Robot Theatre for Jack Daniel's Independence Project Contest

Imagine an evening out with your children to see a local play at the theater. You arrive, take, your seats, and await for a fantastic story to unfold. When the curtains part, you are treated to a play performed by . . . robots! This is the magic of Robot Theatre!

My name is Clint Furrer, and I am an electronics engineer. It is my great passion to build and make gadgets. For some time now, I have had this vision for integrating robots and animatronics into theater. My goal in creating this traveling theater is to create a fully functional play that runs without human interaction -- everything one would see on the stage would be through the use of animatronic robots. I also plan on using marionettes, but with an animatronic twist as well. The final product would have the feel of steampunk, mixed with sci-fi. and a dash of animé and give the audience an exhilarating sensory experience like one has never experienced before when it comes to viewing a play.

Once this project is built, my plan is to take this portable theater anywhere I can for educational purposes. Engineering is a fascinating career and I would love to be able to spark something of that passion inside of kids who are unsure of whether they would be interested in the world of engineering. I'd like to be able to take this project to schools, the Maker Faire, local theaters, science fairs, to local parks and events involving the community, and any event involving science and art. I want to inspire others to go out and create, build, and make something awesome!

Here is a list of the tools I would use when creating and building this project:

1. Miller MIG Welder
2. Miller Plasma Cutter
3. Type A Machine: Series 1 3D Printer
4. FireBall Meteor CNC Machine
5. Apple Macbook Pro Retina Display
6. Autodesk Inventor LT
7. Porter Cable Band Saw

All of the theater designs and robots would be built out of surplus and parts from old machines. I would harvest and recycle parts and put them to a different use, rather than have them take up unwanted space elsewhere. I have already collected many older computers for repurposing to control the project. 

I feel I have the proper skills necessary to complete this project. It would be fulfilling a lifelong dream of building this monumental project that brings something to local communities and inspires the minds of children today. 

In closing, I'd gain independence through the tools I'd purchase, which would open the door for me to create an infinite possibility of community inspired projects beyond the Robot Theatre. Starting small and gradually adding to this project could one day lead to bigger and greater projects that both inspire and propel individuals to create and build their passions.