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How to Build a Computerized Android Robot Head

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the maxmillian dept.

Wee writes "While searching for some serial port programming information, I came across a result labeled How to Build a Computerized Android Robot Head for $600. That title demanded a read. This guy built a Java and Perl/Tk controlled android head out of R/C motors, bicycle parts, a mannequin head, two QuickCams and my favorite item: a brass plant holder. Turns out the entire site is chock full of android/hardware/PC-control know-how (including scenarios in which one might find a need for an android head)."

8 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Here is a much sexier android head... by geoffsmith · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Practically life-like!

    It's Valerie: The Domestic Android
    For all your domestic android head needs. Its a kit, although it looks like they're still working out the bugs.

    Websurfing: The Next Generation - StumbleUpon

    1. Re:Here is a much sexier android head... by Chasuk · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I really hope that Valerie the Domestic Android is a droll joke. If not, I am truly saddened by the human race. Let's further marginalize and objectify one half of our own species by producing sexualized machinery designed for manual labor and other, less edifying prospects.

      Too many geeks already have a hard time relating to real women - let's eliminate the need for them to ever learn. With lubrication and ingeniously designed orifices (and articulated appendages), geeks won't have to jerk themselves off as they surf the web... Valerie the Domestic Android will do it between laundry and dusting, with fellatio as a bonus, perhaps programmed as an "incentive" for those who remember to take baths or brush their teeth.

      We are entered the orbit of a terrifying, strange planet, and that planet is named Earth.

      The Gates Testimony - Why Microsoft Will Win

      --
      Neopets - the best free game on the Int
  2. Android head has a posse by Wee · · Score: 3, Interesting
    from the site: Pat can be reached at (protected)@aol.com

    I never thought I'd see a parallel-distributed computing, X11-hacking, web-developing sys admin that uses AOL. I suppose with all those complicated hobbies he just wants a nice, relaxing, online experience.

    Hey man, the android head is cool. I was even making an "Android Head Has A Posse" sticker. I was just trying to find out the weight of the head (for the sticker) but the site was non-responsive. Then I checked Slashdot. I guess the site has gone out of my cache since I submitted it or something.

    But AOL'er or not, the friggin' head rocks. You can't get down on the man for his ISP. Not when he makes a motorized head out of a planter and bike parts that greats little Johnny when he gets home from school. Not even then, man. There are much easier targets than him. Find one who hasn't made a fully-functional robot head out of rat shack parts...

    -B

    --

    Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.

  3. Fancy cases by jukal · · Score: 1, Interesting

    So far, these things are mostly just a cool looking (not my opinion) cases for hardware. I am well satisfied with my graycolored box.

    What is much more interesting is how to make these things move smoothly especially if the movement is to be done using (two) legs, is Honda still leading this area with their ASIMO humanoid robot, specifications for the bot are here. It seems like the beginnings of something real. Once they find a solution to increase the running time to 16 hours, this is something. Now it needs recharging after 15 minutes :)

  4. If only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If only the personal papers of Roger Bacon (1214-1294) had survived

    If they had, forget anything so outrageously expensive as $600, we would be able to build one of these solely using 13th century clockwork technology, and it would give us useful advice to boot

  5. Re:This is cool, but... by cosyne · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm working on the trash-talking furby, i swear. The basic idea is this: there's one motor inside which runs a series of cams for the eyes, ears, mouth, and butt. Roughly, there's 180 degrees where the butt doesnt move, and the other 180 it goes up and down as the motor rotates. Now, each of those is split for, say, mouth movement: in the ranges 0-90 and 180-270, the mouth moves- if you want it to talk and tilt forward you use one range, if you want it to sit still and talk, you use the other. And it keeps getting subdivided into smaller ranges so you pick the angle range where the appropriate body parts move, and run the motor back and forth in that range.

    But i digress. The cool part is that the motor, home switch, and encoder just unplug from the motherboard, so it's not hard to plug them into your handy HC11 eval board and write a little controll algorithm. The fact that i haven't done this yet only speaks to my superior lazieness. But i will soon. Once i have a furby connected to my computer, i just cat whosyourdaddy to /dev/furby and i'm set. (and maybe i can get i posted and hose my website when i do :-)
    Check furby autposy for more info, or just pick one up for $5 and cut it open.
    Anyways, check out

  6. Taking it to the next level... by Angry+Black+Man · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Georgia Tech students have put together a project called the "Aware House." They're basic given a two level house downtown to do all sorts of experiments to see how they can improve on living. One of their projects is an "android-style" face that could represent the face of the house showing and telling all sorts of useful things about what is going on. You can find the "Giving the house a face" page here, and the Aware House website here.

    --
    the byproduct of years of oppression by the white man
  7. Why Java by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Why tout that this is controlled by Java? I'd much rather see some embedded processing going straight into the head, instead of needing a PC to do everything. He could use a AT90S2313 for complete servo control. Here's an example complete with code for controlling 4 servo's.
    Oh by the way, AT90S2313's can be had for about $3 a piece, they're RISC and low power.

    He could move up to an ATMega for more on-board flash and EEProm.