No New Updates

I am going to take a break for a couple of days. I'll be thinking about this project but I want to give myself some rest before continuing on.

Almost Done With The Hands

I went back and touched up the hands again before I start on the thumb. Once the thumb is done, I'll begin working on his legs, starting with the treads. Since the legs are well documented, it should be easier to model than the other parts. Once that's done, I'll go back to the arms and begin creating the real version with the appropriate movement mechanisms inside. Then, I'll head back to the legs.. and then finally, I'll work on the body.

I still have plenty of work to do but it seems to be going a lot faster than I imagined. When I first started, I thought it was going to take 2-3 years to build WALL-E, but at this rate, I'm hoping that I'll be completed by the end of the year?

It'll take a few more weeks to finish up the 3D model, then I'll have to work on my CNC router. Then I'll have to fabricate my pieces, which will take some time as I optimize each component such that they are able to be fabricated... Then, I'll have to build WALL-E and install all the electronics. Finally, I'll have to work on the software for both WALL-E and for the computer control.

Alright, here's an obligatory render from behind, and that's it for today.

No Updates For Today

I am officially burned out. No updates for today.

Edit: Never mind. I decided to work just a little bit on the hands. I'm just trying to get a general feel of it so there aren't any details.

Arm Update

So, I began working on the arm today.

I decided to change my strategy for designing WALL-E. At first I wanted to design it with the mechanisms in mind, but now I decided to first create a relatively accurate model of WALL-E. Then, I'll go back and try to design the movement. It should be easier since I'll know the amount of space I'll have to work with.

Here's a short 360 view of the model so far:

Edit 2: Added the clevis for the hand. Now it's time for The Walking Dead and then sleep.

No Major Updates Today

Unfortunately, I was busy for most of the day and was still pretty sick. Now I have a cold and a major headache, so I wasn't able to get any modeling today.

I was able to finalize the audio design, component-wise. It will have 4 internal speakers: (1) Front charge panel, (2) Rear side vents, (1) Neck/Body joint opening. It will be powered by a 12V 200W MOSFET amplifier which I just ordered tonight. Frequency-wise, the speakers are capable of 130Hz-20kHz. Because of that, I was thinking of adding a small woofer but price-wise, only a 70Hz woofer was available. I ran a high and low pass filter to see how the audio would sound and it didn't too bad or noticeable. So, unless it sounds really bad when I use the real speakers, I'll just stick to the 4 full range speakers for now.

Basic Body Completed!

I went ahead and finished up the rear body of WALL-E. So, with the exception of the front bumpers, the rear bumper/exhaust vents, and the logos/solar level, I am done with the body shell-wise.

I just realized that the lunchbox hanger is missing so I will finish that up tomorrow. Also, I have not yet checked the dimensions for accuracy yet so it may be off a little bit.

I'm still sick and feeling a little groggy so I'll end it here for tonight.

Quick Body Dimensions Comparison

So here is a comparison between my model and the real WALL-E.

Not too bad. I suppose it could be better but I think that's good enough for now.

Edit: And here's the final update for today:

For the body, I still need to work on the following:

- Rear components

  - Piston/Cylinders

  - Upper panel

  - Main panel

  - Lunchbox Hanger

- Main chassis and support brackets on the inside of the body (eek..)

- Front charge panel electronics

I think that I will just finish the rear compartment and then go on to the arms or the legs. Then I'll work backwards towards the body and how these two components mount to it. Then I'll finish up with the inner chassis.

Considering that I was sick all day with the cold, it was actually a pretty productive day. I have work tomorrow but it's going to be Friday!

Uh Oh

So, I found a little problem with my model. The edge where the lower and upper panels meet on the side has an lip in mine.

I could try and fix it but the only geometry that would fit would be a faceted surface. If I kept this design, I might be able to sand the lip a little bit and hide it with some paint. Hmm... I don't want to continue with the design if I'm going to change this panel because the other pieces won't fit correctly. Decisions, decisions...

