Feb 23, 2017 | By David
One of the best aspects of 3D technology is its potential to inspire people’s imagination, and on an almost daily basis we see new projects that, not so long ago, wouldn’t have been thought possible. So it was only a matter of time before we saw the technology being used to emulate science fiction movies, which is what happened in Russia recently as programmer Alexander Osipovich used 3D printing to build a T-800 cyborg, as featured in The Terminator.
The T-800 is the antagonist of James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi classic, memorably portrayed by Austrian ex-bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. While that movie was a stark warning about what could happen if we let technology get too powerful, this project represents 3D printing’s potential to make our craziest ideas and fantasies a reality. Or at least that’s what it represents for now, as the T-800 replica has been designed with a worryingly impressive level of artificial intelligence that allows it to respond to verbal commands and learn things. If things do get out of hand, it’s not as if we didn’t see it coming.
Osipovich received the schematics for his project from Google back in 2013, (which may be referred to as ‘Year Zero’ in the future). Google was promoting DIY 3D printing projects, and was able to provide him with a highly detailed design, complete with the exact positioning of the actuators that would power its movements. It took him just over four years to produce and assemble all the parts that were required to create this incredibly accurate replica. The robot’s jaw and eyes are fully functional, moving in sync with sounds emitted by a voice box in a somewhat chilling Russian accent. It is thus able to realistically answer questions that are posed to it, through a combination of vocal recognition software and software that enables online research of key words and phrases.
The T-800’s digital brain was initially a program that Osipovich started work on in college, creating multiple different versions in Visual Basic. Due to a childhood passion for Cameron’s groundbreaking movie, he eventually saw the possibility to create a robot based on the AI program he had created, and wrote extensively to Google requesting information on how it could be set up. Four years and $3,500 later, his model was complete.
Due to limited resources, the T-800 is currently using motors from a remote-controlled toy helicopter to move its head parts, and these are not powerful enough to move the rest of the body. This means that John Henry, as Osipovich has affectionately named his terrifying creation, is currently confined to a wheelchair, so he lacks the unstoppable mobility that was a key feature of Schwarzenegger’s onscreen version. This is only temporary, however, as the programmer hopes to design new software that will allow the individual limbs of the T-800 to be moved in a variety of ways, and to equip it with proper actuators that will enable this movement.
Whatever happens in the future, and however long humanity may or may not have left, it is definitely encouraging to see 3D printing used in such a creative way. As for Osipovich, the ingenuity he has shown here and the still-unfinished state of his project suggests that we may not have seen the last of him. He’ll be back.
Posted in Fun with 3D Printing
Maybe you also like:
- T-Bone Cape motion control board launches on Indiegogo
- New extruder could lower costs of 3D printing cellular structures for drug testing
- New Ninja Printer Plate for consumer 3D printing
- mUVe3D releases improved Marlin firmware for all 3D printers
- Zecotek plans HD 3D display for 3D printers
- Add a smart LCD controller to your Robo3D printer
- Maker Kase: a handy cabinet for 3D printers
- Heated bed for ABS printing with the Printrbot Simple XL
- Next gen all metal 3D printer extruder from Micron
- Pico all-metal hotend 100% funded in 48 hours, B3 announces Stretch Goal
- Create it REAL announces first 3D printing Real Time Processor
- A larger and more powerful 3D printer extruder on Kickstarter
I too am printing a life size T-800 is there anyway to get this software?
Mike wrote at 2/28/2017 2:45:04 PM:
It's frustrating to not have links to an article that relates to an interactive 'thing'. A video showing it's movement and interaction is warranted here, imo.
I.AM.Magic wrote at 2/24/2017 7:54:08 AM:
T-800 in a wheel chair, that isn't that scary.
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
