Earlier this month the largest and most expensive LEGO® TECHNIC set was released. The Liebherr R 9800 is one of the world’s biggest excavators, it’s also the inspiration for one of the most advantage LEGO Technic sets yet. Powered by Technic Control+, the set is pretty advanced and features many of the functions found on the real world vehicle it’s based upon. That inspired an idea to use Control+ to control the actual Liebherr excavator. Using specially built Technic contraptions mounted throughout the cab of the Liebherr, which were then connected to the Control+ app. The result was the world’s largest excavator being controlled by the same app which can bring various LEGO Technic sets to life. Control+ is available now to download and although you can use it to control construction vehicles, you can use it to control the LEGO Technic Liebherr R 9800 and other LEGO Technic sets. To learn how this came about head over to Sariel.pl for behind the scenes snippets and videos.
Ingenious App Controlled LEGO® Technic™ Contraption Gets One of the Biggest Excavators in the World Moving
Proof that with LEGO® Technic™ you can build for real, and marking the launch of the brand-new LEGO® Technic™ Liebherr R 9800 set, our LEGO designers solved a tough, but fun challenge: controlling one of the world’s largest excavators, the Liebherr R 9800, only using LEGO Technic elements and the LEGO CONTROL+ app.
Powered by the new intuitive LEGO® TECHNIC™ CONTROL+ app, the brand-new replica model of one of the world’s most impressive hydraulic excavators will give you a colossal LEGO build and play experience. With the app, you can explore groundbreaking digital control of the brand-new LEGO® Technic™ Liebherr R 9800 excavator set.
Niels Henrik Horsted, Marketing Director at the LEGO Group said:
“We wanted to give ourselves a tough challenge and put the CONTROL+ app to a real-life test and see if we can remote control the huge Liebherr excavator, just like we do with the new LEGO Technic set. Our design and engineering team came up with an impressive solution building movable mechanical arms and legs, mounted on the controls and pedals inside the excavator cabin, using the app to move the huge machine. Once again, proving that with LEGO Technic you can build for real.”
Grégory Schuh, Marketing Manager at Liebherr-Mining Equipment Colmar said:
“When the LEGO Technic team came up with this idea, we were immediately excited by this incredible project. We already have developed our own concepts for remote control our machines, but to control a R 9800 through a LEGO Technic solution, we were not so sure that this was achievable. At Liebherr we are used to facing great challenges but this was a very special one… We quickly realized that the creativity of the LEGO engineers, paired with the friendly and professional Liebherr teams, would make the project a great success. To summarize this partnership, I would say that both companies share a core value: ‘passion in everything we do.’ And that makes everything possible.”
Discover the new LEGO® Technic™ Liebherr R 9800 set
Developed in partnership with Liebherr, this 4,108-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.
The sophisticated app technology enables super-precise movement and amazing functionality, while delivering endless authentic digital play combinations via four different control screens: multi-function, one-touch, custom-built and challenges & achievements.
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.
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 them to choose pre-set commands or record the model’s actions to create complex sequences of movements. Finally, with the Challenges & achievements screen, users can complete challenges to unlock reward badges.
Groundbreaking Digital Control
First launched in August 2019, the CONTROL+ app is the new smart device connected platform that delivers a richer and more immersive LEGO play and building experience for LEGO Technic fans, regardless of age, replacing the Power Function system.
“We wanted to give fans an even more authentic experience when they build for real with LEGO Technic elements. 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,” said Niels.
CONTROL+ uses new electronic components and a free, linked app, which is tailor-made for the set you build, giving fans an even more authentic and high fidelity play experience. The app also displays data feedback from the model.