In any case, here's the model so far:

Another difficulty I'm having right now with modeling is the front lower right and left bumpers. I'm having trouble due to the fact that there are several components with complex surfaces and angles that the bumpers need to mate to. Obviously I plan on creating these bumpers but I will probably have to use modeling clay and carve it by hand. Then create a urethane mold/cast afterwards. So, even though I didn't model it, it will be there!

Edit: Updated model

Here's an updated view of the model. After looking at some high resolution movie posters, it looks like the rear bumpers house vents. I can do one of two things with this. The first option would be to use these two openings for left and right speakers. I wanted another speaker(s) location besides the front panel for better and louder audio. The second option would be to add fans to cool the electronics inside WALL-E - eventually, I will probably need some sort of cooling option...

Small Body Update

After taking a second look, I had to change a part of the body where his hands are stowed.. I had to increase the depth.

That's about it for now.

Edit: Here is WALL-E with his new front and side panels (without the bumpers).

I'm a little sick right now because of a cold so no more updates for today. Time for some NyQuil and sleep...

Upper Body Complete (Shell-wise)

I just finished up the shell for the upper body. I still need add additional supports on the inside for the pieces to fasten or glue onto.

I've also been thinking about where to attach the arms. Most of the replicas I've seen have the arms attached on the upper side, about halfway from front to rear. The Disney version is attached at the bottom. It would be nice to have the arms move along the track but that just doesn't seem worth it. I could, however; possibly design it such that I could detach the arms and move it around... something to think about.

I haven't checked the dimensions on my model yet but at first glance, it doesn't seem to off. I suppose I'll finish up the body first and then check the dimensions before moving onto the next section.

Another thing I've been thinking about are the speakers. Besides the obvious place of putting one on the charging panel, I would love to add additional speakers elsewhere to give him more oomph when speaking.

One last thing I want to mention is where to put access panels on WALL-E so I can install and work on him later on...

Front Charging Panel

Here's the charging panel with the speaker grill:

Next up will be the "ENVIRO HAZARD" button (the red button). Once that's complete, I suppose I will start working to the left and right of the panel, where his hands are stored.

That's about it for now. Bye.

Edit: Here's a quick update with the ENVIRO HAZARD button:

Doesn't look too bad...

Edit 2: And, here is another render with some of the side paneling completed!

Small Update For Today

Today I started working on the charging panel and that's about it.

Not too bad, if I say so myself. Now is it accurate to the real WALL-E? I don't know. I hope so... I'm not too worried about the accuracy.. number-wise, that is. As long as he looks like WALL-E and can fit through my door, I'll be happy with that.

Alright, time for a short break and then I'll finish up the left side of the front panel.

Edit: I worked on the left side for just a little bit.

Now it's time for me to watch The Walking Dead. :)

Hmmm...

I was taking a look back at the neck and head joint and it looks like I might need to add a retaining ring or some sort of flange to prevent the head from falling out. Although the servo horn is attached to the base of the swivel piece, it doesn't seem like a good idea to let it be the only piece holding up the head.

So, I'll probably increase the height of the swivel piece and add a groove around it. Then I'll add a retaining piece onto the top of the upper neck and that'll be bolted down. Hopefully, that should do the trick.

Next up: Body

It's time for me to start working on the body. I'll probably start with the shell and the basic chassis but won't get into too much detail until I figure out how the arms and legs are going to be attached and driven.

My plan is not to have the solar panels pivot and open outwards just yet. I'll think about it later if I want to actually do that... I want to finish the body shell as soon as possible because it'll give me a good indication on how accurate my head dimensions/proportions are.

I'll work two more hours tonight and then it'll be time for some sleep. I have work tomorrow...

Time for Head/Neck Optimization!

