Robby the Robot

Progress so far!

Dec 2023
I’ve completely re-designed an updated Robby’s heart box. Details are on my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@ogrinz_labs). I also documented a lot of “How I got here” so far in this video:

August, 2022

January 2022: Mark Mathias helps me pull a dome for Robby! Everything that went into that project deserves a special page and set of videos unto itself (Done! Updated video below.)

As of Jan 25, 2021

A lot has changed since this early version below. I re-did the torso, arms, and head based on new information. (Actually, this is my 3rd iteration of the head)

I’ve had this compulsion to build a Robby the Robot replica for a long time now. Robby was designed by Robert Kinoshita for the movie Forbidden Planet. Side note: Bob also designed the B9 Robot from Lost in Space, and he also used to design washing machines! There is a strange similarity between the torsos of Robby and the B9 to old tub-style washers in my opinion…

See the family resemblance?

I’m not sure where I first saw Robby, but it probably wasn’t in his debut movie. Most likely I saw him on one of the many TV commercials or guest appearances he made when I was growing up.

Since sculpting is not my strength, and there isn’t a club of Robby replica builders (a long story in itself) I was not making much progress on my vision. I had hoped to 3D-print my replica (which is why I built my Gigabot), but I could not find any good models to start with. I tried 3D-scanning some Robby toys, but the results were mediocre.

Since the Covid pandemic, I’ve had more time at home to work on my CAD skills in Fusion 360. That has led to a lot of progress. I’ve gotten most of the lower section of Robby complete, and I’ve even designed and built some of his internal mechanicals. Here’s a video of my torture-test of the “Piano-key” mechanism I designed:

When Robby was up for auction in 2017, I was able to see (and touch!) him and take a lot of reference photos. I’m trying to be as faithful as I can in my replica. The main challenge is that the original Robby is made of a vacuum-formed plastic, which is thinner/stronger than what can currently be accomplished with 3D printing. Since I have to make my parts thicker for strength, there are some nuanced differences.