R2D2 model

Hello, guys!

Hopefully, it’ll be my last devlog about 3D modelling, and next time, I’ll build R2 in real life with my dear fellows, @benedekkristof16 and @hunorkiss04 .

I’ve spent hours and hours designing with varying degrees of success and from this mighty point, R2 probably has a much cooler look and far more aura than me🥀.

Unfortunatelly, this replica is NOT 100% accurate and I had to model some elements by sight (R2’s holoprojector) and I horribly miscalculated a ratio: R2’s main body (the cylinder) is 220mm and it should have been 200mm. I noticed it too late. Due to the complexity of R2’s torso and the lack of time, I didn’t correct this. It’s not that visible; however I had to let go of the two center foot cylinder due to a lack of space.

But it’s our R2, so We’ll keep him, no matter what 😉.

Hello, guys!
3D printing has started, and I designed some important details for R2’s body: the Radar Eye, Shoulder and Battery box. Currently, I’m making the Leg Booster.
I still have to model the Ankle Cylinders and a few remaining details for R2’s dome.

Hello guys!
I’ve finally finished (almost) R2’s modeling, and I’ve successfully done the hardest part of the project: the decorative panels and holes on the dome.

I used plane splitting and surface projection tricks to get perfect panel lines all around the dome to avoid distortion on the spherical surface.

All that’s left now is modeling an internal mount for a small IR sensor, and the dome is ready for printing. I’ll design the rest of the decorative elements, such as R2’s eyes and shoulder rings.

Hello, guys!
The progress has been huge, and here is a quick list of what I’ve done recently:
-I’ve modeled a custom lazy susan bearing for R2’s head that runs on 6mm BBs
-The motor mount fot the 28BYJ-48 stepper motor is basically ready and it’s attachable to R2’s torso.
-I also made the head-turning system with a huge internal gear.

I still need to do some tuning; however it’s time for R2 to come alive. The 3D printing will probably take a couple of hours (or days).
Stay tuned!

Hello, guys! I’m back with a huge update!

Recently, I’ve been working on finalizing R2’s legs and shoulder attachment, and it’s looking far better than expected! It’s finally starting to look truly recognizable.

It wasn’t a smooth process, though-I ran into quite a few problems with component positioning and broken external links between files. Fixing lost references took a lot of patience and effort, but figuring out the correct 18° body tilt and getting the shoulder alignment right made all the headaches worth it.

Basically it’s done; however, I still haven’t figured out how to make the center wheel. I hope I’ll find the right way. Maybe I’ll have to use LEGO wheel…

I’m here again and I’ve just tried to finish the main leg. It’s still missing a few decorative elements.

Next I will make the shoulder attachment and after that, it’s time for R2’s head!

This time, I tackled the main ankle block, and it’s done, and also wrapped up the design for the decorative side panels on the center foot assembly.

To keep maintenance easy and avoid visible screw holes, I separated the decorative panels and designed small pockets for 5x2mm neodymium magnets that perfectly fit into the hole.

It’s been over a week since the last update; however, don’t let the silence fool you! 😉 In the latest grinding, I worked almost entirely on the most critical piece: the main foot. Anyone who has ever designed a functioning mechanical foot knows exactly the pain and agony, that turning a solid block into a precise assembly is a total survival trip (maybe it’s just skill issue🥀), but I’m so proud that I’ve made it so far! The perfect wheel connection is ready, and the JGA25-370’s motor mount has found its home. Even those printer-killing, razor-sharp internal overhangs got tamed with clean chamfers and fillets. R2 will be proud of our team!

Hello, guys! It has been long since my last devlog, so let me break it down for y’all: -I’ve been working on the main cylinder for 8 hours (not straight) and I can finally say: It’s basicly done! -I modeled the cylinder with the body frame, and it became brutally strong (I hope it won’t brake in my hands). -I also made the internal shoulder mounts for the legs. They are perfectly integrated into the inner frame, making sure that this won’t fall apart! -To finish off this massive update, I spent quite some time sketching out all the crucial decorative panels, using a reference canvas. I’m as keen as mustard to finish and see something come to life!

