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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
Steve's Introducing Vic The Vac
Lumpy's Lumpy's Omnibot(S) - Spy Vs Spy
Ok Bas sounds great. I can't wait to see what you do with Alan and your evolving program!
Hi William,
When you state "The only way to move forward with ALAN is to place him in a low volume high demand market", I noticed in KS 'Risks & Challenges' section it mentions "That said, we are attempting to mass produce, by hand, a really cool robot."?
I agree 'affordability' is relative to each person in a financial sense, although it's probably more so relative to "what's already out there at a similar (cheaper even) price", the incredible InMoov project with an already large & thriving community, being a point in case.
I think holding firm to a high barrier of entry, for what appears (at this point) purely to maintain a level of 'exclusivity' to ALAN is, at best 'Schoolboy Error', at worst 'Highly Arrogant'.
I'll be genuinely very impressed if funding breaks the $30k mark by campaign end with the current pledge level structure. The old saying "be careful what you wish for" seems appropriate, ALAN may very well be the most 'exclusive' (one-of-a-kind) robotic head on planet Earth.
Regards, Andrew
Low volume, because if we had 1000 orders we could not fill them in a year. Our cap would be 400 units for this campaign to get them done in a timely manner. I think you are missing the point. Alan is priced according to the bottom line that we can afford to do so and in the time line we set forth. We would love everyone to have our version of Alan at a lower price point but it's impossible to do so with our current way to manufacture him. I can't go into business in the red. No one can.
An animatronic head like this in the film industry would cost 10s of thousands of dollars. I attempted to build one at a much lower cost and did so. Is it priced for everyone nope. Will it be available for download to print, nope.
Will we fail? We will know in 29 days. If so, no one can say I didn't work hard for 2 years to try and bring to market a really cool and different robot platform. It certainly won't be the end.
If all else I've shown that there is great interest in unique designs and colors In robotics.
And I think I've been respectful to your queries. But I don't appreciate your last paragraph. And I no longer feel the need to explain myself to you. Good day sir.
@Will ... whatever you do don't release the stls... We all know how hard you worked.... Don't give this guy the satisfaction....
Certainly will not
"Satisfaction"?
If you mean don't give me the satisfaction of having the opportunity to be part of the ALAN project (and 1000's of others), of making the ALAN community much, MUCH larger. Of heavily spiking sales of EZ V4's that everyone will need to obtain same level of functionality as ALAN, of William (rightfully) monetising on the stl designs before some random backer inevitably scans & distributes them, of generally making robotics more accessible.
Then yes, don't satisfy me, satisfy Richard R in accomplishing; inaccessibility Small community slow improvements due to lack of contributors Do nothing to improve sales of EZ V4's when he had EVERY OPPORTUNITY to explode sales!?... Await the unfortunate truth of 'when' (not 'if') some dude scans WILLIAM's designs in the future and uploads the stl's anyway.
I did touch earlier on my understanding of heavily investing your time working intensly on a project creating something special, & the tendency to become hyper-protective of it. When I said that I wasn't just shooting the breeze writing it for nothing? There comes a time in the business world when you just have to let it out into the wild, of course we as the pro's & cons of all eventualities & possibilities, however you HAVE to acknowledge inevitability e's and mitigate the risks to the best of your power.
I apologise for trying to gently steer you toward better business sense, maybe Richard R has a better business background & can offer more informed suggestions to make ALAN a success?
Lastly, I wouldn't lend too much credence to Kicktraq, it's a VERY basic algorithm (very linear-line in nature). If you expect to bang out $9k/day for 30days straight I've bad news for you,...
Kindest Regards, Andrew
@A84M ... so your only contribution to the forum so far is criticism?.... Why don't you do a tutorial or help another member with a problem instead of being so critical and arrogant?....
Dude, seriously... what's it to you how @Will runs/market's his Alan project? Don't you think he has the right to do it his own way? I don't remember him asking for your opinion anyway.... If you don't like the way he is doing it, why don't you just go design and create your own instead?
If I have offered criticism it has only been towards what will ultimately be the outcome of following your advice. Of course, if Williams vision is for ALAN to be confined to the research lab he has EVERY right (that's not what's at dispute here).
With regards to why don't i offer help or advice to a forum member with a problem, I thought my advice here was just that, offering the best possible outcome for hackers/hobbyists, the EZ-Robot guys, William & Robomodix itself respectively?
If I appear arrogant it's likely in rebuke to William saying a head like ALAN's would cost 10's of thousands in the film industry, with ALL DUE RESPECT, any perceived value in ALAN resides in the EZB V4 ($135). To suggest the no electronics ALAN and the 20-22pieces he's comprised off costs $669-$775 is folly at best. To further suggest the complete SILVER level is nearly double that @ $1325 for the inclusion of the EZB V4, 1x standard servo, 2x 1/5 scale servos, 2x micro servos, eye LED's, sound card & a PSU, for what costs in-and-around $200rrp. A $425 markup is maybe a bit generous in the houses favour, no?
The GOLD level at $1900, so it will cost $500 time/labour to assemble? How many hours does ALAN take to assemble with all parts on hand William?..
Visiting the PLATINUM level at $3499, a handsome $1600 jump. Where does this considerable leap in cost go? ALAN gets a) a paint job, b) a tablet computer & c) an LED light array. All I can say on this is if you're a PLATINUM backer you should be expecting a very, VERY powerful/expensive tablet here.
At the end of the day, without an EZB V4 fitted, ALAN is essentially an inanimate bust (albeit a well designed, aesthetically pleasing one). To suggest the BRONZE level 'parts only' kit is 5x more expensive than the EZB V4, which coincidently gives ALAN 'ALL' his functionality,.. Any accusations of arrogance would maybe be better made at that point?.. Or the shameless mark-up on a SILVER level 'with electronics' kit, presumably you are earmarking a share of that huge profit/markup to contribute back to the guys responsible for making the EZB V4 possible (the electronics, the hardware and ESPECIALLY the software/coding guys)?
Regards, Andrew