Alright, here's what I have so far with the head and neck sections:

What I'm worried the most right now is the power of the head swivel servo. It's rated for 8 kg-cm @ 6V but that seems to be underpowered at this point. Due to the size constraints in the neck, I'm unable to fit a more powerful servo inside there at this time. Other ideas would be to use gears, pulleys, and belts to run a link down into the body where I'll have more room to work with...

Anyways, I'm almost done with these two sections... just a little bit more to go like:

- Eyebrow design (I keep pushing this off for some reason...) Since it's so small of a detail, I'll go ahead and just draw it on when I start painting it

- Head cable routing through the rear connector

- Rear connector cable link to the neck

- Cable routing through the neck

- Determining if I can fabricate or purchase pieces for the neck

Once those things are complete, I'll start working on the body!

Updated Neck Assembly

Here's an updated neck assembly:

I added the upper pivot mount for the upper neck to attach to. I also modified the upper pivot bracket because I found that the timing belt would run into one of the supporting pins. Anyways, all I have to do now is finish up the upper neck where the head swivel servo will go and then I will be done with the head and the neck!

Neck Design Update

Here's an quick look at the neck design...

This is more of a proof of concept but I'm trying to see if the current dimensions will work with either fabricated parts or off the shelf parts. The internal linkages were designed with readily available parts but the outer shell dimensions will have to change such that I can either make them or use some sort of common PVC pipe sizes.

The internal mechanism for the lower neck is still missing an adjustable idler pulley as a tensioner but besides that, it is good to go. As for the upper neck, I still need to add a shaft mount for the rod to attach to the upper neck somehow. In addition, I still need to design the head swivel mechanism which will be powered by a servo.

The bottom of the linkage in the lower neck will connect to a stepper or gearmotor via a rod end but that doesn't seem too difficult at the moment.

Like I said earlier, I still need to check the dimensions for accuracy as well so that will take some time.

Edit: So, the original design was to use a parallelogram linkage to keep the upper neck aligned with the horizon, but I decided to change it and scrap the parallelogram linkages altogether. Instead, I will be use an aluminum bar instead.

This allows it to be much simpler with less pieces and accomplishes the same thing. The only addition I will be doing to these side linkages will be to cut some slots and holes to reduce the weight. Also, the two bars that hold the last part at the top will probably be changed to be more rigid.

I don't know why I was trying so hard with the other design... let's try to keep things simple!

Edit2: Final edit before I go to sleep.

I finally found an idler pulley with the right size! I had to go to a metric idler used in the Shapeoko but it'll work. Anyways, the position of the idler pulley is tentative for now. I will have to see what lengths are available and adjust the location of the idler pulley accordingly. There should be enough room up and down to give it some tension but if not, I will have to add a second idler next to it. Alright, time to sleep...

Head/Neck Preview

So here is a preview of the head and neck design:

The components for the neck are only there for reference so I can start designing the internal mechanism for the pivot. I have not yet checked it for scaling and accuracy with the film so it may look a little bit off. I may have to reduce the height between the neck and the head because it seems a little high but we'll see.

As for the head, I still need to do the eyebrow design as well as the piece just under it, where the piece will rest on. Besides that, everything is set for the head pretty much. I've also ordered some M5 rod ends from China for the servo linkages for about 1/4 of the cost (with free shipping!) 

For the neck, I'm trying to see if I have enough room to fit some of these timing belt pulleys in there. It's going to be a very tight fit from the looks of it. The original plan is to allow me to control the lower and upper neck separately. If it doesn't fit, then, we'll have to resort to plan B where the upper neck will always be parallel with the horizon using a combination of linkages like in a parallelogram configuration.

Alright, time to get back to work!

Edit: Here's the same image with an update pivot so it looks a little better...

No updates for today

After spending hours researching and looking for compatibles part, I'm officially burned out. I didn't get to model anything today so no pictures. Time to watch some TV and if I'm up for it, I'll get back to this project for a little bit before I sleep.

Next up: Eye Tilt

I was able to finish the head tilt design today.

