LEGO builder The Quinten has submitted a delightful, multi-layer Mechanical Beehive to LEGO Ideas. Projects that earn 10,000 votes are reviewed by LEGO experts for the potential of being produced. The video above provides a peek at the mechanisms that make it work. From the project description:

This beehive design is called a ‘skep’, which consists of coils of grass or straw to make the basket. The skep beehive has been around for more than 2,000 years and although it is not as common today, the skep is still an iconic symbol of beekeeping.

Honeybees are fascinating and their world is an amazing dance of teamwork, almost like a machine. A beautiful machine that we are completely dependent on. Honeybees are vital to growing our food and many crops would cease to exist without the pollination they provide. Bees are also the only insect in the world that makes food for us; honey.

The mechanism of this LEGO skep works through a series of alternating disks. The first disk is fixed and has wheels that is then followed by another disk without wheels that rests on top. The layers repeat over and over until you reach the top. Each disk depends on the next for the model to work, like a real beehive. Every bee depends on one another to keep the whole hive alive and well.

Watch more videos about bees, including how to harvest honey and why do honeybees love hexagons?

Watch more videos about LEGO, including a Sisyphus kinetic sculpture made with LEGO and British birds created with LEGO (and made an official set).

via The Awesomer.