Jim C. ( B9-0327)

 

 

Updated: 08/26/2006:  Dennis W. asked for a photo of my robot with the lights on.  I do not have a good photo yet but attached is one with my Daughter dancing with the robot like Marta Kristen did in an old publicity photo and it has the light on but you can not see all of them.

 

Updated: 08/18/2006:  My robot is for all purposes done and it only took me about 9 Months part time and I am also very proud of him.  As stated previously, he is also remote controlled.  He can move around and scare small children.  The body and head rotate, sensors, crown & finger lights move.  The arms also come out at and outward & up angle.  He also talks using the IB9 software with a built in stereo and radio link.

 

 

Updated: 07/12/2006:  This photo shows the state my B9 project is in so far and for the most part, everything is going well.   Especially when I think that I have only been working on him for about 9 Months part time.  Let me start by describing things from the bottom-up.
The tread section outline is from Mark Thompson’s plans but I changed the inner construction using aircraft plywood and fused the 2 sections together so that I can drive the robot by remote control using 2 wheel chair motors (the tracks are just for looks).  The radio control unit that I am using was modified so that the robot accelerates and de-accelerates at a fixed rate so that the robot will not tip over unless I run him into something.  The side panels I made myself after building my own vacuum forming machine and I also made the neon backing plate with this machine.  The legs are made using an aircraft box spar construction that is very strong and light weight and I made the foam bellows so that if one section gets damaged I can simply slide off the section needed and repair it.  The donut is from Mike Joyce and is also driven by radio to make the torso turn.
The torso is from Fred Barton.  The programming bay is copied from Craig Reinbrecht and the rear bay is copied from Mark Thompson’s idea of holding a car radio to drive the voice and neon mouth light and I have put in a Radio Shack radio link so that the voice can come from my computer using the IB9 software.  The microphone was formed in my small machine shop using old microphone parts from where I work and as near as I can tell from old photographs, it is an exact copy.  The chest lights are from Craig and the large blinking lights are from Dennis Wilbur with a random solid state driver that I made to drive the lights in a random pattern like the original used with the old blinker bulbs.  The power pack and wrists are from Bill K & Rod R.  I am waiting for the arm bellows from Vince Roberts so that I can install the arms and they will move in & out using a pulley and cable arrangement with a winch type servo.  The neon mouth light is from Craig and the driver is one I designed myself working very much like the one Craig Reinbrecht suggests.  
The collar, radar, neck & brain are all made from scratch in my small machine shop and everything lights-up and moves under remote control. The bubble is from Fred Barton.