Technabob » model

Ebola Virus 3D Model: Staring Death in the Face

Range — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:00:53 +0000

Made famous by its deadliness, the Ebola virus was first described in 1976. It was made famous by The Hot Zone by Richard Preston and some small epidemics that thankfully didn’t kill off most of the planet. While it never reached the epidemic levels feared, it’s still interesting to check out the intricacies of this 3D model of the deadly virus.

This intricate 3D model was done by Visual Science and it’s based on X-ray analysis and data that was published in the last twenty years. Some of the protein structures were predicted using computer modeling techniques.

This new model is 10 times more complex than the last one they did of HIV, which is kind of astounding. Where can I print mine?

[via designyoutrust]

Portal 2 Wheatley Replica Doesn’t Come with Frankenturrets

Lambert Varias — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

…nor does it come with Valve’s approval, because this 7″ replica was made by sculptor and toymaker ~~Victor Creed~~ Chris Hooton aka Sabretooth. Don’t worry, unlike the real Wheatley this toy is not power hungry. Give him three AA batteries and he’ll serve you well.

The replica is made of lightweight plastic and coated with acrylic paint. Its face and eye lids are moveable and the batteries take care of Wheatley’s glowing eye. Hooton worked on the replica on and off for about a month without using any modeling software or rotary machine, which makes this piece even more impressive.

Open a portal to eBay and bid at least $150 (USD) for a chance of taking Wheatley home. And if you do, don’t take him to the Central AI Chamber, no matter how nicely he asks.

[Sabretooth's Workshop via Super Punch]

OriHime Robot Strikes Sexy Robot Poses

Range — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:00:54 +0000

The OriHime robot was developed in Japan by Kentaro Yoshifuji, an engineering student at Waseda University, and it attempts to takes the robotic form to a sexy new level. While it has a more feminine form than the typical ‘bot, it definitely won’t be putting Victoria’s Secret models out of a job anytime soon.

The OriHime ‘bot is actually supposed to be an emotive avatar for video chats, but can strike some sexy robo-poses controlled by the party on the other end of the line. I suppose that’s cool, but somewhat freaky, if you find it attractive this way. It’s really designed to act as a remote “friend” for lonely people, like children in hospitals, and not robo-perverts though.

Do you think that robots will take over for runway models? Well, not anytime soon as we all know that simply walking on two feet is still a real challenge for most robots.

[via Plastic Pals]

Awesome LEGO X-Wing Fighter: Red Brick Five Standing by

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:00:15 +0000

Of all the fighters and space ships that were in the Star Wars flicks, my favorite was always the X-Wing that Luke flew. I never had one as a kid when the toys were out for some reason, each time I had the loot saved, I spent it on something else. I did have the giant Millennium Falcon though. I like LEGO stuff and when its Star Wars ships made from LEGO, I get all tingly.

Mike Psiaki created this very accurate X-Wing fighter using LEGO bricks, and it looks awesome. I always wonder how exactly the people that build these accurate models of ships do it using only LEGO components. One of the most detailed and accurate parts is the nose of the ship. I wonder how long it took him to figure that part out alone.

The LEGO model apparently even has working landing gear, and the wings can even open and close.

There is even room inside the little cockpit for a minifig Luke, and R2-D2 in the back. What do you think? Is this the best LEGO X-wing you have ever seen?

[via Brothers Brick]

iModela 3D Milling Machine Creates Tiny Figures on Your Desktop

Conner Flynn — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:00:00 +0000

3D printers and mills are finally getting to the point where regular Joes can afford them, so it’s only natural that they start by targeting them at kids. Japanese company Roland DG has announced a tiny 3D milling machine called the iModela iM-01 that looks really awesome.

The iModela costs about $1,000(USD), definitely not a kid-friendly price. For that price, you get a device that is nice and compact for your computer desk and uses a USB connection to access the associated software for the 3D models you want to make. Basically, it allows you to make your own action figures, milling them from plastic, wax, balsa wood, or foam.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

After you make a figure, you can then paint the details on. As you can see from the video, it’s not the speediest process, and in a few years we will probably have a machine that can create fully painted figures in under a minute. For now, this is still a pretty sweet toy-making machine.

[via Kotaku via Geek]

Pontiac Trans Am Hard Drive: Hitachi and the Bandit

Technabob — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 03:27:58 +0000

There are few cars quite as iconic as the late 1970s Pontiac Trans Am Black Bandit, complete with gold eagle wing hood details and a T-Top. As it was the car that Burt Reynolds drove in Smokey and the Bandit, it was certainly the chick magnet back in the day. Heck, it got Sally Field in the car, didn’t it?

