Life Size ED 209 from Robocop
Walton-on-Thames
Aim
I would like to create a life sized version of the robot seen in the 1987 Robocop film known as ED 209. with movement and sound!
The Project
My project is to create a life-sized, authentic replica of the robot seen in the original 1987 Robocop movie (known as ED 209), complete with movement and sound!
The finished height of the completed ED 209 will be 7.5ft to 8ft, and it will be approximately 6ft wide. It will stand static; the top will turn and it will hopefully also feature moving gun pods. There will be authentic sound bites from the film which will be played to simulate gun fire, alongside ED 209's own threatening voice. If the correct movements can also be recreated, the ED 209 will exhibit some of the same threatening behavior featured in the original movie, making for a truly realistic experience for those in his presence.
This would be the only life-sized ED 209 in the UK, and only the fourth to be created in the world; the other 3 being in San Francisco. Once created, I intend to take ED 209 on tour to various Comic-Con style events and exhibitions, so that many people can enjoy it. The funding I am hoping to raise is to be used for materials and some limited equipment (to supplement the equipment I already have).
Personal Background
I have a varied background re-creating movie props. Some of these are as follows:
Back To The Future – I recreated a fully working flux capacitor, which can be seen here: http://youtu.be/-YardOQsKvY. I am also working on a project to create the time circuits from the original vehicle
Predator – using a hand-sculpted clay mould, I created two latex replicas of the Predator mask from the original 1987 movie. In order to ensure the accuracy of the mask’s appearance, I hand-painted it using movie stills as a reference. I have since written a prize-winning Instructable for this project
Mars Attacks – following from the success of the Predator mask, I was commissioned to make a replica mask of the main alien character, which has recently been featured in the Denver media
Other examples of my small scale projects can be found on the Instuctables website.
Although I have yet to undertake a project of this size, I feel I have the right skills to see the ED 209 replica through to completion. Alongside an HND in 2D & 3D Design, I am also skilled with fiberglass and silicone moulding and working with plastics, all of which will be essential to bring ED 209 to life. I am also experienced with electronics, which will be used to create the authentic movements wherever possible, and the sound effects. Most importantly, however, I have a passion for faithful representation of movie props, and the creative processes involved in recreating pieces of movie history.
I plan to fully document the process, and will be making tutorials on moulding techniques which I will put up on my Instructables page. The ED 209 will have its own dedicated Project page on completion at www.ed209.co.uk.
A final note…
A few years ago, my mother sadly passed away after the life-extending treatment she received while suffering with Leukemia caused liver and pancreatic cancer. At the end of the project tour, I wish to eventually sell ED 209, and the majority of the funds raised by the sale will go to Cancer Research in order to help fund the research needed to end the suffering of anyone affected by this disease.
Project Facebook page
This project closed unsuccessfully on 24th December 2014