Doctor Who K9 replica - Stingray be a good base?
K9 Builder
Posts: 3
Got an idea in my head a month ago, and I am trying to figure out how to make it happen.
At a Doctor Who convention, I saw a fully working Dalek prop. Don't have the money or the space for one of those, or to make the Artoo droid I've wanted for 30 years plus, but I think I could make a daft metal dog for myself. It isn't for sale or anything, it's for me. Figure it's better to plan and work well ahead of just buying stuff and hoping.
At the TARDIS Builder's Guild, I have been steered in the direction of making the head and body from a Water Seal/Fiberglass body starting from a cardboard base, that gets layered. This should make a lighter prop shell than using metal or wood, though I am thinking a 3/8" or 1/2" wood base. A relative is a CAD designer, and she has agreed to help me with the project using lespaceplie's plans available on the Net as a base that she will work up the specific pieces and their dimensions I need in AutoCAD so I can have the pieces routed. I think I have that sorted. I know where to get the plastic "eye" plate made up, and I can get the ears made by friends.
So, next up is making the dog move, adding sound and robotics.
Seems to me I would need to control
- movement
- tail servo
- neck servo, so the head can move up and down
- twin servos for the ears so they move in tandem, one clockwise, the other counter with a limit to the movement range
- some kinda motor for the antenna that is the "sensor"
- gun prop extension
- have the ability to add some storage for sound samples, maybe to add a sound modulator to speak through. I think the speakers can be on the top of the dog, under orange mesh just in front of the push button assembly.
- lights and LEDs for the eyes, that would light up in sync with the sound
From what I saw of the Stingray at a store calling Rolling Robots, seemed about the right size and power, but you would know better than I... what would be a good base for this project? Would the Stingray's motors be strong enough, and if not, what would be? (The dog is on a rectangular base, with the base being 18" wide, 18" tall and 29.5" long front to back. Not sure of the head's dimensions yet.)
And while we are at it, while I did program breadboards in college a while back, and I used to program in BASIC and FORTRAN back in the day, what would be a good start for me re-learning the skills needed to program the beast? I harbor no illusions that this will be done in a week or anything, but I have to start somewhere.
Post Edited (K9 Builder) : 3/29/2010 5:06:06 AM GMT
At a Doctor Who convention, I saw a fully working Dalek prop. Don't have the money or the space for one of those, or to make the Artoo droid I've wanted for 30 years plus, but I think I could make a daft metal dog for myself. It isn't for sale or anything, it's for me. Figure it's better to plan and work well ahead of just buying stuff and hoping.
At the TARDIS Builder's Guild, I have been steered in the direction of making the head and body from a Water Seal/Fiberglass body starting from a cardboard base, that gets layered. This should make a lighter prop shell than using metal or wood, though I am thinking a 3/8" or 1/2" wood base. A relative is a CAD designer, and she has agreed to help me with the project using lespaceplie's plans available on the Net as a base that she will work up the specific pieces and their dimensions I need in AutoCAD so I can have the pieces routed. I think I have that sorted. I know where to get the plastic "eye" plate made up, and I can get the ears made by friends.
So, next up is making the dog move, adding sound and robotics.
Seems to me I would need to control
- movement
- tail servo
- neck servo, so the head can move up and down
- twin servos for the ears so they move in tandem, one clockwise, the other counter with a limit to the movement range
- some kinda motor for the antenna that is the "sensor"
- gun prop extension
- have the ability to add some storage for sound samples, maybe to add a sound modulator to speak through. I think the speakers can be on the top of the dog, under orange mesh just in front of the push button assembly.
- lights and LEDs for the eyes, that would light up in sync with the sound
From what I saw of the Stingray at a store calling Rolling Robots, seemed about the right size and power, but you would know better than I... what would be a good base for this project? Would the Stingray's motors be strong enough, and if not, what would be? (The dog is on a rectangular base, with the base being 18" wide, 18" tall and 29.5" long front to back. Not sure of the head's dimensions yet.)
And while we are at it, while I did program breadboards in college a while back, and I used to program in BASIC and FORTRAN back in the day, what would be a good start for me re-learning the skills needed to program the beast? I harbor no illusions that this will be done in a week or anything, but I have to start somewhere.
Post Edited (K9 Builder) : 3/29/2010 5:06:06 AM GMT
640 x 480 - 26K
Comments
Take a look at this thread. http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=869446
erco's poor cousin (aka - Retrobot) might give you a very inexpensive way to start. You could build from there. The Retrobot is fully described in the current issue of Robot Magazine - the article is titled "Basic Transportation." There are some videos of it in action attached to the same thread.
Good luck and keep us posted!
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Whit+
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
Post Edited (Whit) : 3/29/2010 4:08:37 PM GMT
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·"If you build it, they will come."
Yeah, the batteries required would probably be a good portion of the 25 lbs at that, huh? That and the board to put it on.
What kit would you suggest as a starter? Since like I said, I'm coming in completely cold and I know I have much to learn.
Someone near me who also wishes to build the same prop thinks we need to work on lighting, sound and other things before the drive train, but I am headed to the Robot store to pick up the Robot magazine which they have in stock!
Sounds like your first plan is more of a remote controlled prop. That's fine. You could start with a hobby-shop R/C transmitter (Hobby People). There probably isn't a "perfect kit" for you, so it may be better to "roll your own". I'd suggest you find wheels and motors first that suit your needs & speeds. You want gear motors with lots of gears and speed reduction. You can go 6, 12 or 24 volts. Always build heavier duty than you anticipate. Start there, lay out how big your base is, and get back to us.
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·"If you build it, they will come."
So I guess I will be going in that direction.
But yeah, I will be back once I get going and give updates. Thank you very much for your friendliness and warm responses!