Lego tinkerers are unsung engineering geniuses, if you ask us. (Ever read about the Apple engineer who rebuilt a 3,000 year old computer out of Lego?) But then again, think of how dreary our lives ...

Back in the 20th century, Lego Technic was a popular toy designed to teach kids about mechanical technology, and be a lot of fun to boot. Motors and pneumatics were available, but by and large you had ...