My project is a full size replica of the lost in space robot. My brother and I are working on it together. It will be entirely scratch built. As you can see, it is a long way from being finished. Since it has no moving parts yet, I have yet to use the EZ-B with it, but I have tested some motors, and controllers outside of it. I think that it will work well.
A while back, I posted a link to this site on the B9 Builders site. It seems that several of them have since incorporated the EZ-B into their robots, so I am confident that it will work for me.
Rgordon asked me how I was making him bend at the waist. I am including a picture of the mechanism that I am working on right now. It might be hard to figure out just looking at the pictures, but there was no way to describe it without something to look at. Basically I have three door hinges on each side bolted together in a "W" fashion. I replaced the center hinge pins with longer bolts, and put flat steel across them. As the steel moves in one direction or the other, one set of hinges opens up, and the opposite end collapses. The diagonals keep the top above the bottom. It is powered from underneath by a motor salvaged from a cordless drill. The threaded rod goes through a larger rod that has been drilled and tapped. My original plan was to have the motor in the middle of the setup, but it would not fit; hence the extra linkage coming through the bottom.
We began with the goal of building a recognizable replica of the B9, and had hopes for animating it as best as we could. Not knowing anything about robotics, I have spent the last few years searching the web and trying to learn what I could. Stumbling upon this site was a real stroke of luck. I feel very positive that this will come out far better than I had imagined.
Other robots from Synthiam community
Sudo's Synthiam Humanoid Project
Confoundedhound's Modified Omnibot 2000
I remember them being $200-$300. You got lucky! Great!
uh! Make that $500.
When I was a member of the B9 Robot Builders Club I got mine from Fred Barton "The Robot Man" for $330 a couple of years ago. He makes the best replica.
Bubble
Fred Barton Web Site
How are things going with the robot I will finaly be able to finish mine I will be oredering the ezb SOON !!!!! YEA ME !!!
sweet chris!, get it fast as you can my friend Dj sells them faster than the manufacturer can make them!
Thanks for asking. I have been making slow but steady progress. I work a lot of hours at my day job, and I have very little time to work on the robot. As I said before my brother and I are working on it together. We are working in three different directions right now. The torso is almost ready for paint. We have been finishing up the Bondo and adding all of the ridges and trim. I am also working of a scratch built bubble. I am making a foam plug, and a two piece fiberglass mold from it. I have some clear casting resin, and I'm in the process of building a DIY rotational-caster. I don't know if it will even work, but I would rather cast the bubble than vacuum-form it. Vacuum-forming stretches the acrylic awfully thin. I also have been working on a prototype arm. I had it working on the bench, but know I have to re-design it to fit inside the robot and be able to slide in and out. I'd like to upload some pictures, but Since we are going in so many directions, nothing is really completed at this point. Hopefully within the next few weekends there will be something to show for our efforts.
So, yours is almost ready to animate? What do you plan on doing with the EZ-B?
As an avid B9 fan I too am excited to see your progress, both of you!!!
I haven't commented Brett, but I have been very impressed with your project. You do extremely good detail work. None of the parts that you added look as though they do not belong there. I can't wait to see it completed and rolling around in one piece.