Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been taking things apart and
putting them back together; sometimes right, sometimes
wrong, blowing fuses, and generally being intensely curious.
I would always brag that there was nothing I owned which I
didn't take apart to see how it worked. I never had much help
or support, so I started teaching myself, finding unique ways
to overcome problems for my builds through the years. About
a year ago, I decided it was time to crawl out from under my
rock and show the world what I was making ...
Underlying Technology: Power management and switching
circuits, multicolor LED lighting, microcontrollers for
sequencing and complex effect synchronization, sound effect
triggering, and radio signal remote control via gesture and
motion detection.
Alternate Uses: The power management circuits and LED
lighting systems could be useful in solar power systems, off-grid power areas, and educational green energy models. Using
microcontrollers to sequence or create complex reactions to
input states can be useful in building alarm systems, monitoring
water levels, or creating lighting macros for stage use. Radio
control and motion sense systems such as the one used here
could be adapted to detect a medical state (e .g., horizontal
orientation could mean the wearer was incapacitated and the
radio system could alert a central station about this.
What did we miss? Do you have other ideas we may not have
thought of? We are interested in how the technology
showcased in articles may otherwise be applied. If you have
ideas or comments, please send them to editor@nutsvolts.com.
So, without further adieu, I introduce my
Steampunk-inspired Rock Golem from the
depths of middle Earth (a.k.a., my basement
work room). This colossus measures in at 12
feet tall and weighs around 300 pounds. He is
primarily built out of mattress foam over a PVC
pipe skeleton.
My Golem has an impressive list of features:
• Articulated head with servo-actuated/
smoke-spewing jaws, and Larson Scanner
eyes.
• Right limb hand manipulator.
• Left limb dynamically-controlled spinning
energy weapon.
• A working intricate chest cavity geartrain.
• Several hundred LEDs split among several
lighting effect systems.
• Fully autonomous; powered by a 12V8Ahr
SLA battery in each foot.
• Wearable as a fully walking costume. An
operator enters via the back panel, locks
into ski boot stilts, and assumes (almost)
full control of this 100% self-sufficient
costume.
FIGURE 3. The back
hatch where the
operatorgets inside.
FIGURE 2.Skeleton
of the Golem.