Astromech Droid

@jeremie Thank you! Yes I did figure out the problem.. the voltage regulator sold in the ez-robot store, as a servo extension, is only rated at 1 amp. I ended up getting another voltage regulator so that I could power the servo and ezb separately. After powering the two individually the servo motor ended up working normally

thank you @mcsdaver

@robot56 Everything is really coming along nicely. I like everything that you have done.

One thing I have noticed, and please don't take this as a criticism, but there is a bit of drift with the dome movement when it is stopping. Is this something that you are just going to live with or are you working on more precise starts and stops?

Also, with that gearbox you are using for the dome, what gear ratios did you go with?

@zap thank you! I don't consider it critisim at all I have noticed that the dome seems to want to drift at the end of it's rotation.. I'm thinking that the drift is because the domes weight as it is spinning. As the servo is locating it's position the inertia from the dome keeps the dome rotating slightly longer than it should be? I'm using a 2:1 gear ratio but one of the things on my list to try is a higher gear ratio since the gear are cheap to buy separately. Hopefully then the drifting will be reduced as the servo has a bit more torque to stop the dome.

It could also probably be programmed to be more accurate by scripting? The servo always seems to find center and the desired position proberly.. However it almost seems like there is a deceleration built into the servo at the end of a rotation lol

I have spent the last few days cutting and fitting skin mounts to the frame of my astromech. along the middle section/doors I used delrin that holds velcro to locate where the skins need to be lined up. then i made delrin mounts that screw to the frame on the side of the seam lines. The skins will be countersunk so that the screws sit flush with the side of the body Its finally starting to look like something!

With Star Wars Celebration fast approaching and the added bonus that R7 needs to be loaded/displayed inside the facility a day before the convention starts it was time for me to start making some simple scripts. My goal is to make him as lively as possible for people walking by the display. I set up the camera to follow motion and faces, as well as wrote scripts for randomized audio files to be played within a certain interval. i will have an Ipad mounted by one of his lower doors to show people that he has a camera inside the dome. Next to his name display board I plan to have a QR code that will lead people to the ez-robot forum page and this build. hopefully people get a kick out of him as most the other droids just sit there with no movement whatsoever... I still have the skins and legs to paint before I can apply the black/carbon fiber vinyl and mount all of the other detail pieces.

For the first audio clip I need to find a file that isnt cut off but all in all for being completely randomized sound and movement i think he looks decent?

Looks fantastic in my opinion. Have fun at celebration!

Awesome and well done! thanks for the vid! If you can, send a few pics back from the Star Wars Celebration