So if you’re feeling East Bound and Down, or just into retro geekery, you might want to skip that hard drive purchase and check this out. It’s a 1:18 die-cast metal scale model (almost a foot long) of a 1979 Trans Am, modded to cram a USB hard drive inside. It comes complete with gold and silver WS6 snowflake rims and is the only Pontiac I know of that can store files. Inside, it has a Hitachi 500GB hard drive, which isn’t huge by today’s standards, but should be plenty for most of us. And besides, you’re only going to use this thing to impress the ladies, right?

The 1979 Trans Am hard drive comes courtesy of Etsy seller Coast2CoastDeals. It’s a one-of-a-kind ride and will set you back $275 (USD) if you’re ready to evade some smokeys with style. Mustache sold separately.

Why Buy a Real Car When You Can Buy a Model Lamborghini for $4.7 Million?

Hazel Chua — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:52:47 +0000

I guess it’s true that money can buy almost everything but happiness. You can buy a $92,000 frog-inspired watch, a bejeweled pen that’s priced at close to a million, and an 11-foot iOS dock with a price tag of around half a million dollars.

But if you’ve got some serious money to blow, then you might want to check out this model Lamborghini Aventador that’s priced at at a cool $4.7 million. That’s no typo; this model car retails millions more than what the actual car will cost you (FYI, the real Lamborghini Aventador just costs $379,700.)

Pictured above and below is Robert Gülpen, who spent 500 hours building the model car that’s encrusted with $2.7 million worth of precious stones and metals.

The 1:8 replica of the Lambo Aventador is being auctioned off by Sotheby’s with a starting bid of €3.5 million (equivalent to about $4,789,000.) If someone bid for my model car at that insane amount, heck, I’d be flashing a smile that’s way bigger than the one Robert’s sporting.

[via OddityCentral via Oh Gizmo!]

Tiny Donkey Kong Arcade Cabinet Even Plays Pac-Man

Technabob — Sat, 07 May 2011 01:40:43 +0000

I’ve written about some tiny arcade cabinets before – even a Donkey Kong machine, but never one that was this accurate – and that actually plays. All it needs are tiny Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell dolls to go with it and it would be perfect.

A modder going by the name of Bender (who didn’t tell us to bite his shiny metal ass for once) created this 8.25″ tall Donkey Kong cabinet. Not only is it a perfect 1/8th scale replica of the original, it’s fully playable.

Okay, the joystick and buttons are disproportionately large, but you wouldn’t be able to play it if he made those to scale. Under the hood of this tiny marvel is a sliced and maimed GamePark GP2X Wiz, loaded with MAME. That means Bender could actually play just about any arcade game he wants on this thing too. I dare him to play Donkey Kong, Jr. on it. That’ll show ‘em!

Check out the world’s smallest working Donkey Kong machine in the video clips below (and yes, he does play other classic arcade games on it too), as well as a bunch of detail on how Bender ~~bent~~ built it.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Thankfully, the machine doesn’t require tiny little quarters to play.

[BYO Arcade Controls via Engadget]

Terminator T-800: Celebrate Skynet’s Arrival in Style

Range — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:32:34 +0000

Like most geeks, you’ve probably acknowledged the passing of the day that Skynet became self-aware. Depending on the dates, it should have happened on April 19th, 2011, or worst case, on April 21st, Judgment Day. Needless to say, I hope that Skynet or any AI system plugged into defense systems remains unaware.

Whatever happened, you can commemorate the week Skynet did/didn’t become self-aware with this Terminator Endoskeleton Model T-800.

Celebrate Judgment Day with this 18-inch rubberized figure, complete with evil red that light up. It sells for $39.99 (USD) over at ThinkGeek.

While I doubt that real Terminators are going to start roaming about in 2011, these collectibles can remind you of a future that never was (or may still be ahead of us).

[via GeekAlerts]

Biohazard Case Mod: Resident Evil PC Should Be Standard Issue at Umbrella Corp.

Technabob — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:08:37 +0000

Fans of the Resident Evil series will likely start drooling the minute they get a gander at this epic casemod, inspired by the popular gaming and movie franchise.

