Introduction: Make a Baby Samus Aran Using Plastic Trash (special Guests: the Caicedo-Langer Family!)
My family has a tradition: nobody throws nothing to the garbage can before I decide if I could use it for building stuff. So, thanks to my mom, my stepfather, my brother, my uncles and cousins, I have a workshop full of... trash.
One day, I was playing with my trash looking for something to build. I wanted to turn an orange Gatorade pot (donated by my brother) into a planter. I had two orange plastic small pots (from my mom's medicine) and a lot of feet deodorant caps (from all my family's men). Mmmmm... good, but still missing something. Then, I noticed the garbage can top donated by my aunt Maria Isabel ("You could make an astronaut!", she said). I put it above the Gatorade pot.
The project "Baby Samus" born.
In this instructable, you will learn how to build a baby-like Samus Aran (the main character from the Metroid videogames and Nintendo's best heroine) toy using plastic trash. Basically, it's a vibrobot, with a light "beam" from its arm.
But this time, is not a solo project, because my family is involved. Everyone made a huge contribution for baby Samus. In the Step 1, you will meet my Design Team!!!
My family and I have a great time making this instructable. Even, we had to work on the carpet because the desk wasn't big enough for us. I expect you and your family have the same great fun!!!!
Step 1: M.C. Langer's Design Team
Meet the M.C. Langer's Design Team, also known as my family.
Yes, we are a very united Colombian family. And no, nobody looks like Jimmy Smits, likes Shakira or speaks Miami-style spanglish like "What's the problem, mijo? La familia es sagrada... family is sacred. Let's participate in the Puedes hacerlo Papi contest!".
But you will find warm and tender people, delicious food (my mom cooks the best Ajiaco soup of all the city).
Well, let's know what everyone did:
Mom: She gave me her medicine orange plastic pots. When she knew about the Family Fun Contest, she wanted to take the process pictures with her old Olympus D-395 camera (3.2 megapixel and no optic zoom), because she loves her camera. I tried to resist, but debating with my sweet (but powerful) mother about her camera is like telling Darth Vader his sad devotion to the Force's ancient religion is useless. You will lose. Painfully lose. So, my mother took beautiful pictures! Period.
Aunt Mary: she gave me her damaged toilet garbage can, saying "it will be good for an astronaut helmet!". She's a genius! Creative Consultant.
My Stepdad: he gave the money for buy electric components, screws and nuts. And later, he invited all of us to arequipe filled brownie with vanilla ice cream!! (arequipe is like caramel spread, but thicker. Made of milk, it's a traditional latinamerican dessert. In Chile, they call it manjar, in Argentina Dulce de Leche, in Mexico cajeta... well, I'm getting off the subject).
María Camila, my cousin: She doesn't like to draw, but we managed to convince her to made the electric diagram. Nice work María Cami!
Jose Luis, my cousin: he filmed the videos and donated his broken Playstation joystick for the cause.
Rodrigo, my brother: before he moves to Australia, he gave me his Gatorade pot and some feet deodorant caps. Despite he's far away, he wanted to participate in this instructable, so he made the "Baby Samus Vs. Yoshi" video edition.
And me, the Design Manager!!!! ;-)
Step 2: Materials, Tools and Rules
MATERIALS:
1 plastic Gatored pot (orange)
4 feet dedodorant caps (orange)
2 medicine small plastic pots (orange)
1 toilet garbage can top (red and yellow)
1 toy motor
1 Playstation joystick motor eccentric weight (or you can make your own eccentric weight using a plastic or metallic piece)
1 Big red LED.
1 Switch
1 AA 2 batteries holder
1 Alcoholemeter mouthpiece
1 conic plastic piece
1 Roll-on deodorant plastic ball (for the eyes)
cupper wire (fot the fingers)
black rubber hose (for the fingers)
red and black wire
screws and bolts
Tin soldering
NOTES:
If you don't have orange plastic trash, just paint it. Or try different ideas: you can make a baby Mega Man, Master Chief, Transformer, and so on.
