possible, since there's no such thing as real-time control here."
Obviously (hence the "to some degree"), but that was not the point I was trying to make. Powered wheels versus being pushed around makes all the difference here.
@tne328 said:
"Nice small set, and I for one am glad that it will be a generally available polybag instead of a GWP that only comes with purchase of sets worth 5-10 times as much, like many similar sets. "
Honestly, I'm glad Polys are becoming more common. They make nice GWP but its a pain when I want a Police one to finish a collection but have purchased the sets elsewhere or can't reach the threshold
It turns out this isn’t just a Walmart thing, at least in the US. I just saw (and bought) it today at Barnes & Noble.
I bought the set yesterday and built it and I must say I am most impressed with how it looks and the functions as per the review work perfectly. A great addition to any collection but especially for someone like me who love space themed sets.
I found this one last week and picked it up, built it and am so happy with it. BUT have recently found out there is a full-size Perseverance and now I want that one too lol