It might be a little difficult to see but, trust me, it's there... Unfortunately, the actual rod and rod end is not there because I don't have any dimensions for one so I eyeballed it and gave me enough room to modify the parts a little bit in case they don't fit perfectly at first.

EDIT: Here's an image of the head tilt with *temporary* linkages connecting the servo and the ball and socket joints for your viewing pleasure.

This image shows the part moving in 3 dimensions. For example, if both servos rotated in sync and mirrored, it would tilt the head up or down. If one moved instead of the other or different amounts, it would start rotating and tilting at the same time. Of course in the final design, instead of the linkages, there will be a rod end and a threaded rod connecting the servo arm and the ball and socket joint on the bottom.

Next up is going to be the eye tilt. I still have a few more hours tonight to work on it so maybe I can get an proof of concept design in there somewhere. Once that's done, I'm thinking about putting a 3 axis accelerometer in both of his eyes so I can use a closed loop feedback for the head tilt as well as for his eye tilts. Three axis accelerometers (with breakout boards in place) are about $12 each but if I make them myself, I can get the IC for about $5-6. We'll see...

The one thing I'm having trouble with is finding the right size servos for his movements. I'm trying to find the most economical yet powerful servos, steppers, and motors but who knows what'll happen when it's time for the real thing!

Alright, like I said, it's time for the eye tilt tonight and then I'll get started with the neck tomorrow. It's going to be very interesting to see if I have enough room for what I want to do in there. Essentially, it's going to be like a robotic arm driven by several timing belts and pulleys. The thing I'm most worried is about vibrations and shaking of the head when WALL-E is moving and stopping. Rigidity is the key!

Not a very productive day today...

Unfortunately, I didn't get to everything I said that I would today but I did manage to start the head tilt design...

What you see are 2 ball and socket linkages for the head tilt and 1 inline ball and socket linkage for the third pivot as well as carrying the load of the head.

I had to do it this way because the real WALL-E only has a ball and socket joint. There are no actuators to move his head...

I tried to incorporate the idea of a swivel ball from yesterday but I couldn't find anything reasonable yet. There's not much room in the neck so I had to resort to using a low profile servo with about 7-9 kgcm stall torque; hopefully that will be enough.

So, tomorrow, I will work on the linkage and connection to the servo inside the head for the tilt. If I have time, I will work on the eye tilt as well.

Oh, and my glass lenses came today in the mail! 3 day shipping from NH.. that's pretty good! The lens was in fact 110mm instead of 4.25" but it doesn't matter too much. I added the lens and a temporary rim to see what it'd look like.

It's OK... I'll have to do further checks to see what the correct design is for the rim.

Alright, that's it for tonight. Good night!

Final Update of the Day

For today's final update, I have started the the base of the head and the neck attachment.

Please keep in mind that the very bottom piece (which is part of the neck) is only a placeholder part to see how the parts mated.  Unfortunately, I was unable to find the ball and socket joint similar to the real WALL-E. I've searched everywhere but in the end I had to resort to using an inline ball and socket linkage. I'll see if I can possible use a stainless steel spherical shell (tongue twister!) and cut the top and bottom off to create an outer boot to cover my linkage. That's definitely something we can do!

Here's another view of my work so far.

From this rendering, I still need to do the following:

- Eyebrows (I know I keep mentioning this...)

- Front element (glass lens)

- Front element rim

- Eye tilt mechanism

- Head tilt mechanism

I may have to deviate from the real WALL-E by making the neck attachment piece longer towards the rear of the pivot piece for me to install a stepper for the head rotation... We'll see...

Anyways, the plan going forward is...
March 6: Head tilt mechanism
March 7: Eye tilt mechanism

If I can finish those two items in the next two days, that'd be awesome!

I'm still working on the eye

I'm still trying to optimize the design of the eye socket right now...

