ingenious way of constructing an android

Thanks, Pogo -- I hadn't seen that one, and it is really neat. I'm curious to see how well it will work -- will the motors be strong enough? And will the opposing pairs of motors turn at close enough to the same rate to not burn each other out? Can't wait to see the results.

That Polymorph (Shapelock) stuff looks really interesting. I do like how he's able to make pretty much any shape he wants, and even add to an existing part. I've been agonizing over how to build my android frame (though I did finally buy some aluminum angle and a metal cutoff wheel for my Dremel -- I'll be trying those soon). Maybe I should try Shapelock and wood, as he's done here. It certainly simplifies the "how do I mount this" problem.

Though on the other hand, if you embed your motors directly in the Shapelock like that, you're going to have a dickens of a time replacing one if it wears out or needs upgrading. Still, it's a cool material, and probably worth experimenting with.

Thanks for the link!

- Joe

This sounds like "Friendly Plastic", an product sold in craft stores for making your own jewlery. It comes in numeous colors, including metalic ones.

I had a friend who made a puppet using Friendly Plastic years ago. After about 10 years it became brittle and fell apart. I've read one comment from another puppeteer that the company did improve the product since its earlier years. Of course, the product used in the robot is named Polymorph, so it may be a very different product as far as performance is concerned.

The big question is if the product really is durable and strong enough for the tasks he is using it for. The Robot Studio says that form is more important than function. So, that may not be as big an issue for them.

Joe Dunfee

Polymorph seems fairly stable stuff - ive had some on my window ledge for a couple of years now and its held shape nicely, hasnt yellowed or embrittled. Its fairly flexible at