R2-IQ: On Display

Build Day 52:

R2 On Display

"The" movie is in theaters.  Today was my target day to finish.  52 days in, I can present it as complete.  But, like many projects, it will never really be complete.

I brought R2 into work to show him off.  Everyone loves him.  I've been passed in the hall many times and the normal mindless greeting of "how are you" has been replaced with "very cool".

That makes me smile.

New design for shoulder

Last night, I totally rebuilt the arm, and how it connects to the body.  I don't have any good pictures right now.  Generally, I redesigned it so the arm would split in two pieces and the upper arm would remain attached to the shoulder.  That allowed me to build a more rigid pivoting point, but still allow disassembly for transport.

R2 Standing on 2 legs

I still have a number of things I want to work on.

1. Fill in the gaps in the head
2. Replace the shells for the outside feet
3. Build a shell for the third leg
4. Motorize raising the third leg
5. Rebuild the bottom skirt so it is lower
6. Add more decorative stuff to the body
7. Find out why the head-turn motor is so loud
8. Attempt to speed up movement
9. Fix the colors on the shoulders
10. Add better sounds & lights (arduino) 

Even with all that, it's still good.  I think I can say I will never retire it.

While the build is "complete", this is where the journey really begins.  Right?