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Mechanical Facehugger build

#1

Ok i touch upon doing this project back in 2010 with a very brief explanation of casting skins for robots.
i plan to sculpt the hugger and cast a skin that should fit over the internal workings.

With the advances in 3d printing i can now “start” this project.
it will be a while till i can afford to print this badboy… Dam i need a sponsor, but for now here are the CAD designs…

This time i have integrated the pulley system into the legs themselves rather than having to attach them separately. ill post details on that part later.



With this project id like to combine Animatronics and robotics. The robot will work in the same way as many of my animatronic projects do… An external pull pull system.
with in the system will be all the electronics/servos etc. giving me as much room as i need inside the hugger to get it all working.
The hugger 'ideally running a mod vertion of the phoenix code, will have the abbility to walk… I hope. but will be tethered.

Look out and i hope you enjoy.

#2

are you plan to make hexapod like design?
Very interested…

#3

Give us a shout via the Support Center (accelerator program dept). We can look into fully funding the prototype and also commercializing it (so you get a % from each sale).

#4

Yes. The parts shown in the last photo is the cad file ready for 3d printing.
Some design changes are required so no time soon.

#5

Some newer renders…
classic hugger pose.


#6

ill take a look… Thanks Coleman.

#7

Whats the catch?

#8

#9

Oh wow! That’s truly awesome Jonny! :open_mouth:

Eight leg and 4 DOF! or 3 DOF where the tars follow the tibia through a linkage? You sure got me curious how you are going to gather all the servos. All 645’s?

#10

Thanks Kåre.
Yes you are correct. It comprises of 8 limbs, although im only expecting to want to walk with 6 most of the time.

Also yes its 4dof but with that programming nightmare of a passive 4th joint. so really its 3dof but slightly more complex.

Here are some close ups:
This is showing the linkage between the Tibia(1) and the Tar(2). Passive joint.

If this idea makes things to complicated then ill combine the two parts into one.

This is the “powered” joint between the Femur and the Tibia. note the cable housing mount and feed through cable design.

How does the hugger work…
Well ill be making another servo pull case design that can hold up to 24 servos. Not necessarily 645s as the printed construction is very light.

#11

Ahaha! Nice one - it’s looking AWESOME! :smiley:

#12

— Update Me —

#13

New body design soon. Had to iron out a few conflicts. Updated image soon.

#14

#15

That render is just awesome… :wink:

#16

Now I see it - it’s the creature from the movie “Aliens” which pops out of the egg. Things just got a lot creepier. Awesome!

#17

Yep thats the one. :wink:

#18

Ah there you are :slight_smile: (Already saw it on FB)

I really like the design. Will this be an animations project or will it be an standalone, walking octopod? I like how you solved the extra DOF. The pushrod for the last joint will be interesting to solve with IK.

Anyway, I will be following this topic :wink:

#19

Animate the tail! Really hope it’s stand alone.

#20

Due to the design and form of this project, it will be tethered to the servo control box. But I plan to implement the phoenix code so effectively its stand alone and will hopefully walk.
Yes the ik for that passive joint will be a challange but im sure there will be a work around…
Simple way of putting it would be to say if the tibia is at say 1500, then the leg is ## long, and if the tibia is at 1700, then the lenght will change to ##.