Welcome to: The Robotorium: May 2017

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Weston #4

This is the finished robot form the previous post, More of the Process. The head on this one is a bit of a departure. Its made it using a projector bulb housing and more modern electrical parts. I do like the way it all turned out. It still has great personality and a harmony of parts that I strive for. I'm currently working on the 7th version of The Five that I plan on listing on Etsy for sale. After that I have a series of 2 larger robots that I think are going to be really excellent. Stay Tuned!

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

More of the Process

These are few images of another robot that's about 2/3 of the way done. The base is from the box of Weston bakelite meters I picked up a few months ago. For now I am sticking with arms based off of computer peripheral back plates with bits attached. I like that look.

This shows just the arms and the enclosure for the head, its a projector lamp housing. I added some other components to the inside of the head that play off of the face piece below.

Here are all the bits, the housing for head and the face piece, a lens and PC board assembly from a digital camera. I am about finished with the arms and still working on a final version of the legs. I'll follow this post up shortly with a dry assembly in a few days. The more I use these old Weston meters the more I like them. They are a great platform.

Artists Statement

Robots, the future was supposed to be full of them. I grew up in the shadow of the Apollo program, transfixed as massive machines left Pad 39A, rising on a pillar of fire. I drank up every episode of The Thunderbirds, Star Trek, Creature Double Feature and Dr. Who. I devoured Asimov, Clark and Heinlein. They showed me a future of great adventure and promise, all accompanied by a faithful metal companion; not a Roomba or a self-driving car. While cool, they lack the reassuring yet potentially sinister metal gleam of Robby, or B9 from Lost in Space. They do not lurch from task to task or generate massive electrical arcs. They are not imbued with superhuman strength, and are missing the frightening single-mindedness of Gort or The Terminator.

I have always loved building things. So, given the robotless state of my present, I grabbed a screwdriver and drill and took remnants from the past to make my missing future. I see potential creations in stuff that gets thrown away. I love the machine age look of polished aluminum, wrinkle finished paint, and Bakelite. I look for parts that complement each other. Using cast-offs from a time before transistors, I try to create something with an aesthetic unity. I want my robots to look like they have been used and worked, while broadcasting a personality and sense of presence. I want them to look real, that’s important. Most of all, when I’m done, I want to look at them and laugh. With each creation I get a little closer to the dreams I had as a boy, a little closer to the future I imagined. Step into The Robotorium and let me share with you the way it all could have been.