Mattonymy
New Member
11/2/2016
/long rant/
Ever since the film debuted in 2008 I have wanted a screen accurate, 1:1 scale, animatronic version of the Microbe Obliterator "M-O" from WALL•E. He's the adorable little cleaning robot with an obsessive compulsive directive and he's hands down the cutest robot I've seen.
For some perspective on how long I spent thinking about this, in 2010 I posted a guide on converting a desktop toy into a working roving electronic robot. and in 2012 I scratch built a version of his frame using thermoformed plastic. I got close but it ended up being too small and heavy to put electronics so I abandoned that method. 
(2010 Attempt: Completed Test Drive)

(2012 Attempt: Abandoned)
Fast forward to 2015 when I finally had the means to design and 3D print my designs. I got involved with the BB-8 builders and while I started building my ball oriented drive train droid, I kept revisiting this guy and thinking about how to do it. I finally cracked open my 3D printer, adapted an animation model one of my colleagues sent me and printed the parts for my first prototype. HOWEVER, while finishing these parts, I came to realize even these didn’t meet my standards for scale and weight, so I’ve postponed it to work on my BB droid.
(Most Recent 2015 Attempt)
SO….yeah. This is where I am at right now. I have had the printed parts for over a year now and I intend them to be for a highly detailed static robot. However, I still ultimately want an animatronic robot. Thus, what I plan on doing in this build log is detailing my extensive research on building both a static robot and hopefully a (redesigned) animatronic one. I don't know how much I will get done or when I can get things done (currently focusing on my BB droid) but I'm hoping posting my progress on The RPF will force me to keep a schedule.
Either that or catalogue my slow silly eight year obsession. More to come!
/rant off/
/long rant/
Ever since the film debuted in 2008 I have wanted a screen accurate, 1:1 scale, animatronic version of the Microbe Obliterator "M-O" from WALL•E. He's the adorable little cleaning robot with an obsessive compulsive directive and he's hands down the cutest robot I've seen.
For some perspective on how long I spent thinking about this, in 2010 I posted a guide on converting a desktop toy into a working roving electronic robot. and in 2012 I scratch built a version of his frame using thermoformed plastic. I got close but it ended up being too small and heavy to put electronics so I abandoned that method. 
(2010 Attempt: Completed Test Drive)

(2012 Attempt: Abandoned)
Fast forward to 2015 when I finally had the means to design and 3D print my designs. I got involved with the BB-8 builders and while I started building my ball oriented drive train droid, I kept revisiting this guy and thinking about how to do it. I finally cracked open my 3D printer, adapted an animation model one of my colleagues sent me and printed the parts for my first prototype. HOWEVER, while finishing these parts, I came to realize even these didn’t meet my standards for scale and weight, so I’ve postponed it to work on my BB droid.
(Most Recent 2015 Attempt)
SO….yeah. This is where I am at right now. I have had the printed parts for over a year now and I intend them to be for a highly detailed static robot. However, I still ultimately want an animatronic robot. Thus, what I plan on doing in this build log is detailing my extensive research on building both a static robot and hopefully a (redesigned) animatronic one. I don't know how much I will get done or when I can get things done (currently focusing on my BB droid) but I'm hoping posting my progress on The RPF will force me to keep a schedule.
Either that or catalogue my slow silly eight year obsession. More to come!
/rant off/
