# william michael kevin build machine Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qbjES787ZI Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/9qbjES787ZI Generated: 2025-07-09T02:28:42.963+00:00 --- ## 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. ![Screenshot at 0:03: Man showing a crumpled paper sketch of a robot head with '15ft' written next to it, indicating the initial ambitious scale of the project.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-00-03.png) **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. ### Project Conception & Design - The team planned to build a 15-foot animatronic robot head in four days for a Robot Cosplay Competition - The robot's final height was adjusted to 12 feet to fit on a flatbed truck - The design included a swiveling head mechanism powered by wheelchair motors and a 1mm sheet metal skin over a steel tube frame. ### Initial Challenges & Material Sourcing - An inverter failure disabled crucial tools like the air compressor and cold saw, causing immediate problems - The team faced unexpected difficulty acquiring new metal due to the July 4th holiday, forcing them to rely on scrap and later purchase full-price materials - A plasma cutter also broke, adding to the fabrication hurdles. ### Construction Progress - The team meticulously cut and welded the steel tube frame, ensuring precise measurements for a square structure - They began attaching the 1mm thick sheet metal panels to form the robot's exterior - Despite initial concerns, the welded frame proved surprisingly sturdy. ### Robot Functionality & Competition Details - The robot head is designed to rotate and interact with people by reading messages submitted through a dedicated website - The Robot Cosplay Competition is scheduled for July 13, 2025, offering a $1000 grand prize and a $200 prize for last place. ![Screenshot at 0:03: Man showing a crumpled paper sketch of a robot head with '15ft' written next to it](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-00-03.png) ![Screenshot at 0:55: Whiteboard sketch showing a robot head on the back of a flatbed truck](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-00-55.png) ![Screenshot at 1:06: Computer screen displaying a 3D CAD model of the robot head on a truck, showing its rotation](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-01-06.png) ![Screenshot at 1:13: Computer screen displaying a 3D CAD model of the robot head's internal steel frame structure](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-01-13.png) ![Screenshot at 2:56: Man in yellow gloves holding up a piece of metal that appears burnt and broken](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-02-56.png) ![Screenshot at 5:06: Two men wearing safety glasses and gloves, cutting a metal sheet with a grinder, producing sparks](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-05-06.png) ![Screenshot at 8:40: Man cutting a large sheet of metal on the back of a truck with an angle grinder, creating many bright sparks](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-08-40.png) ![Screenshot at 9:01: Two men holding up a large, freshly cut piece of sheet metal, showing its clean edge](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-09-01.png) ![Screenshot at 10:35: Man in a welding helmet welding two pieces of metal tubing together, with bright sparks and light visible](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-10-35.png) ![Screenshot at 13:48: Two men standing inside the completed metal frame of the robot head, holding onto the top bars](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/9qbjES787ZI/00-13-48.png)