3D Computer Robots

This is a collection of images of some of the robotic characters I have worked on. I've always liked robots, going way back to Gort from "The Day the Earth Stood Still". But as an animator they have traditionally been a expensive type of stop motion model to build. Lots of custom machined articulated parts and so on. They are a very time consuming thing to put together. Of course, you don't have quite the same problem with computer models. Although on second thought you do need many thousands of dollars worth of software and hardware. DOH!

Hal Hickel (CGI Animation Supervisor at ILM) says: "I gotta tell ya, your drone #1 kicks butt. It is so spot on, I mean it's perfect!".

Here is a model I'm working on of one of my favorite film robots, Drone number 1 from Douglas Trumbull's, "Silent Running". It was a chance to build a model without a crushing deadline. So I'll have a chance to add every little picky detail that was on the original film character. (click here to see the updated work in progress)

Gorobot character, new and improved 3D Studio MAX version.  Here's another image of him in the lab.

Skippy, food service droid.

STAN.  Originally he was going to be literally just a stick figure. but as I was building him I thought it would look much more interesting to make the 'sticks' more organic, almost bone-like.

Small maintainence robot.  Textured in industrial yellow like Caterpillar heavy equipment.   A bit on the cartoony side.  I modeled the 'eye' area to look like he's always glaring and not really happy with the work he's been assigned to.

Here's a re-creation of one of my favorite film robots, the robot guardian from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky".

This is the Rapdroid I modeled and animated for the "Quazar Rap", which is the opening video sequence for 3DO's Captain Quazar game. Bob Terrell designed him. This is the final look of the Rapdroid. He was originally a metallic blue gray, but it was decided to make him more bright and colorful. We went through over a dozen different color schemes until this was chosen.
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