While the photos of this awesome thing already look pretty damned polished, modder Ron L. Christainson says he’s still got a couple of months of work left to finish up his Biohazard PC – which he started over a year ago. It’s not clear from the pictures, but I think the part with the fans will form the left wall of this massive Umbrella Corp. complex, but if you look closely, you’ll see a couple of USB, Firewire and audio ports there on the right side of the fan wall.

Ron is building the insanely complex custom PC from polystyrene sheeting, and various and sundry parts from science fiction models. As you can see from the pics, the mod is loaded with incredible details, echoing the weathered looks of the decrepit Biohazard plant. Once complete, Ron’s PC will have a high-end watercooled gaming system under the hood – perfect for a round of Resident Evil 5 while he waits for R.E. 6 to come out.

Check out Ron’s current build progress, as well as the history of this over-the-top casemod over at Blue Horse Studios. He’s also documented the build with over 2 hours of video over on YouTube.

[via Case Mod Blog]

Terminator 2 T-800 Endoskull Replica: Prepare to be Terminated

Range — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:12:25 +0000

When I saw Terminator 2 Judgment Day in the theater, I was blown away. We’d all seen the first Terminator movie in secret, but the second one definitely put the bar up high. This is one of the reasons why the Terminator 2 Judgment Day T-800 Endoskull Replica is so cool. It’s a reminder of that great movie.

This isn’t a small scale model, nope, it’s a full 1:1 scale replica, so it’s going to scare someone – at least the person sitting opposite you at your desk. The details are quite intricate, and it has acrylic teeth as well as a chrome finish. The finishing touch involves eyes that light up red and some blue LED lights hidden in the neck area to give that creepy machine glow.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This replica also plays the official T2 theme song through its speakers. All this doesn’t come cheap. The Terminator 2 Judgment Day T-800 1:1 Scale Endoskull Replica sells for $600 at Entertainment Earth.

[via GeekAlerts]

Motorized LEGO Tank Shoots Bricks at Your Enemies

Range — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:04:50 +0000

This motorized LEGO tank was created by Martijn Hellemans (aka “Dino_Martino”). He hasn’t posted any videos of the thing yet, but this bad-ass build is supposed to be able to fire LEGO bricks at all of your enemies, and even includes laser targeting!

That sounds pretty sophisticated. The gun is supposed to shoot high velocity LEGO bricks. I wonder how devastating it will be. Some of these LEGO guns can get very complicated. Martijn used LEGO Technic motors in addition to a MTRMX-Nx multiplexer to build this beast, and it’s controlled via a custom PSP-Nx remote.

The whole thing drives on treads, and even has a rotating gun turret. All in all, I hope that we see vids of this thing pretty soon.

[via Make:]

LEGOLAND Star Wars Drops New Model Pics

Technabob — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 01:59:27 +0000

A couple of weeks back, we told you about the new Star Wars Miniland coming to LEGOLAND, but didn’t have many pictures to share. Well, the guys at Lucasfilm just gave permission to release a bunch of new photos of the LEGO creations on their way to the theme park, and they look great.

LEGOLAND California will be the first of three parks to launch the Star Wars Miniland, including six scenes from the movie series, and one from The Clone Wars, comprised of about 2,000 individual models and over 1.5 million bricks.

The pictures show the LEGOLAND staff unloading boxes filled with all sorts of goodies, including a giant Millennium Falcon, an AT-AT, an X-Wing Fighter, along with other smaller characters like an AT-ST and R2-D2. Here’s a little video showing off the delicate flight of the Falcon as it makes its way to the model shop for final assembly, along with some other juicy LEGO treats.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The LEGO Star Wars Miniland should be open to the public this March, so if you happen to live near Carlsbad, California, you know to block out some time on your calendar to drop by this Spring. No word yet on when the exhibit will make its way to the other LEGOLAND parks in Denmark and Germany.

Bradley Lewis’ Jedi Training is Complete

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 22:49:03 +0000

My dad gave my son all six of the Star Wars flicks for Christmas, so over the last week we have watched them all. These aren’t the ones from when I was a kid, but the new “enhanced versions” and one of the things that sticks in my mind from Return of the Jedi is Vader telling Luke his training was complete now that he built his own lightsaber. Luke took it well, considering pops was the reason he lost his old saber (and his hand) to start with.

A geek named Bradley Lewis has completed his Jedi training as well, and he didn’t have to lose an arm to do it. The dude crafted his lightsaber using a lathe and some seriously good design work. The lightsaber he made is a replica of the one Luke had in Return of the Jedi, complete with a moving area that covers the laser thingy.

