william michael kevin build machine

Quick Overview

A team successfully built a 12-foot tall animatronic robot head, designed to swivel and talk via a website, for a Robot Cosplay Competition scheduled for July 13, 2025. Despite facing challenges like broken tools and difficulty sourcing materials, they completed the steel frame and began attaching the sheet metal skin, aiming for a grand prize of $1000.

Summary

Key Points: The team aimed to build a 15-foot tall animatronic robot head in four days for a Robot Cosplay Competition. The robot's final design height was 12 feet, mounted on a flatbed truck, and featured a swiveling head. The robot communicates by reading messages submitted via a website, allowing public interaction. Construction involved welding a steel tube frame and attaching a 1mm thick sheet metal skin. Challenges included a broken inverter, difficulty sourcing metal on July 4th, and a broken plasma cutter. The Robot Cosplay Competition is scheduled for July 13, 2025, offering a $1000 grand prize and $200 for last place.

Context: A team of creators, including Kevin, Michael, and Will, embarked on an ambitious four-day challenge to construct a massive animatronic robot head. This project was part of a larger initiative to promote and host a Robot Cosplay Competition, encouraging public participation with attractive cash prizes.

Detailed Analysis

A team embarked on an ambitious project to construct a 15-foot tall animatronic robot head within four days for an upcoming Robot Cosplay Competition on July 13, 2025. Initial design discussions clarified the robot's final height would be 12 feet when mounted on a flatbed truck, allowing it to swivel and interact with people by reading messages submitted via a website. The internal structure was designed using 1-inch and 2-inch steel tubing, with a 1mm thick sheet metal skin, and powered by wheelchair motors for rotation. Significant challenges arose, including a broken inverter that disabled both the air compressor and cold saw, and the inability to purchase new metal on July 4th, forcing them to use scrap. Despite these setbacks, the team successfully cut and welded the steel frame, demonstrating the surprising sturdiness of the structure, and began attaching the sheet metal panels. The competition offers a $1000 grand prize and even a $200 prize for last place, motivating participants to create their own robot costumes.