TOOLS
Dremel Rotary Tool
tweezers
screwdivers
scalpel
pliers
Wire cutters
Screwdriver kit
Soldering Iron
Super Glue
And don't forget the classic M.C. Langer's building rules (plus one):
1. If you don't have it, replace it!
2. Use protective equipment (dust mask and goggles)
3. Beware of drilled and soldered hot surfaces
4. Work in a good ventilated area.
5. Always have junk in stock (thanks family!!!)
6. Enjoy!
7. Don't mess with my Mom and her camera. She will kick your butt.
Step 3: Maria Camila's Electric Diagram
It's a very simple circuit, and it works with 3V from two AA batteries. Connect the LED and the motor in parallel.
REMEMBER:
Red wire and LED long leg = +
Black wire and LED short leg = -
I put the LED and the motor in the right arm, because I thought it will look like the arm is firing the beam and vibrating. But if you want the things easier, just put the motor into the body and left the arm only with the LED.
The switch is located in Baby Samus back, and the batteries are inside the left arm. So, the wire goes from the left shoulder, enters the body (where the switch is installed), and emerge near the right shoulder, where connects to the motor and the LED.
Step 4: Placing the Pieces
In the picture you can see the order of all the pieces. Now, we only have to assemble.
Step 5: The Legs
Drill in the center of the feet deodorant caps, and make two holes downside the Gatorade pot. Attach the two caps to the body using nuts and screws.
Step 6: Left Arm
This arm has two features: It ends in a hand, and inside we will place the batteries.
The hand design is like previously you saw in my Planter Man instructable
https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-rare-planters-re-using-home-junk/step2/Planter-Man/
but the idea is to use a feed deodorant cap as the hand palm, that fits perfectly in the medicine pot. So, if you want to change the batteries, only have to remove the hand for this action, change the batteries, put on again the hand and ready for action.
Momentarily I put the head over the body for measure the exact position of the arms. Working with a Gatorade pot has a great advantage: you don't need a ruler, because the pot is conveniently demarcated. So, if you want the left hole coincides with the right one, you only have to follow the grooves.
Step 7: Right Arm
Well, now is when you need the electric diagram from Step 3.
Contrary to the left arm, the right arm shoulder is the feet deodorant cap, and the front part of the arm (the beam) is made of the medicine pot. In the left arm (previous step) you had to cut the bottlenose. Now in this arm, the bottlenose is the canon, and you have to cut the bottom. If you have any doubt, see the "placing the pieces" picture in this step, where I explain it better.
In the deodorant cap, install the motor (eccentric weight previously attached). You can use different plastic pieces to house it, or you can use epoxic. Solder the wires to the motor terminals.
For installing the LED in the medicine pot bottlenose, cut the alcoholometer mouthpiece and house the LED inside, solder black and red wires and later put the resultant into the conical plastic piece. Insert the conical piece into the pot bottlenose, and fix with screws.
Later, connect the LED wires and the motor wires to red and black wires who left the shoulder to the body, in the same way as the left arm. Drill a hole in the deodorant cap to attach it to the body. Fit the medicine pot into the cap, and fix with screws.
Step 8: Back Switch
Drill a hole in the back, big enough to fit the switch. Introduce the wires (drill a hole near each arm), connect the black wires and cover with duct tape, and later connect the red wires to the switch.
Step 9: Helmet
Now, you only have to attach the garbage can to the body. Put the Gatorade's pot cap, and fix the helmet to it. Use screws. If you want to exploit the movable visor, cut the roll-on deodorant ball in halfs, and make two eyes attached with screws. And... it's all! Enjoy your Baby Samus!!!
Step 10: The Yoshi Challenge!!!
The fight "Samus Vs. Yoshi" was an awesome part of our family project! (well, awesome for my cousins. I bet for Yoshi and I lost...). Do you want your own vibrobots fight?
I invite you to make reverse engineering to Yoshi. It's easy! the electric circuit is almost the same of Samus (only add one more LED. But no problem, I made the diagram). The eccentric weight is the tail. And the head is made of an old Caller ID (great, beacuse it has the batteries holder incorporated and the holes ready for the eyes).
Yoshi's legs are may classic "oven knobs + iron pieces for picture frame + screws and bolts" planter legs.
In the pictures, you can see Yoshi's components.
Well... I DARE YOU!
And have a great time!!!!!
Second Prize in the
Dadcando Family Fun Contest
