Functional Pip-boy 3000 Mk IV from Fallout 4

jellis359
If I could at least borrow it to see how well Android runs on it that would be great. It may turn out to not be much faster.

Both processors are 1GHz, and both claim to have 2D/3D Accelerators. The Neo has a A9 processor, which (according to Cortex) is 50% faster. All these specs of course rely on highly optimized software. The BeagleBone would probably work if the Android build was re-built, but I just don't know that much about Android and compiling to do it.

I am warming up to the Neo also due to the on-board WIFI and Bluetooth. Adding both of those functions to the Beaglbone is turning out to be a major chore. I can easily add a USB WiFi module. However, it would only work when 5V external power is present, and takes a lot of power. The Adafruit module says you need a 2A adapter to run their reliably.

On complication the Neo does add is the LVDS LCD interface. I would have to convert the interface to Parallel RGB to run the small LCD screen. It seems possible, as the 7" LCD they used has a parallel interface. Their probably used an adapter board.

A few years ago I was at Maker Faire Austin, and Texas Instruments had a booth showing off Angry Birds on a 7" touchscreen. It was running amazingly fast. At the time I guess I assumed that Angry Birds was running on Android. But it could just as easily been running in Linux.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
DanielWGK, I have seen their boards. They are too large and power hungry. I managed to get Android 4.4 to run on the Beaglebone, one with Accelerated graphics even. I downloaded the APK and OBB files for Fallout shelter. It will launch to the point that it asks me to create a vault, but then locks up while loading. It seems my hopes rest on the Udoo.

I tried scaling up my design so that the overall width of the Pip-Boy is 170mm, instead of 150mm. This more closely matches the Pip-Boy edition. I got the 170mm dimension by comparing the size of the iPhone 6 in the released photo. Because it scales up proportionally in 3D, I get load more space inside. However, the 3.5" LCD screen then looks too small.

Here's the rub: Once you go larger then 3.5", it is nearly impossible to find a 4:3 aspect ratio LCD screen. The largest I have found is a expensive, and rare Sharp 3.7" LCD screen.
There is a very popular 4.3" LCD which was used in the Playstation Portable, just about everyone carries a version of it. I even used it years ago in a in-wall touchscreen product. However with a aspect ratio of 16:9, it is actually exactly the same size as the 3.5" LCD when you crop off the ends to fit the Pip-Boy. In fact if you put a iPhone 6 into the Pip-Boy edition, you will get a similar size screen.

So it looks like I will need to get more creative about getting the Udoo to fit. I may try scaling up a smaller amount, from 150mm to 160mm. The catch is it takes hours to work through the model and scale things up, simple because I already have so much of the fixed size hardware and electronics in place. Everything has to move and be tweaked for the new size.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@MAnth asked if I could share my vector art version of the Fallout Logos with him. So I am posting them here also.

These are made from scratch by overlaying shapes over images I found online. I tried a few raster-to-vector conversions but they always came out soft looking. There is also a vector art version of the stand label from a few posts up. The Pip-Boy logo was a challenge as I couldn't find any high-res reference for it.

Send me links to any cool stuff you make using them. I personally want to make my own messenger pag to transport the Pip-Boy. I want a canvas bag similar to the Brotherhood of Steel bag, but with RobCo and Vault-Tec logos. (I don't want the synthetic fabric Vault-Tec bag listed on the store currently)

uc



uc




uc


Google Drive Link
 


Hey folks, while I work on other aspects of the project I had my computer churning out more geek porn renderings of the Pip-Boy design.
(Again, these are renderings showing my ideal goal, and not photos of the finished project.)

Much of these features were shown earlier, but I will be linking to this post from the front page for those coming into the project late.

-------------------------------------



I finished re-working the whole CAD design. I increased the size of the Pip-Boy by 6%. This makes it 160mm long, or about 10mm shorter than the Pip-Boy edition released in the Pip-Boy Edition. This larger size allows me to fit the Udoo Neo.

-------------------------------------



The greater internal volume also allowed me to complete one more game accurate detail which was lacking. The holotape cassette holder in-game has an extra little bend at the back. With more space inside I was able to angle the tape properly and add that detail. I also tweaked the selection wheel position to be closer to the in-game shots.

-------------------------------------



Here are the new holotape designs. The four little lines on the back are a PCB which interfaces with a spring connector inside the Pip-Boy. Through these pins the holotape can provide a unique ID signal to trigger a command in Android. Allowing the tapes to playback audio or video files upon insertion.

