To the EZ Community, I have been off the Forum for awhile, furiously constructing FRED. The Forum can be a crazy good distraction but I needed to focus on putting something together to "showcase" . I'd like to thank ALL who use this Forum for inspiration and their generous contributions of scripts and progress reports! Of course DJ Sures passion and EZ Board/Programming is AMAZING. This project started off as a heap of copper and brass from the local recycler and slowly transformed into something ..ummm ...unusual! A steampunk style robot head powered by a single (so far) EZ-B and DJ Sures powerful user friendly programming script. As everyone can see , FRED has become a combination of art and function. At this point I am now in the stage of testing the mechanics of all the moving parts which include the eye brows up and down, eyes LR,Up Down Eye Lids Up Down and the Jaw up and down.(syncronised with its voice). The head will also move up and down left and right, but I will require a couple of higher torque servos along the suggestion of JSterne's 240 oz/in as the head is weighing a lot! The EZ kit provided camera, will be placed inside the head just under the nose , I believe.. and will be used to follow the person in front of it! Once I get these servos all working smoothly I will post a VID to show things working together in combination with the Voice Recognition chat program. I mentioned on an earlier Post that the personality is based on 12 Zodiac signs each of which has 3 personality/threads(2 positive ,1 negative) for a total of 36 randomised threads. Within each thread at the end of a statement, FRED will ask a question and depending if I respond with a Yes, No, or Maybe FRED will continue a thread. For instance...FRED will say a paragraph of thread ending with "Tomorrow, can we go SAILING?" I will then respond with Yes sailing, no sailing or maybe sailing..to differentiate all the other yes , no and maybe answers. With a VR of 92 to 94 percent FRED will understand Yes sailing etc and continue the thread branching theoretically ...forever or until I say something to end that thread. Like a trained border collie, FRED will only respond to my voice at this level of technology. I hope this kinda makes sense! In time I will add other "steampunk" features, like a hand/arm operated lever to activate a "time machine". FRED"S platform will be surrounded by a "theater curtain which is part of the time machine. The scroll work I've added is themed on Jules Verne's 20,000 leagues, with a couple of nautilus/nautilii? on the top and an octopus on the back. I've also added a "treasure map" with a "Mysterious Island " ....Some of the pics have different colored eyes to easily change out for a change of personality as well. (The eyemaking was a whole different story which I dont want to elaborate on at this time).......Anyways thats mostly it for now, but I ve got a lot of Forum catching up to do...........Happy boting ...Glen
Other robots from Synthiam community
DJ's Robophilo
DJ's Robot Blinds Control
He is really cool! Kinda steampunk. I do worry that you will be able to get a signal thru to the board thru all that copper. you may need an external antenna.
Wow that's a lot of copper and brass! It's looking great.
Impressive ! A real master piece of art ! Congratulations.
GREAT job looks very cool,and i see its named after me FRED
Reminds me of the animated movie "Robots" with robin williams. Looks awesome.
He's awesome!
robohobo I agree. I think his name is Fender in that movie.. I think!
Samantha
FREDDY FENDER
IROBOT58 my nose is really that big.
Dude that's awesome! Steam punk max headroom!
i guess this guy FENDER
Looks almost like him
Thank you ALL for the compliments! Our diversity in robots and genuine mutual admiration is what makes this a great Community! In the next few days FRED will be coming alive with ..."Hello EZ-B Community" winking blinking and nodding! Stay tuned
FRED looks awesome. Very creative design.
Is he alive? How's it coming?
Thanks aameralis! Wait till you see the torso, arms, time machine and wings. I am going to need a ton of servos..probably the mg995's high torque (15 kg-cm) mostly and modified for 360. As Rich said in an earlier thread, positioning is very important, so I am going to try and utilize hall effect devices.... For a robot to have longevity, that is to stay popular and not to be relegated to the garage/closet/attic it needs to have lots of personality. Like a well loved pet it needs to have a name, great personality and be looked after(fed). I want this robot to be around for years to come for the grad children to play and interact with. As upgrades come along, ie kinect and Advanced AI they can easily be implemented.
@irobot58
That robot should last a long long time being of such construction. Wow! Are you a taxidermist too? I was a certified Taxidermist and I had a lot of those kinds of eyes at one time. I don't do it anymore, but it was fun. This is definitely a work of art.
Thanks MovieMaker for "outing" me !
its good to have some positive "peer" pressure. Making the eyes (all 6 sets) were fun, like collecting marbles, you cant stop at one! They are easily interchangable as well. Interestingly enough, I did dabble in Taxidermy as a teenager back in the late 60's early 70's. Buying the "kit" , aquiring a dead piegon, finding roadkill and putting them in the freezer right next to meat roasts..oops.
I have been doing a ton of wood body work , stained glass and arms while waiting for motors etc to arrive. Things are just coming in right now so I will be able to update the Community fairly soon and slow down on the "lurking"
People like you and so many others make this Forum "rock" as DJ says!
As far as having the robot "last" that would be awesome, but I think most plastics will long outlive the copper, brass and wood.
@irobot58- This such a cool build. I really like the "look". It is very creative. I will be following your build closely. Great job!
Irobot58, You have a cool robot FRED. I noticed you changed your AVATAR, looks great. I know you have done some great building and many helpful suggestions to the forum, any updates? I also enjoy all of your comments and straight forward thoughts. Thank You, Steve S
Thanks very much Steve , your comments too, are admired
and yes I have updates! First, so inspired by the community and those that have entered the Instructables ( Dave S ) just today my entry was posted!
Instructable entry FRED
I will post some updates tomorrow ....things are coming together nicely
I love Fred (and also voted for him on Instructables). I bet the ladies love his nose. Are you trying to compensate for something Glen?
That's hilarious DAVE I get that comment ALOT from people who see FRED up close
I didn't want to waste any of the metal not to mention those ears which liked to be pulled ahem
....anywayssssss Were you one of the 30 lucky lottery winners?
P.S. If I was "compensating " Dave the nose would be turned UP
I have built the opening book to hold a dvd tray which will slide out when appropriate. The design is a replica of the original edition The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and published by Henry Holt 1895 .Of course Fred has enabled his time machine to that year and picked up an actual copy!
This book is currently selling for 30,000$ Whew. The right arm is currently in progress and you can see the bungee cord / muscle assist, to help the poor little servos . Being a steampunk design I can "get away" with the external assists! The arms primary use is to engage the time machine levers
Coming along nicely. The book came out perfect. Cool back story going on here. It makes your bot even more interesting. I feel like a kid on Xmas eve. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see it at least working.
Your work bench looks like mine.
When I have trouble finding things I know it's time to straighten up. blush Hey, what's that black clarinet looking thing in the background?
Dave... It's Glen's bong.... why do you think he's such a mellow guy all the time?
LOL You guys kill me
Its whats called a "creative" work bench 
and no Richard that's not a bong 
its the left hand lever for the time machine! I always thought that music and books bring you back in time..hence the time machine @Dave, yes Fred will soon be flailing about madly forward in time and backward! Wings up and wings down Around the world in 80 days 
This is such an awesome build! I love him.
IRobot58, Glen, I really like the depth of your robot build. I can,t wait to see any video. Your robot is very distinct and you provide an amazing twist to robotics! Steve S
Thank you Steve and Brett , I appreciate your comments and interest! I will provide some videos "sooon" and knowing me it will be a "production" of some kind that involves history and "Back to the Future" flavours! Be prepared to be spotlighted in the most flattering way
I am eclectic by nature and why I love this Forum so much. The wide variety of robots and people contributing is awesome. FRED will always be under development and personality expansion but I am always inspired to start another build whether a Wall-E ,R2D2 B-9 or whatever. ...... A Leonardo daVinci drone!
How about building a Wayback machine like Mr Peabody had?
Love your Vintage Dave! .....Gotta love Rocky and Bullwinkle Show!
This is a personal favourite of mine! I always love steampunk/vintage robots
Keep up the good work!
Irobot58, Glen,
Hope you are doing ok. Missed your great input on the forum. Maybe busy working on your bot. Steve S
Irobot58, Glen, Great to see you active again on the forum. What have you been up to? Missed your activity. Welcome back! Steve S
Life issues! all good though...I have been re energized ! Thanks for your ALWAYS gracious interest ! I have been lurking in the background but I see the EZ community is still very strong and active, with all the usual "suspects"
The generosity and passion is unequaled ......
Best regards, Glen
Wow! You have got to post some video.
Hey Glen! Cheers!
Any progress on the Steempunk Robot?
Summer is coming. I hear Canadian summers are short. You should be enjoying the warm weather instead of robot building. Hope you did a little over the winter.
Good to hear from you Dave! I have been lurking the Community Chat and its good to see everyone still contributing not only with their most generous knowledge but great community input ( 99 percent anyways) Where I live, Spring started in February ! I have had some life issues over the winter but with the inspiring works and energies on this site I have got the passion back again and will get some robotics renewed! I am joyful to see your B9 getting some arm action....I knew it was only a matter of time
.....You will definitely see and hear more from me 
How about making this robot into a Full Blown Humanoid? With your talent, it should not be too hard.
good work!
@irobot58.... Spring? What the he** is that?.... LOL... You must live on the west coast because anyone that lives east of Alberta only understands the term Winter....
@Moviemaker thank you for your appreciation ! as FRED is a steampunk demidroid my plan is to build a vintage wheelchair and be able to get him around that way as well! @ Richard R , it HAS been a very mild winter here on Salt Spring Island , West Coast with only one light snowfall in November. and yeah Richard I "get" you humour and Forum presence
Please don't damper it too much 
Something like the following ....
The joy of this Forum is the eclectic robots and their owners/builders!
I think WE all resemble that remark with the best of intentions.
dude i love the steampunk robot idea, it is truely amasing. lol now if only they would have thought of making a steam powered robot in the 1880's were would things be now, i dont know but, its awsome