-636343637196289983.jpg)
-636343637315278038.jpg)
-635683694093497265.jpg)
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
Jstarne1's Nano Smart Aquarium
Elvisexmachina's 3D Printer Quadruped
Great find on that genesis video. Yeah both Furhat AND robothesbian have great software. As an artist I am visual person, the more UI you give me the better. Some of the animation recording options in robothesbian software is what I was trying to develop in Unity in the Unity/EZB bridge which can be seen here post #290 : Animating via Unity
Social robots are on the rise and some will be winners and some will be losers. I just read today that Jibo seems to going under...imagine that.
Looks like Kuri go bye-bye as well.
From the trenches, I feel that "society" (consumer) isn't ready for personal robots. Right now, robots like Kuri and Jibo are little more than Alexa on steroids.
Playing Devil's advocate, what real purposes do current personal robots serve? Why spend thousands on something that does little more than a smartphone and Echo Dot can do? Why would one need to go to a robot and ask them to dial a number, find a pizza place, or turn the lights down when they can do all that on the move with their phone? Conversation? Phone, email, text. Love? Dating apps, nightclubs and love dolls.
Other than an expensive toy, is there a need?
BTW, I'm pretty primitive when it comes to home automation, and I avoid "social media" like the plague, so that may very well skew my opinion.
Great point and the answer to those questions are most likely person to person specific. I'm not sure if there is a need per say, but humans are social. We anthropomorphize so many things. I'm pretty sure from my testing, that Alan and Alena become the new smart dog in the family.
When Alena is connected to Amazons Alexa, it brings a more personal, social feel, to a hockey puck or to a phone or a computer. There will be those who are lonely and just want social company in human form. And there will be those who like to be alone.
The alignment of AI, computer power, and tools to create robots, are just beginning. People will need to accept it or reject it but its probably here to stay. It might not be in your home but it may pop up in your workplace, bank, or grocery store.
Its kinda funny to watch the evolution of robots right now. I find it challenging to find uses for robots like all the dog robots. Fun to design and build, but i don't see practical uses for these robots, i.e. delivering packages etc . I like Cassie, but again I'm not sure a chicken robot is going to be delivering packages. I have yet to see uses for it. They cost so much to build and years of R and D but someone pays for these concepts.
Scratches head..?
New map new location at CES, I've replaced the map on the previous post.
In reply to your head scratch: "P.T. Barnum, m'boy".
@WarPig
Ok I might be able to shed some light on this. For one, I have a son with Autism and he (as most Autistic) are a bit reclusive, but like to bond to something and he really enjoys just talking to an AI (Google, Alexa, OpenJarvis, etc). If he can ask questions and it can respond he's good. If a person questions him sometimes it puts him very out of a place. Not so much with something like an Alan.
I also have friend whom just lost their husband and all the rest of their family is grown-up and not so close anymore. Something like an ALAN is great. It can be in the living room with them and while the person is sewing, crocheting, etc. they can chat a bit with it (depending on the AI) this helps them feel NOT so lonely.
Would a dog do? Maybe, but not for my son or my friend. Neither of them like all that hair and food and slubber. Hope this helps a bit.
@mtwannabe Excellent points! Like I said, I was being negative on purpose
What a great use for a personal robot (pet) instead of an animal! Plus the robot can hold conversations, help with certain tasks ... and if neglected or later unwanted, there is no suffering that an animal would be subject to.