Do you bear in mind the primary time you watched The Empire Strikes Again? There was lots to admire in that film, however few issues impressed as a lot respect for the Empire’s may because the AT-ATs strolling throughout the frozen floor of Hoth. The sheer scale of these machines was breathtaking and James Bruton was capable of seize a few of that greatness by 3D printing an AT-AT that’s sufficiently big to experience on.
A 12 months in the past, Bruton made an AT-AT robotic on a a lot smaller scale—although it was nonetheless fairly massive, at in regards to the measurement of a beagle. However that pales compared to this construct, which is actually gargantuan. It’s near the dimensions of an Asian elephant and is robust sufficient to hold a full-grown man. That will be cool below any circumstances, however it’s particularly spectacular as a result of this AT-AT doesn’t have hydraulics or a welded-steel body. Bruton constructed it utilizing aluminum extrusion and 3D-printed elements, and actuated the whole lot utilizing electrical motors.
Bruton made a video a few months in the past that went into element in regards to the design of the legs. Every leg is a linked pair of parallelograms, actuated by electrical motors by way of distinctive 3D-printed gearsets built-in into the construction of the leg. Not solely do these let Bruton transfer the legs with comparatively small DC gearmotors, however in addition they make the legs appear to be these of the AT-ATs we noticed on display. Every leg has its personal Teensy 4.0 growth board to regulate its two motors and Bruton added potentiometers for suggestions, so the motors can act like servos.
The films don’t actually present us how the AT-ATs flip — from what we will see, they actually shouldn’t even have the option to take action. That meant that Bruton needed to give you a method to make his AT-AT flip that will look proper. He selected to make the legs pivot alongside the horizontal airplane on outsized lazy Susan turntables, actuated by extra motors.
The AT-AT is pilotable by way of a handheld controller, which has a Teensy 4.1 growth board inside. It communicates with the opposite Teensy boards via RJ45 (Ethernet) cables.
Lastly, Bruton turned to Billie Achilleos for assist with dressing up the large robotic. She used a number of EVA foam and paint to create panels that cowl the legs, in addition to a giant head. With these, the machine is immediately recognizable as an AT-AT.