Celebration V was a blast

I've stayed away from the computer for the last week while we were away in Orlando, Fl attending Celebration V which is a massive 4 day Star Wars party.

The R2D2 builders club had a room where we displayed around 80 droids and got to hang out with other builders.  It was a good time meeting builders in the club from all around the world.  We all had a very good time and I learned a lot talking to the other builders.  Also had a good time with the 501st attending the "bash" at the Doubletree.  We were lucky to meet up with a couple members in our local garrisons to have a few drinks and talk. 

The highlights of the convention for us were the droid races and the droid parade in addition to wrangling R2D2  among all the convention attendees .... especially the kids.  If I had a nickle for every smile that R2 generated, I'd just about be able to retire.

My R2D2 performed flawlessly until the last day when I was unhooking my charging cable.  I made a mistake in designing that cable and made it where it could short out when disconnecting it from the charger.  Which is exactly what happened on Sunday morning before the droid parade.  The short started a small fire in R2 with a lot of smoke and melted wires and a melted switch.  Since the switch melted, I had to pull the hot wires out manually to stop the short.  But by this time the battery wires to the switch / charging unit were completely melted and fried.  These were thick wires too !  After picking the melted plastic out of the circuits, I borrowed some wire and bypased the switch to power on R2.  Fortunately all my main circuits were protected and all the important electrical components were intact.  I was able to run R2 for the rest of the day but with no on/off switch.  I had to manually disconnect from the battery to shut it off.

Another lesson learned.  I'm going to redesign the charging port to be a little safer.

Here's a few pictures and a link to the droid parade.  I'm the guy who has his hand in a brown leather bag controlling his droid.

Jumped the gun

I sure jumped the gun on the last blog entry I posted this morning.  I don't think I've ever posted twice in the same day but today was one of those days I considered finding some Jawas  to see what I could trade R2 for.  It was crazy.

As I was debugging the computer code to turn lights on and play sounds, the electronics panel hinge completely failed and the whole assembly needed to be replaced.   After that, I prepare to drive R2 closer to the work bench and the right motor doesn't work.  I tested the wiring to the right motor - ok, the switch that controls the motor - ok, Hook the motor up to 12v directly - ok (sigh of relief) and then diagnose the Vantec RDFR23 speed controller the best I can and it appears the right channel isn't sending a signal.  Plus when I power it up and shut down the left motor, that infamous hum didn't happen.  Just silence.  Found the problem.

Fortunately, I happened to have a spare VANTEC controller on the shelf and was able to configure and replace the other controller.  So R2 is back on his (2) feet again.    After that, the thumb drive that contains all the scripts and sounds got corrupted !  I had to dust off my DOS skills to CHKDSK the drive and cleanup the corrupted files.  Geez !
 
R2 has been running just about flawlessly the last couple years and has been to many events.  So the mechanical challenges of the last week have been unusual to say the least.  I'm glad they happened at home because trying to fix these problems next week at Celebration would have been awkward.   

Thank the maker !

Ready to party

I finished the front ankle/wheel assembly and added a coat of paint around 9:30 pm last night.  What a busy day that was.  At 4:30 AM I awoke to reassemble R2 and run tests to see how the new front wheel assembly worked and most importantly ... to see if the new design fit on the ankle and foot shell correctly.

After putting everything together, it started raining so the test drive ended up being in the garage.  Everything seemed to work perfectly.  Only negative event was the electronics door hinge broke.  It still kind of works but one of the sides broke off.  It's a plastic removable hinge which seemed like a good idea at the time but when I get around to replacing it, I'll use an old fashion metal one.

To fix the front foot I used a piece of 1" square tubing and cut one side off with my plasma cutter.  This gave me a nice square piece of strong steel.  The next thing I had to do was cut most of the steel away from my existing ankle/wheel assembly.  Because it wasn't a consistent size and I needed it to fit the square steel tube.  It took a lot of cutting and grinding but eventually I got everything to fit.  I used the MIG welder extensively to strengthen and lengthen the back edge of the assembly and also used it to add a strong glob of steel to the front of the assembly so there would be no play or pivot in the assembly.  Even a small amount of play will wreak havoc.

