Giant Robots Under Development

What if you could have your own custom-designed giant robot made to order? What would it be like? What would you do with it?

A fascinating and awesomely cool project is underway that helps 20 kids answer these and other giant-robotic questions, giving them the chance to see their giant-robot dreams come to life as high-quality animations. The project is called My Giant Robot! and project creator is a dynamic filmmaker and animator from Ohio by the name of Jeff Boddy.

The ultimate aim of the project is to produce a short film that traces the process by which the giant robots were conceived, designed and brought to life. It has been underway since 2004 or so, but is still very much a going concern. Boddy commented to Kaiju Search-Robot Avery (recognising one of his own, no doubt): “I’ve been taking my time to get this right — that and getting sidetracked by other projects. I’m still working out the animation effects.”

Nevertheless the Project’s website hosts a number of excellent animated sequences, such as this one that asks the pertinent question: “How tall would your robot be?”

The site documents the process right from the start. The first result of the project was the filming and editing of 20 kids as they responded to questions about their robot. You can get a feel for this in a trailer that was premiered at 21st Annual Ohio 24 Hour Science Fiction Marathon in 2004. The beautifully filmed and very funny trailer can be viewed on Boddy’s website (click on “WORK” from the header menu and “My Giant Robot” in the right-hand sidebar).

The My Giant Robot! website illustrates how the 20 kid’s individualised robots are being conceptualised and then transformed from concept to 3D. Below is “Parker’s Spidertron”, for example, which Boddy designed by drawing on a variety of inspirations:

Another is Lovey, imagined by Avery (but not our Avery — or so he claims), which is made from bricks:

Lovey, of course, flies and has some rather spectacular powers, as you can see from this test animation:

Finally here is a longer animated sequence that features the House Robot:

Boddy has promised to keep Undead Backbrain informed about future developments as they happen. In the meantime, check out the My Giant Robot! website for lots more on the project.

• Source: via Kaiju Search-Robot Avery