-------------------------------------



I have tweaked the latch and magnetic holding design. Also shown here is the detachable sensor pod and lamp.

-------------------------------------



Here you can see what the Pip-Boy may look like in low-light, with the lamp turned on.

-------------------------------------



The sensor pod/lamp is made with a series of 20 LEDs, 10 per side. At the end of the board is the non-contact IR sensor. This sensor input will drive the Rad gauge, allowing you to scan an object to see how "hot" it is. A pin diode rad gauge will also drive the rad meter, but if that ever goes off to a large degree you may want to check with a doctor.

-------------------------------------



With the main 3D printed body stripped away you can see just how many components are required to put together a functional prop.
Metal shafts has been used instead of built-in plastic, this makes for smoother, long-life function.

-------------------------------------



Here you can see the Udoo Neo in green. Udoo selected to put things like I2C and the LCD screen onto cabled connectors, so these will be a challenge to get connected to the motherboard.

-------------------------------------



No detail has been spared.
 
Last edited:
So Bethesda has released some artwork previews from their book, including a image of the Pip-Boy.

So far only a few changes needed: Screws on the back of the holotape holder, and a few other small tweaks. Once the game comes out I am sure I will end up with a few more changes.
 
DanielWGK, All the screws are #2-56 brass round head screws. In my design they are all purely decorative.

Small project update:
I found a company in china willing to sell me samples and small runs of their 2-touch capable capacitive touch overlay.
The catch is they have a 4 week lead time. But there isn't much choice, so I am going with it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just thought you might be interested to know, the part you've got as a light/geiger counter has been shown in leaked videos to actually interface with computers, R2D2-style. You might make it a USB cable or something, if you desire.
 
@Voltaire Surge, sure.
@Funslinger, Interesting. FYI, I am avoiding all leaked info. In either case there will be four wires in the cable running to the pod. I need all of them to run power and I2C data. Making it a USB connector isn't appealing to me as the design will already have WIFI and Bluetooth. Also without the IR sensor, there would be little interactivity with the Rad meter.

-----------

Project status:

-Tweaking the design daily, trying to optimize the 3D print as much as possible to lower the overall cost.
-Waiting on the Udoo Neo, and a capacitive touch overlay. Working with companies in China is always hit-or-miss. Currently they communicated a price and 1 month lead time, but then went radio silent when I asked to purchase samples.
-Once I play the game next week I am sure I will end up changing a few things.





In the meantime I am also designing a functional Nuka Cola Pistol. You may have seen the rendering already over in Lilykill's thread. He did the original 3D model as far as size and shape. I have re-modeled almost all of it, but still based on his original dimensions.

This will be far simpler, using a clever trick with a huge capacitor, LED, resistor, and two-way switch to make it so the gun fires a burst of light on each trigger pull. Working on adding sound to it using a cheap Adafruit Trinket. The hard part is figuring out how to make the bottle from clear resin. Most clear resin doesn't work with roto-casting.
 
@Mach, To get acrylic to cure without bubbles you actually would need to cast it in a vacuum. A very skilled glass blower may be able to make this by hand, or using a mold. Making a mold would be difficult, especially since I need a open tube down the center for the LED, and a recess for the handle and trigger.

@Grey, Who knows, it may be pure concept art that isn't even in the actual game, or isn't even a functional gun.
I did the rendering in one day, and did all the electronic layout in another. I haven't rendered up all the electronics shots yet. The electronic function can be very simple and cheap.
To get a large LED flash using a trigger can be done with just a few components:
The trigger hits a single-pole-double-throw lever switch. In the resting position power travels from a battery into a very large capacitor. When the trigger is pulled, the energy is dumped quickly from the capacitor into the LED. This results in a very bright flash. Pretty much like a camera flash. The LED I selected can handle up to 500mA in bursts, and should be very bright. Any other ultra bright LED could also be used.
 
Not sure if you've seen yet, but the companion app has been released to the public if you want to give it a look. Only the Demo mode is usable for now, but it looks like it has a lot of the functionality.
 
Yep, I saw that it was released. I played with it on my iPhone. I looks great

So far the app doesn't seem to use pinch-to-zoom if you run it in fullscreen mode. The map seems to be a fixed zoom level. We'll see if that changes outside demo mode. So far getting a 2-touch capacitive overlay is the biggest hold up for the project. If I can use a resistive touch-screen that makes everything simpler.
 

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top