Carlos230023
Right. So another email has come about stating delays are afoot. A week after everyone was promised shipping would start. But we're all too familiar with this. My wife ordered me JD for Christmas sometime in August 2013. Seriously guys? There will only be so long people can take this rubbish. As far as I'm aware, despite your "12-16 hour days" there still isn't a video of JD actually walking. Another promise not delivered in march.
It's not a mirror for the Hubble space telescope, it's a plastic robot. There has to have been a point where someone has said "stuff it we've done enough". If it takes 10 weeks got get an ABS mould manufactured then you are talking to the wrong suppliers. Why it has taken so long to even get the PCB's printed up is beyond me. It's all good and well that you have had time to fine tune things and make adjustments, but all the while the $500 I paid 6 months ago has been gaining interest in your bank while I am left without a product that was first promised before Christmas, then there was an indefinite delay. Then march was the new goal, it came and went without so much as a sorry, and once again it's been pushed back three months. To thoes whom want to say "just get a refund" I feel invested in EZ-Robot and want to see them succeed, but I'm not a shareholder I'm a customer. That and the last shipping blunder did give rise to the extra store credit offer which has technically bagged me another EZ-B V4 on top of my JD purchase.
In the time it's taken to have a 1Kg robot built I have had a car built from scratch in Spain, shipped over and delivered!
I'm aware that many of the deeper sect of the cult following will likely shoot me down or the post will be removed but when has any one else had to wait so long for a PCB, some servos and plastic. I'm well aware that there is, in theory, more to it than this, but code can be developed in a largely open source fashion, so why don't we have the PCB's to speed the process along?
Just another annoyed customer waiting for his vapourware to show up. I have kept my mouth shut until now as it does seem to be, on paper at least, a fabulous product. If it didn't have that to coast along on. I expect far more people would have pulled their money by now. But then we don't really know as in the last year only a handful of product videos have been released. This isn't an attack on DJ or any of the EZ-robot staff. All the contact I've had with anyone from EZ-Robot has been polite and lovely conversation. It's a complaint about the way the company has been conducting its business thus far with regard to the revolution kit and the EZ-B V4.
Just ship it. I don't care if JD is made from injected ABS, printed ABS, I don't care if I have to print the little blighter myself, he could be made of paper mâché for all I care. It can be glitchy and shakey and JD can fall over all he wants unless he is perfectly stationary and perpendicular to ground that is constructed on a perfect compound algorithmic radius about the earths gravitational center wearing lead boots. Just put your promises in a box and ship it!
CJ
Addendum. Video of JD taking 3 steps has been uploaded. Satisfied on that front.
Also missed that on the website it states for new buyers that the dispatch wait is 5-7 weeks. Yet my 6 month old order won't be delivered for at least 12 so the latest update states. Misleading customers new and old.
CJ
this happens now in all online chops.selling parts whithout having a big stock. chops cant affort to get stuck whit lots off parts that are not selling. in this bad times (inflation- we all gonna feell it. but you got a point there.you have only one good chot to promoot a (surtenly) robot. i see many go down,by not taking enouch time to check all over and over again. but its sure stressfull time all the waiting. check the robot robokind R25 GOOD EXCAMPLE HOW NOT TO DO IT. the site chould be all the time perfectly updated . robokind starts whit chowwing the R50 great robot,then they make the R25 whits has much lesser quality face. then the final outcome off the robot on kickstarter,it looks like the plumming in my house.
am very newbie in all thats related whit robots.but i see lots off video's and talk to robot sellers. i like jd robot ,he's very cute,do i think lot more needs be done .to make jd the ultimate robot. thats why i post servo's whit special mechanisme from robi here.excample waist servo,looks cool. i will post today that picture.for me the ultimate robot is a robot who has all a human can do, els its a robot like any other robot.i mean elbows,mouthleds,hands.you named. something where all people say wow this is the coollest robot.IT HAS ALL.
tree months delay ,i think and hopes its sooner whits really can happen
It's discussed in this topic. Have a read. You aren't alone with feeling disappointed.
Basically, Jason is on the case for full, open and honest transparency regarding the delays. I've offered some suggestion to EZ-Robots too which I hope they will take on board.
While disappointed and feeling somewhat miffed about it we can't do anything about it neither can EZ-Robots. We can only look forwards and hope that any further delays are explained and announced quickly.
If you read the other topic you will see that even I have expressed my dissatisfaction and disappointment and Jason has responded.
The good news is there will not be any more delays regarding the new shipping date. It is a bit longer than expected, but it has been really important to repair the injection mold designs before mass production. We were really confident that our parts were ready for manufacturing many months ago - as the parts were reviewed for DFM (design for manufacturing), they came back with many concerns - which we needed to address. The delay hasn't been on the manufacturing facilities - it's on the quality and review of the molds.
The clips and pressure for parts are really important for accuracy - and additionally they cannot have mold seams along the center. That has required a lot of work to identify how to create the molds.
Regarding the pcb, it's not taking a long time because of the manufacturer. The delayed time is due to sourcing parts. Take a good look at the ezb when you get it - it's a full-on computer in a tiny little form factor that outputs dozens of peripheral ports, video, audio and large amounts of current - additionally includes wifi, which is where our major delay has been.
In order to manufacture and sell an electronic product in stores and across boarders that includes RF transmission - you require certifications - such as CE and FCC. That costs tens of thousands of dollars and many months of red tape. We were able to piggy back off another module's certification - but that put us at the mercy of their manufacturing time. We saved substantial costs, but added a little time.
The pcbs are also enclosed in an injection molded case. Even though the pcbs can be done before injection molding - they can't be shipping without the case.
Finally, there's assembly and quality control. There are many companies involved in manufacturing the 10,000 robot revolutions. There are seperate companies for electronical component sourcing, warehousing, pcb manufacturing, chip programming, DFM review and 2d file creation, over seas consultant who handles all relationships and schedules, mold review and machinist, injection mold company, warehousing again for the unassembled parts, company who assembles the parts and puts them in a box, company who ships the products to customers and stores.
That's a lot of companies involved
good thing is, we are finally all on the same page and all companies agree on the timelines.
:D great order can arrive on my birthday,cool.
longer video of jd please....3 steps not enough...I need MOAR!
@Hoolagen1 those videos are 30 second commercials so for the purpose they are intended for 3 steps is enough
I'm sure "the other Jason" is working on more for us though
In the mean time, stick the video on a loop
@DJ, thanks for the detailed explanation, it's put my concerns to bed now (along with Jason's responses) it's all been explained
I'm sure you are as disappointed by the whole injection molding process after being confident you were done as we are with the further delays but at the end of the day, it is what it is, those 3 months will fly by as fast as the last 3 have
Thanks DJ for your update While I like many others I would love to have my hands on V4 Ezb now, but I fully understand and appreciate what you are doing before you ship. There is no other electronic product that I know of that gets better with age , I would have to say my V3 EZB is a higher spec now than when I purchased .
Thank You
:)