When putting it all back together, I made sure to use loctite so the bolts wouldn't loosen up with all the vibration.  That's a very important detail that I left out last time and allowed the bolts to loosen somewhat which gave it a bit of lateral movement.   Now it's nice and tight all the way around so we're good to go.

That gives me time to weatherize C3PO's packing crate and add some foam padding.

Just about ready for a road trip !

Cutting one side of square tube using a plasma cutter

Welding / formulating front bracket

Final result - most ugly weld marks won't show

R2 Ready to go

C3PO waiting in his moving crate

Troublesome droid

After working through a million electronics challenges, I finally got all that straightened out. And then the trouble started.

I decided to experiment with driving him and test the drive system out one last time.  The new front foot I built failed !!!!!!!!!!!!!    Back to complete teardown.   And I'm not even sure I'll have time to fix it.  The stress of the droid on the foot was too much for the foot and I may have to put some ugly welds on the outside of the new ankle piece to strengthen it.  But worse than that there is a minor listing there which makes the droid pull to the left.  And that's not good at all.

I'm helping someone move later this afternoon so my build time is limited but if I have to I'm working til 2 in the morning to get this fixed.  Only a few days left until Celebration.

Electronics problem solved

The electronics problem that was dogging me recently has finally been resolved. It turns out that the Jedi controller and VMUSIC2 module does not play well with modern miniature (motorcycle) amplifiers. The amplifiers cause some type of feedback that fries the mp3 chip that's in the VMUSIC2 module. That's what plays the R2 sounds. I was told the VMUSIC2 module has 3 processors and the best way to tell if the mp3 processor is fried is to use a pair of headphones in the VMUSIC2. If the headphones can hear the sound then the VMUSIC2 module is ok still. If no sound then it's trashed.

I ended up buying 3 amplifiers and 3 VMUSIC2 modules before I got it to work. The successful amplifier was an ancient old school car amplifier (Alpine 3542 60 watts x2) that I heard one of the other guys on the R2 forum used successfully. It was a lucky EBAY find as the one I bought was the only one listed. The down side is the amplifier is quite large so it took a lot of thought and re-arranging inside R2 to get it situated.

While R2 was all torn up I decided to install a new aluminum claw arm in one of the front doors. This took a lot of thought because I had JAG breadpans inside the door and they technically aren't supposed work with with the arms. That is unless you cut a large notch out of the top of the breadpan and build something to hold the arm in place. My solution worked pretty well but will need to be redone when I automate the arm/claw to open the door, reach out and pinch pretty girls.

That's a project for after Celebration V.  Now I have to construct a crate for C3PO that can be lifted with my crane into my truck.  We scored tickets to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp this afternoon so C3PO will have to wait until tonight for his crate. 

My droid sounds like a 1930 Ford Model 'A'

After an entire weekend of wiring and rewiring R2's electronics, I'm starting to realize that one of the components has a major problem. The vmusic2 sound module seems to be the weak link because instead of playing the R2 sounds, it sounds like an obnoxious noisy engine.

It's frustrating because there are only 17 days until Celebration V and this droid must be fully operational by then. To remove these new electronics and rewire the old back is my last resort. But it's beginning to look like that's going to be my only option unless I can figure out what I did wrong or find out the cause and then find a suitable replacement component.

Normally things like this don't rattle me but when you have a hard deadline it can drive you crazy. I tested the amplifier independently and it works just fine. My guess is the vmusic2 module is the bad guy.

Slip ring wiring R2D2

Wires wires everywhere

You get what you pay for

I don't know how many more times in life I'm going to have to learn this lesson but trying to get by on the cheap comes back to bite you more often than not. Again, with this JEDI Controller I lost an entire weekend of work due to problems from buying a cheap component. Normally I spend a little extra$ and try to get good quality over cheap but this was one of those impulsive EBAY purchases with very little thought behind it.

