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Edit: Kickstarter campaign failed in 2015.
Starting in 2025 you can build an interactive Alan by joining my Robotics Courseware (links coming soon). You can follow along with detailed video instructions starting with 3d printing parts. Off the shelf hardware components links are included with the BOM. Don't miss out! Be sure to get a head in robotics. Build at you own pace. Coming soon.
Introducing Alan, the android head robot platform kit, soon to be released on Kickstarter.
First a quick introduction. For those that may not know me. I've been a make up effects artist in the film industry for the past 23 years. Robots have always fascinated me since I was a kid growing up in Ohio and watching Lost in Space episodes. That interest never left me and when starting work in the film industry, I taught myself animatronics. That is I would be called upon to make something move via radio controlled, a puppet, or a toaster or ? As CGI took over the animatronics part of my industry, I focused my free time on using that knowledge for robotics. When I saw prosumer 3D printers come on the market 8 years ago, I knew I could get some of my ideas to the table with out the need for a garage full of CNC machines.
Alan is a culmination of of both technologies, animatronics and 3D printing. When this idea started 3 years ago, I had just found EZ Robots and knew that I could build an interestingly designed kit for everyone so they could experiment with robotics. A platform that personifies how we will interact with robots and androids in the near future, by looking them in the face.
My first challenge was to make sure I leaped over the "uncanny valley". To do so, I took the human dimensions and changed them a bit, eyes wider apart, downplayed high details and added features that were without a doubt not human and certainly robotic in form.
The second challenge was keeping the cost down for consumers. A head like this in the film industry, filled with lots of motions like brow, smile, etc would costs $10's of thousands of dollars. So I built Alan with a modular design in mind. Meaning that the store front will carry modules that will allow you to customize and upgrade the same robot without having to buy a whole new head. As an example the front subskull can be replaced with a module with brow movement, allowing you to keep the entire head and eye mechanism. Other silicone skins will become available different colors and genders, styles, etc. The low cost introductory head will include about 22 parts, easy to assemble, with the consumer supplying servos, power supplies EZB, etc. on their own. My website will include links to all the accessories needed, plus mods like LED eyes, built in audio systems and so on. All the parts will be molded and manufactured in Los Angeles. There will be no pressure injected molding of parts this time around. These are cold cast high impact plastic parts and platinum silicone skins. Alans future may include a full body, if the Kickstarter is successful. And you can certainly use this as a replacement head for InMoov . I will look at altering the open source STL files to be able to accept my heads.
I always knew that the EZB would be Alan's brains. And I will promote it as such. As we all know, DJ's commitment and advancement to the EZB is leading us into the future of robotics.There really is no other choice in my mind. But that's in part because I'm no programmer
D. Cochran's EZ-AI is a boon to Alans development. I look forward to where David takes it. And although I have it installed I have yet to implement it with Alan for a few more weeks. All of these working together will be highlighted on the Kickstater video.
I have several more weeks to finish the paint job and run a new hero silicone skin. Then there is the very important Kickstarter video. So we are at least 4 weeks out. But I will post here the links to both the Kickstarter and Alans website when they go live and as Alan progresses.
I look forward to your ideas for programming and how you would mod him. I'd also like to hear how you would like to see him develop. Thanks for your time and enjoy the development pictures and video.
All the best,
Will
Programming
Camera, Speech recognition, speech synthesis, pad touch,
Parts & Materials
Dynamixels, Arduino, USB camera, EZB 4, micro servos and regular servos
Other robots from Synthiam community
Cliffordkoperski's Hydrualic Arm And Hand
Lumpy's Lumpy's - R2-D2 Build Two-Two's
Thats not how investors think Im afraid. At least not the smart ones. If they like the concept and see potential, once they realize almost nothing about "Alan" is protected, patented or proprietary, they just forward a youtube clip to a chinese toy manufacturer and ask them for a quote. Then they will compare that to investing in Alan - or rather in Alans creator.
Im not saying the latter cant make sense and wont happen. But you better have answers when they ask you those questions. Saying Alan looks cute isnt going to be enough.
Honestly, if it where me, Id talk to DJ . Maybe he could be interested in a joint venture or purchasing the design and selling Alans under EZR brand ? Then at least the IP issue isnt a concern.
Will is on the right track - with no IP challenges
. Adobe didn't have trouble with financing when they built their software to run on Windows or MacOS....
It is an interesting conversation when one tries to take a hobby/passion and tries to turn it into a business. I have worked a bit with VC's in the personal electronics space and I have seen two trains of thought. As Vertigo mentioned, there are the ones that will see no distinct IP outside of design copyright and try to duplicate in China. That is a short term vision. Sure they can take something as it exists today, port it off to China to copy. THey are then stuck with something that has no clear development future. THe other type invest in the person and let the company follow behind. Often I was asked, who is your tech person, who provides the vision? VC's like to talk to them as opposed to the business dev types in order to judge future potential. The company progenitor that has performed the work and an indication whether their vision for the future has potential.
It's a difficult/fun/frustrating/satisfying part of starting your own business. Good luck.
Troll from Northern Irelands been here before..long ago...but glad to see him back..trolling...bye.
@Vertigo...totally understand where you are coming from...Give me a little credit here. Do you think I would be stepping on EZ Robots feet...intentionally? I've given recognition where its due ie most everything inside Alan and Alena is controlled by EZ Robot when marketing or chatting to media. I say it again and again...everything I've created is completely the inspiration for everything that EZ Robot products can do.
But I'm pushing a brand now. Robomodix (me) has worked hard to create unique looking shells or skins or whatever you want to call Alan and Alena and Gar. You (investor, partner) can put whatever you want inside.
A perfect example I've created an Alan that does not use EZB products, that is animated and exclusively for use with smart speaker technology. So I've created an accessory for the 54 million smart speakers on the market. I would think an investor might be interested in that.
On the other hand I will continue to create the Hard Core Robots, that can be placed in museums, airports, hotels, etc, just like I did for Kuwait museum. These are EZB powered and I promote them as such. But they are still a hybrid of my tech, EZB tech and a third party software company. DJ was instrumental in helping with these robots and would not have done so if he felt it would not be cross promotional to do so?
...and for the record Alan and Alena are well protected. But in this day and age is anything protected internationally? Probably not IP is stolen by China daily. Alan has been all over the internet for 6 years and I've not seen anyone try and replicate it yet. So either no one thinks its worthy or they don't know how to do it yet.
Investors pretty much always invest in the person., and what that person can bring to the table. And Will needs to come up with good answers when hes asked what he brings to the table, beyond his ability to integrate off the shelve components and third party software. He clearly has a knack for design, but I doubt thats enough. His contacts in the movie industry could be an asset. Anyway, Im wishing him all the best. And Will, if you ever make a latex skin for inmoov, let me know, I want to buy some
The last couple pages of posts in this thread confuse me. Look, I'm just as disappointed as the next guy that I can't buy an Alan for myself in kit form, but this thing is Will's creation and he should be able to market and sell the thing (or not) as he sees fit...without criticism.
@DJ Thank you for your reply.
I have a new Robomodix Intro you can check out at: