Comikaze 2014

Wow, 2014 Comikaze was bigger and better than ever! I am still sorting through hundreds of photos we took at the con, and will post a few of my favorites next week.

I am now working on yet another new robot project, and will share more in January!

WALL-Es Next Event

Comikaze Expo is a little over a month away, and we are looking forward to seeing you all once again! More info can be found at: http://comikazeexpo.com/.

Group Photo Time

Chopper dropped by the shop for a short visit, so I decided to grab a few pics. He is already on his way back to Lucasfilm, ready for his next adventure.

The Chopper Build

I can finally reveal today, the secret project I did last winter for Disney/ Lucasfilm. I had the extreme privilege of building a new droid in the Star Wars universe. The droid is named Chopper, and he is one of the key characters in the new animated series "Rebels", which debuts this fall on Disney XD. Below is a video just released on Starwars.com.

DROID DESIGN: CHOPPER

New R2-D2

Work began earlier this spring on two new droids...and ultimate R2-D2 with all the gadgets, and an R4-P17, simply because I like the color scheme. I will be posting pictures and video as the project progresses.

On Our Way to WonderCon!

WALL-E is packed up and ready to go! We will be joining the R2-D2 Builders Club and look forward to a great weekend. Hope to see you all there!

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

Wondercon 2014

We are now confirmed, the WALL-Es will return to Wondercon! The event is April 18-20 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. I am looking forward to seeing the usual suspects, as well as making a few new friends.

The robot is currently going through a few upgrades, and should be ready for action within the month!

Progressive Automations

Progressive Automations did a very nice writeup on my projects. The article can be found here: http://www.progressiveautomations.com/PA-Blog/post/2013/12/02/Michael-McMasters-Got-an-R4-P17-In-the-Works!1.aspx

Progressive has been my supplier of high quality linear actuators for several years now, and has even sponsored our booth space at conventions. The products are top notch, and they have been very responsive to all of our needs. If you need actuators, this is the place to go!

Happy New Year!

I have been neglecting my blog over the last few weeks, as I have been working on a very cool project, which is nearly complete, but I will not be able to share until later in the year. It is another robot and a very cool one for sure.

WALL-E has undergone a few modifications to his track drive as well as the head servos. Next up, a new arm actuator and possibly some motion for his hand.

With the interest in the new Star Wars films, I am once again working on the new R2-D2 and hope to have him complete by the end of this year. There will be a ton of new features and modern electronics, so I am really excited to dig and get the ball rolling!

2014 is going to be another interesting year for sure!

-Michael