Because we needed our dining room table back to entertain friends coming over for dinner, I ended up moving the entire mess of wires and components back out to the garage. After the move, JEDI controller stopped working with an insistent error regarding the VMUSIC2 module. I rewired the controller completely double, triple and quadrupled checked all connections. I tried a different VMUSIC module, a different flash drive, a different receiver board, a different jedi controller board all to no avail. It was starting to drive me nuts (again).

So after good advice from Todd in Orlando, I disconnected the piece @@ @%#@%# cheap amplifier I bought off EBAY and instead hooked up a pair of headphones.

All of a sudden everything started working perfectly and the sound problems also went away. So once again cheap ended up being much more expensive in the long run.

The countdown begins

With only a month to go before Celebration V, my to do list all of a sudden sounded an alarm within me.  I'll have to work overtime to finish all the projects required for Celebration V.  First of all, the massive rats nest of wires on the dining room table needs to be finished and then integrated into R2D2.  Then the transmitter needs to be reconfigured and tested.  Plus, I'm still not even sure where I'll have room to mount the new electronics in R2.  Mounting the periscope is a possibility but that's going to probably be put on the back burner for now.

Next I'm going to have to build a special droid transport crate for C3PO and my friend Brad Carpenter's Hoth K3PO.   The plan is for them to ride in the back of my truck along with R2 in his Escape Pod.  It will be tight but do-able if we can build a suitable container.

The "Blown up" R2 foot that is 90% complete needs to be finished.  Then R2D2 needs to be weathered correctly and I will also need to install the new MGA Waterset aluminum claw which is scheduled to be delivered in the next couple weeks.  I'm not sure how that's going to work out.

So it's going to be a busy month.

On the Giraffe front...  This week, Yvonne and I enhanced his spots with a black outline around them.  Makes them stand out and be more distinct.  Much better effect because in the bright sunlight the copper spots tended to blend together.  After a few weeks of heavy rain, I noticed rust in a few spots which is inevitable.  They were mostly around the welds and holes.  It will be interesting to see how this projects weathers.  A little rust will add character to the sculpture.  Hopefully not too much though.

J.E.D.I. Controller for R2

I hate to take apart a perfectly good running droid but in this case the new JEDI Controller that a member of the R2D2 builders club created, warrants a few modifications to R2's existing electronics.  The JEDI Controller (Joystick enhanced drive input) allows the transmitter to control a high number of devices on the droid allowing you to overcome the 6 channel limitation of the transmitter.  Plus you can control the sounds on a single transmitter.


The JEDI controller is programmable and the genius developer (Scott Gray) of this microchip even gave it a language that we can program.  He aptly named the language "JAWA"script and it seems to have a rich array of features.  For instance, I plan on programming the droid to go on standby where sensors (hooked into the controller) can detect people walking by and activate the droid to wake up and interact with the person autonomously.  Which gives the droid wrangler a break now and then.  The droid acts like he's aware of his surroundings.  Not sure how good I'll be at programming this but I think it may be right up my alley.  Oh and when I say autonomously, that doesn't include him driving around on his own.  That would not be practical.

Tonight I got a lot of the electronics hooked up and we're on our way.

R2 Front foot DONE

Tonight I finished the front foot / ankle mount and gave R2 a good test drive around the neighborhood.  This ankle mount works GREAT and it's solid as can be as well as very level.  So technically R2 is back in service.

One thing I like about this new design is only 2 small bolts hold the assembly together with no shims or other things to complicate the design.  Less to go wrong.   Functionally it couldn't get any better in my book.  Oh yeah, a softer lighter tire replaced that massive thing I had before.