Mechanism-wise, it's finished. What I'm trying to do now is to remove some material from each piece to reduce the overall weight. Most of the weight is in that middle bracket which holds the ACME nut (and bushings) and the front lens frame. I'm more worried about the lens frame since a tiny servo will attempt to spin that. Most likely, it'll end up look like a wheel spoke so it shouldn't take too long.

Next up will be the eye tilt mechanism. Hopefully, I'll get to it tonight.

Oh, and my outer lens shipped and should be arriving tomorrow. The specs stated it was 4.25" or 110mm (which are different by the way) but it'll be interesting if they will fit into my design.

And finally, the eyebrow design is being put on hold.. mostly because I don't want to work on it right now.

Eye in/out movement complete!

Just finished the in/out movement mechanism for the eye!

Now it's time for some rest but next on the agenda is the eye tilt mechanism followed by the head tilt mechanism. Hopefully, I will have enough room to put those in... eeek.

Final update of the day

So I said that I would finish the eyebrow design but unfortunately, I didn't get to it today. I did, however, finish the inner cutout to give clearance for the pivot.

The main thing that I got started today was redesigning the in/out movement of the eyes. I originally had a gearmotor directly driving a leadscrew via a coupler (which I could not find) but decided to change it to a stepper. The stepper would be offset and would drive the leadscrew via timing belts. This should make it slightly more compact and would eliminate the need for a second limit switch since I would have more control with the stepper motor.

Originally I had trouble finding an MXL/XL pulley for a 3mm motor shaft and a 3/8 leadscrew so by changing to a stepper motor, I'll be using a XL timing belt with a 5mm motor shaft and 3/8 leadscrew from sdp-si.com. The mounts for the stepper would be slotted to allow me to tension the belt without the need for a idle pulley (hopefully).

Alright, time for sleep!

Almost done with the shell

I tried to line up a picture with what I had and it's pretty close.

I still have to work on the cutout on the inside of the eyes to have clearance for the pivot piece. Then I'll work on the eyebrow design by add the decorations. That'll probably be it for today.

Tomorrow, I'll work on the eye tilt mechanism and rebuild WALL-E's head for optimization. Once that's done, I'll be able to start on his head tilt mechanism and the base of the head.

I ordered 2 glass lenses for WALL-E's outer element and once they get here, I'll get started on that. I wasn't sure how large they were (the person said 110mm or 4.25" which are two different values but we'll see what I get). I'll be able to add the element and the rim to WALL-E's eyes so it'll a little better.

Hmm, what else? Here's what I had in mind as for the future designing schedule (in this order):

- Neck

- Body (including his Igloo lunch box)

- Arms

- Legs

In other news, I'm getting ready to purchase the parts for my Shapeoko. Like I mentioned earlier, I'll be upgrading to a larger cutting area so I just want to make sure all the additional parts will be compatible with what I'm trying to do before spending all this money!

Alright, time to head out today!

Starting to look like something, eh?

Well, sort of.. Like I said earlier, the most important part of WALL-E is his head. The shape, the look, and the feel of it has to be spot on or else it'll look awkward...

Now it's time for some sleep!

Quick Update

Here's a quick update. I eyeballed where the pivot would go and render my progress so far.

Time for a break!

Edit: Accomplished a little bit more!

I still need to add the rear connector, side cutout for the pivot, links from the eye to the pivot, and pivot mechanism.

Eye Pivot

I had a chance to get pretty far on the rear of WALL-E's head but then I realized that I made it mirrored and unfortunately unrecoverable. Because of that, I decided to start on his pivot in between his eyes...

There are several designs out there and I decided to model what I thought most resembled the original WALL-E but made slight modifications to make it easier to fabricate.

After reviewing some stills from the movie, I reduced the width of WALL-E's eyebrows by 0.5" and set them back 0.5".

It is time for me to sleep now but I'll finish this rod tomorrow with the supports and hopefully I'll get a chance to re-start the rear section of his head.