ByYourCommand.net

Hello everyone. I was searching for a forum of Cylon fans and really couldn't find any but this one. I don't built Cylons (yet) though. However, I do have real robots, which include a WowWee RoboSapien RS Media and a LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Robot Kit, both of which I guess could be costumed into a Cylon. This gives me some ideas!

I have been a big fan of the classic Cylons ever since watching the first Classic BSG episode as a kid. I also always loved electronics and robotics and those are still my hobbies.

I always wondered if anyone ever attempted to build a real life-sized Cylon Robot or Telemetric robot (i.e. remotely controlled like Ford's HANK robot for example). Never saw anything on the net about it though. Real life-size bi-pedal robots are not easy to build. They are expensive and there's a lot of physics challenges.

Anyway, just popping in to say hi and will try to add a little something when I can. Maybe some pictures of my robots or maybe try to build a costume for one of them sometime.

Welcome Raven. I see a Robotic version of a Cylon in your future with the talent you have. I have seen a few animatronic Cylon's in the past for the Universal Studio Tram Tour, but they just split in half, or turned side to side. Nothing to wild or crazy like walking or even moving their feet. Can't wait to see some of your past projects photos.

Thank you Commander.

Talent? Not very but I try. I have a little experience with robotics, a little with electronics (still have to get back to learning that stuff). I just recently switched from Windows 8 (upgraded from Windows 7) to Linux Mint 14 KDE so I have to program my NXT brick in C and not in the NXT-G interface. So I will be learning that (thankfully I'm familiar with C, Java, etc. and RS Media is Java/Linux based as well).

I just have to find a good build for the NXT (more than likely a modified Alpha Rex model) and some paper craft costuming. I think I saw a thread on that recently that had paper craft patterns. I'll have to go check those out.

I could on either robot system create a Cylon sound file to play as well.

Another robot I have is a Manley Toyquest i-Que (VERY old! - got it in 2007!) and that one you can type in the crackberry like transmitter a word and it acts out a skit. I think there's one for Cylon! I'll have to charge up the battery in that thing and do a video of that sometime. Really wild looking bot. Meanwhile here's the official video demo of the robot (sorry nothing Cylon in it but it shows you what it's like).

http://ww2.toyquest.com/ique/

This they don't make anymore (nor is the RS Media available much anymore - both very rare). You can still get Mindstorms NXT kits though and luckily there's still plenty of user support out there. They are only around $250 - $300 for a 2.0 kit, which when you think about it, isn't too bad, considering what you can do with it. I also bought the $30 Sound Sensor separate so I can maybe do voice-activation stuff.

For work I am a Linux server administrator, programmer and web developer so it's another reason I'm using Linux. Yeah, I'm very geeky (er.. Cylon)

I'm also a combat pilot. I pilot birds into pig fortresses. Ok, not really a real-life pilot - never flown in my life! But I'm a big Angry Birds fanatic and for those that have seen Angry Birds Space, ever notice the Purple Bird (Space version of Yellow Bird) looks very Cylon? That's my favorite bird. Maybe I should make that my icon. I'll try to dig one up...

UPDATE: I guess this birdie looks good...

RavenLX - welcome!
And ByYourCommand.net is the ONLY forum of Cylon fans you need to find - or ever think about... GOT IT!? lol Glad you found us!

You don't have to build Cylon costumes to be welcome - we'll have fun learning and watching your bot builds. Plus, if you ever want to take a whirl at electroics for costum builds, hey I know a few hundred guys that would be Cylon interested. HA. If you can make a real time AUTHENTIC sounding Cylon voice changer, well, you'd be our hero.

And ByYourCommand.net is the ONLY forum of Cylon fans you need to find - or ever think about... GOT IT!? lol Glad you found us!

(cut and pasting didn't put in the smileys, sorry). Be glad you're a Cylon or you'd be exterminated for that remark. LOL! Seriously, I'm very glad that at least I don't have to join a half dozen forums and remember 10 million passwords. Although I've been known to do that before. It just gets my databanks rather messy and then I have to do some pruning.

I've posted in the Centurion building forum as well. I'm seriously eyeing the next Mindstorms EV3 build kit. I found out from a YouTube CES video it'll be around $350, which is not too much more than I paid for the NXT. And it'll be programmable via Android and also they say Linux. That kit looks to be the next step up and would really make an awesome Cylon!

As for electronics, I need all the help I can get! I was just starting to learn to read schematics (very basics) then had Real Life kick in and had too much going on and didn't get back to it yet. So I'll have to relearn it. I have a 300-in-One Electronics lab kit (not Radio Shack, forgot what brand it is) and Forest Mimms III Beginning Electronics book that I was using side-by-side to learn stuff. I think there may be an electronics emulator for Linux somewhere out there too. I also bought a ton of spare parts (ironic, as that is by my name in the forum!) and have some ICs that probably at least one of them would work. I think there's a flip flop or two and some gates in the mix. I think I could fashion a Cylon chaser on with one of them and I have a good many red LEDs. Might have to hit up Electronics Goldmine for a couple more parts sometime if I get to the scanner eye part. I also can solder stuff really well (been soldering kits when I was 7 yrs. old and I worked in Electronic Assembly jobs for a few years).

I don't know if many know this but there's a Cylon voice changer out there for mobile phones. I'll post more about it in another thread so folks can find it. Wouldn't take much to hack it to a speaker output. Unfortunately, i don't have an android or iPhone. Just can only afford a TracFone right now. Plans are so expensive and it was the cheapest I can find. Anyway, the only thing I can do is make sound files but I would have to find a vocoder or something in Linux. Might be one out there somewhere but I haven't researched too much audio stuff yet.

Welcome aboard the Basestar

Thank You.

I've updated my project thread. Got the robot skeleton built! Next will be programming.