Hello, guys! What I’ve achieved this past week is not as impressive as I’ve hoped: It’s been a packed week of modeling and geometry solving. I have successfully brought together several crucial assemblies into the main project: 1. Raspberry Pi Pico Frame 2. R2-D2 Center Foot: Completed the primary structural foot base 3. Center Ankle and Shroud Connection: After battling some complex 3D curved geometry, the ankle block is ready! Next steps: The next phase will be refining the joints and I will start the main cylinder!

I spent today working on the main ankle. The biggest hurdle was the curved outer plate. The blueprint is a bit confusing. Trying to accurately wrap and cut this 2D pattern onto the 3D curved ankle part in Fusion 360 turned out to be a real geometry headache. The main ankle structure is about 90% complete. As soon as I figure it out how to do this properly, this section will be ready (hopefully by tomorrow).

Another success! Today, I made sure that R2 won’t lose his leg during his first test drive: I finished the internal pass-through screw system. On one side, the screw head sits inside a deeper hole so it stays hidden under the panel. On the other side, I cut a perfect 6-sided hexagon shape. A real metal nut will sit inside this pocket, so when I tighten the screw, it will hold the leg perfectly, without breaking the plastic (at least, I hope 😜). I’ve started the ankle, making it 9,6 mm wide because the slot is 9.89 mm. This leaves a tiny gap both sides. I also imported the blueprint image to Fusion, scaled to the right size. Finally the project is coming together!

Today, I finally managed to model the most sweat-inducing parts of the R2-D2 foot, and after a few near-rage-quit moments, I made some step forward. The biggest headache was definitely wrestling that weird decorative trim on the side of the foot. After that, I had to start with the ankle attachment. Since this joint carries our little friend’s (R2’s) weight, it had to be built like a tank. I modeled a standard M6 socket screw. I hope it’ll be solid as rock! Next mission: figuring out how to hide this outer screw hole to keep things completely accurate, and I’ll model the center ankle!

Progress was slow AGAIN, that stubborn “Half Moon” side arc was completely annoying and refused to cooperate within the time limit. I didn’t let the session go to waste. Instead, I successfully cut out the main socket/connection point for the future leg. One step at a time!

Progress was way better today! I finally managed to tame the geometry of R2-D2’s center foot after some intense mathematical gymnastics! So, with the offset lines and blueprints, and the main body is basically done. There are still decorative panels which are waiting for modeling. The next step is to flip this thing over and design a customized frame for a caster wheel. R2 will be happy, rolling around the house!

Progress was slow today (again), but I started working on a completely new component: the center foot. Though, it was hard, with limited time, I really enjoyed the process. I hope I will be more efficient.

Progress was a bit slower today and the electronics layout was refined. I modeled the breadboard holder because I forgot to add it yesterday. Since the Pico plugs straight into the breadboard anyway,a separate Pico case isn’t needed anymore and I removed it. I started sketching the panels and windows directly onto the main cylinder using the blueprint dimensions. I hope that the progress will accelerate!

The R2-D2 project had officially begun! After 5 hours of learning and I finally started the session. Since we are using a Raspberry Pi Pico W as the main controller (recently, my fellow, @benedekkristof16 has just started learning coding and he will do the software part of the project), I created a custom 3D ‘dummy’ model to match its exact physical dimensions. Using this dummy, I designed a protectiv case for the board. Finally, I started the main body of the robot by creating the core cylinder. Next, I will work on the internal parts with @hunorkiss04!

My final training session is complete! In today’s practice I modeled a custom ‘Stardance’ object and a detailed polygon screw. Now, I feel experienced enough with Fusion 360’s tools to finish practicing. Next time, my newly joined teammate @hunorkiss04 and I are diving straight into building and modelling R2-D2! Stay tuned, it will be incredible!

Leveling up my Fusion 360 skills! Today I moved on to more complex shapes with more details and curves. Still no robot parts yet, but R2-D2 will be astonishing . Trust the process!

Spent another 1h 43m practicing the basics. I worked on a bottle and a LEGO brick to master the tools and navigation. It might not look like a robot yet, but I’m learning the rules before I start building the actual model. R2-D2 will be born soon!

Spent 56 minutes fighting the recording software and figuring out how Fusion 360 works as a rookie. The software won the first round: progress is moving at the speed of a snail right now, but tomorrow I’m coming back with more experience!