The lightsaber has a removable blade that is powered by batteries inside the custom machined handle. This saber is epic and I want one so bad. Check out the video below to see it in action and lust after one for yourself.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[SlothFurnace via Make:]

Your Very Own Mini Giant Gundam

Technabob — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:16:52 +0000

If you’re lucky enough to live in Japan, you’ve had plenty of opportunity to check out the giant Gundam statue that’s been around for the last year or so. But for those of us here in the States and other places around the world, we’ve got no giant Gundam love. Well, thanks to the guys at Bandai, you can buy your very own oversize Gundam for your living room.

Sure, this model is only a 1/12th size replica, but that still means that it stands almost 5 feet (1.5m) tall and weighs 77 pounds (35kg) when assembled . The HY2M Hyper Hybrid Model mech was produced for the 30th anniversary of the franchise, and offers fully poseable arms, legs, head and even its fingers are jointed. It also comes with multiple guns and a lightsaber blade you can put in his hand to really intimidate your guests.

As you can see from the pile of parts in the gallery above, the “some assembly required” on the manual is a bit of an understatement. I’d expect that putting this thing together would take more time than a set of dressers from IKEA.

But if you’ve got the patience, and you’re willing to do a little Japanese-to-English translation, you can order one of these limited-edition replicas from the Bandai shop for ¥315,000 (appx. $3800 USD). Extravagant, yes. But a small price to pay to have Gundam keeping watch over your home, no?

[via Early Adopter]

10-Foot Gundam Made From Leftover Model Part Trees

Technabob — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:08:52 +0000

Ever wonder what to do with those stupid grids of plastic left over when you assemble a model? How about build a Gundam?

That’s exactly what these guys did with their leftover bits and pieces. It took over 250 man-hours to build the RG (Recycle Grade) RX-78-2 Gundam, which measures in at nearly 10-feet tall. Of course, it was built almost entirely from the spare plastic runners and part trees from smaller Gundam model kits.

If for any reason you happen to be inTokyo this weekend, you can check it out in person the Chara Hobby show at the Dengeki Hobby booth.

[via Tomopop]

Life-Sized Tie Interceptor: the Most Awesome Thing of the Week

Technabob — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:49:54 +0000

Photographed during this weekend’s Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, this life-size TIE Interceptor is simply incredible.

I’ve seen a million scale models of Star Wars ships before, but this one blows them all to smithereens.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you happen to be in Orlando this weekend, you’ve got one more day to see this beauty up close and personal. The show closes Sunday, 8/15 at 5pm Eastern time.

[via The Denver Post and Twitter via DVICE]

Unreal Transformers Masterpiece Omega Supreme Hits Ebay

Technabob — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 07:00:10 +0000

Holy crap. If you’re a Transformers fan with deep pockets, you’d better get out your credit card and get your ass over to eBay and bid on this bad boy now.

Created by custom figure builder uuser, this awesomely awesome 18 inch-tall custom Omega Supreme figure is so intricately detailed, I might just weep.

I also might cry about the $3,000 price tag.

[via Topless Robot via Great White Snark]

Handmade Steel at-at Model Ftw

Technabob — Tue, 25 May 2010 03:58:01 +0000

Ok, we have a new champion in the race to build the coolest AT-AT model ever.

Weighing in at a whopping 40lbs and measuring about 28″ tall, Supertrone’s handmade AT-AT sculpture is built from steel parts, all neatly welded together. Nothing you see was painted on, and all details were chiseled into the metal or cut into the layers of steel.

Notice the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine in the background? I’m surprised this beast hasn’t crushed it yet.

The best thing about this creation is that it can be yours for the low, low price of just $500 bucks (plus another $68 for U.S. shipping.) Want it? Head on over to Etsy and grab it now, because something tells me this is the only one.

Nano Trek: 1 Billionth Scale Model of Starship Enterprise

Lambert Varias — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:26:13 +0000

Measuring only 8.8 µm, this replica of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D was “fabricated in one-billionth scale by 30 kV Ga+ focused-ion- beam CVD using phenanthrene gas.” Oh I see. My guess was a bit off. I though they used 76 gV dispersed quark blastorz CBGB with napthalene and farthrene.

The picture is entitled “Nano Trek”, and it won Best Ion MicroGraph in the Bizarre/Beautiful Micrograph Contest, held during The 47th International Conference on Electron,Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication, quite possibly the nerdiest international conference held in 2003. Or in forever.

[via Geekologie]