Radio Psychedelica

Strength and Weakness;

Lego's secret weakness... At first glance, it appears to provide swift, easy prototyping of anything imaginable. On second glance, a few caveats appear. Upon examination, the problem gets worse.
What Lego lacks is elegance. It makes up for it with accuracy and speed of assembly.
Versatility appears to be present, but the constraints are merely hidden.
I had my box of Technic spilled out on the table, and was assembling a steerable caster.
True to Lego's promise, I had one in my hand within minutes. But I didn't like it.
Inelegant. Not strong enough. Too many parts.

I redesigned.
A suggestion of elegance, of efficency, became overshadowed with a connection problem. I unraveled the problem, but like moving a wrinkle in a rug, it merely drifted farther up the device.
Legos need to stay oriented. You choose the plane of orientation ; traditionally its with the studs on top. But you don't consistantly change the plane as you move through the device.
There are adaptors, but they add a part and further complexity.
After a half hour, I had pushed the metaphorical wrinkles to the far edge of the device, and they stuck there.
And I was stuck.
Possible to do, but not with a simple part list.
Lego will not be bent. It offers bends, in certain fixed degrees.

...Bricks are indeed the correct name.