Pacific Standards for a Drinking Robot

Cali needs your help, here are a few ideas for his new face. Feel free to comment on which face you like better. Cali cant wait to have a drink! 

We have been heating and beating some ideas together for Cali’s head. Since the start of the project we have had this busted, old expander tank with some inspirational “antiquing” to it. After a little discussion, drawing, measuring and PhotoShopin’ we think we can use it as the main shape for Cali’s head. Going to have to prop it up on a band-saw and make a few cuts to get it to work with the new drink reservoir. If our cuts work out as planned the entire tank will take the place of the mixing bowl that is currently acting as the lower jaw.Below is a teaser to what it may start to look like.

Once we get it mocked up, we post some more picture…

Now that Cali has a reliable place to store his drinks, we are now giving shape to the rest of head. We know Cali needs some LEDs for his eyes and spout in his fore-head to dispense the beer back into the glass. We will be posting some photos over the next fews days with our progress.

Alex Blue, senior ID student at RISD, has joined our effort. With his help and some inspiration from Joel Taplin, we have been able to revise and finalize Cali’s reservoir system. We finally found the right process for vacuum forming these parts. We tried many different processes for making the molds for the reservior and finally Alex and Joel were able to get things on track. Cali needed a part that was water-tight and removable… an now he has it.

During the summer of 2007 we were able to get the help of Matt Borgotti, at the time a student at RISD, to help give Cali some shape. The assembly of the skeleton, building of the the fiberglass sides, laser-cutting of the vest and back and assembly of the counter and coin operator we all implemented with the help of Matt. Matt was able to lend his time to Cali till September 2007, since has been working in California at a special effects company.