New R2 ankle bracket design and new electronics goodies

After spending a few hours every night experimenting with different designs, I found a design that looks like it will work great.  The design was first made out of paper and then transferred to sheet metal.  After a few experiments, The design looks very sound.  I found a comment on my blog from Gary Cooke who used a similar design and I'm glad he mentioned that he used an 18 degree angle for the wheel platform.   I went with that angle and it worked out perfect mounted to a standard "JAG" aluminum ankle.

The next phase will be to reinforce this design by welding more metal around it.   The current bracket is only 22 gauge sheet metal so I need to add more metal for strength.  The fiberglass foot shells are also going to need a bit of work to fix the cracks and holes.  But the end result will be a stable front end on this droid.  If this hadn't happened then I could have taken R2 to a film festival event tonight where John Travolta would have been a guest.  Oh well ... better to do it right than rush and be sorry.

I also received a package this week with the J.E.D.I. controller and electronics that electronic genius  Scott Gray designed.  I got on the list to get this when it was still in the "idea" stage 3 years ago.  Amazing electronics that will allow me to programatically control R2 using a language Scott made called "JawaScript"  It basically allows the RC controller to control many actions with one controller and not limited to the standard 6-7 channels that most controllers have.  The chip allows you to have an almost unlimited control factor with the RC controller by having the J.E.D.I. controller board translate the signal from the transmitter.

Looks like the Giraffe will have to wait for another month or two before getting any attention..

R2 needs a complete redesign of Front foot brackets

I noticed something amiss at the last event that R2 was at and I was pretty sure I was going to have to do some work on the front foot.  Tonight after breaking it down, I noticed the trauma was a lot more serious than I originally thought.  So I'm completely redoing the brackets and entire assembly.

But in all fairness, R2 slammed into some pretty big bumps in the cement and really performed well considering.  I've never been happy with how I did this part of the droid so now maybe I'll get it right.

Droid Tune up

Since R2 was due for his 100,000 mile checkup and I still don't have a oil bath to dip him in, I instead decided to clear a space in the garage and hang him from his droid lift. Not something R2 is fond of but it's for his own good. I was especially wary of the drive system and wheels because at the science museum he just felt a little different while driving. And the last thing you want is for R2's feet to fall off in front of a bunch of admirers.

Fortunately I am happy to say that the rear drive motors and wheels seemed pretty solid. Not bad considering R2's probably driven a good 10 miles since his last checkup. And there were some pretty bumpy areas in those miles. Vibrations from rough road surfaces can sometimes rattle a poor droid to pieces.

The front ankle / wheel assembly was another story. A major shim was missing and all the connectors in this area were loose. This is the part of the droid that takes the most abuse. My droid is unlike most of the others in that I have a massive monster hard wheel here. Plus it's heavy so when it hits a bump, the bump feels it. If I hadn't taken the time to give R2 a checkup then there could have been an embarassing disaster. Fortunately it was caught in time.

R2D2 on Fox News

I just hope all this publicity doesn't go to his dome

Video of hydrocephalus event

Helping out a fellow builder

We had a last minute opportunity to bring R2 to a walkathon that benefits a Hydrocephalus support group. The woman who started the group has a son with hydrocephalus and he just so happens to have a passion for building robots. Check out the following link to see a room full of robots he built. Well after seeing that, how could I not show up with R2 and talk robots with the little guy. And was he sweet. He spent the better part of the day next to R2 and helped keep R2 safe from people who tried to touch him. It was a joy to be there. And the members of the 501st and Rebel legion who attended were outstanding in the way they interacted with the crowd. Words do not describe the fun we all had. I'll have to post some video when I get a chance. Mike who was the imperial officer stood by with all the kids and kept R2 in line. Listening to him and R2 go back and forth was priceless. The kids loved it. Thanks to Lori and the rest of the group. It was a great time.

When it came time for the walkathon, R2 accompanied Jeremy in the front of the group.

This is the pre-event video of Jeremy filmed by Fox news. The anchorman and his family were also at the event on Saturday.
Click here to see the Fox Video

Star Wars in Concert - St. Pete Times Forum

Words cannot describe how fun the Star Wars in Concert event was. Hanging out with the 501st and Rebel Legion was the highlight of the trip. We met some very nice people and had a ball. Out of all the places R2 has been, this was definitely the most crowded. After the doors opened, it was so crowded that you could not move at all. When it was time to leave, we all lined up against the wall and were led out by an officer of the 501st in a loud commanding voice announcing "Make way for Lord Vader". That parted the crowd pretty good although several members were cut off and separated from the group by people asking for pictures.

After the event was over we were told we could stay around for about a half hour so Yvonne and I brought R2 back up to the display area. At first we couldn't get through and then a supervisor at the Forum told us he'd get us there. He cleared a path to the exhibit and we found a little corner to put R2 as he was surrounded by picture takers. As the crowd closed in, you couldn't even move. People started smashing up against me with my controller and I worried about someone triggering R2 to move into someone. That's when I started doubting our decision to return. Luckily I eventually found a safe place to stand where I could watch R2 and keep the controller from being bumped.

A great time and we met some super people.

Post Halloween 2009

R2 is currently sitting in the garage on the charger after a long night of trick er treating. R2 drove a good mile and ran for over 4 hours continuous. I was pleasantly surprised this new battery I recently purchased for the Spektrum transmitter held out so long. It still had juice after 4 hours.

Some of the terrain was a challenge. The reflector discs in the road stuck out and once R2 hit one and was really jarred. A few cobblestone areas and speed bumps were obstacles R2 had to be watchful of. I had to run R2 in the street because the sidewalks were too confining with the amount of people out. There were some big Halloween block parties around here and every year it gets more and more popular. Running him in the street was a little challenging when the mobs surrounded R2 and cars were trying to get by. But the cars were driving slowly and it never was a big problem.

My nephew Joey was a Jawa but the temperatures in Florida have been hotter than normal lately and after about 20 minutes, his hood and gloves came off. He looked more like a monk than a jawa but I don't blame him. It was really hot last night. I noticed a lot of kids had their masks off. Joey was a good sport and waited up for R2 when the mobs surrounded him (which was every couple minutes). The reactions were incredible when people realized R2D2 was tooling down the road in their neighborhood. I answered the same questions about a million times. Where did you get him "I built him" How much was he "I can't let that be public knowledge because if my wife finds out I'm in big trouble". How long did it take to build him .......

The kids were all pretty good. One little guy was completely engrossed with R2 and I detected a future builder with him. The force was strong with that one. His mom told me he wanted to be R2 but they couldn't come up with a costume so he was spiderman instead.

R2 performed flawlessly although having the rear door installed now made it harder to communicate to the CF3 sound system and transmitter. It's harder to get a signal through the aluminum so we may need to tweak the antenna configuration again.

Oh and I almost forgot the funniest part of last night. A little guy dressed as Darth Vader was afraid of R2 and it took his parents a few minutes to coax him over to take a picture.

Halloween 2009

Pumpkin carved, Batteries charged, and R2 ready to go out trick er treating tonight. Our robot pumpkin turned out pretty cool although I can't take credit for the idea. It's similar to a pumpkin I saw on one of my favorite websites (Robotsnob.com) a week or so ago. Very appropriate for our house even though I don't plan on having any other robots out tonight other than R2. And R2 will be out in the neighborhood. I was going to drag B9 or Robby over to the front door but my back's a little sore and yanking them monsters around wouldn't do it much good so our little robot pumpkin is going to have to fill in.

I also removed the bus stop robots from the front porch to keep kids from yanking their arms and legs off. Most of the kids are very good but it just takes one or two to mess things up. One kid last year started wildly beating R2 over the dome with his bag of candy. Sugar high no doubt but at least an adult stopped him before he did any damage. Tomorrow we'll be bringing R2 to The "Star Wars in Concert" which is endorsed by Lucasfilms. We'll be with the 501st which will be a ball and we're looking forward to it.