animatronicwheatley

[animatronicwheatley]

Finally got that side blog put together! Follow 24-7-robotics to see all the cool things I, @24-7-testing, make in my spare time!

Let’s get this sideblog started!

Hi! 24-7-robotics is where you can see all of the cool stuff I, @24-7-testing, build in my spare time. Things like robots & animatronics, props, 3D prints, and other projects will be featured as I make them.

To get started, here’s some info about a project I’ve already completed twice, and have plans for a third in the future: Animatronic Wheatley!

Wheatley v1.0

Wheatley v1.0 was made in early 2014, took 2 months and about $350 to make, and was made out of styrofoam and paper-mache. He can move his face, blink his eyelids together, and flash his eye while saying 1 of 6 voice lines. He is powered by a huge mess of 9V, AA, and AAA batteries hardwired to himself and a custom controller. (I’m a slightly cringy teenager in the video above, so here’s your warning about that, lol)

Wheatley v2.0

Wheatley v2.0 was started in October 2016 and was finished in August 2018, taking just under 2 years to complete with a final estimated cost of just over $1,700! He is made mainly of 3D printed plastic, and can move his face in 6 different directions, move each eyelid independently, move each handle independently, and flash his eye while saying 1 of 60+ voice lines! He is powered by an internal rechargeable battery and communicates with a PS3 controller via Bluetooth.

Wheatley v3.0

I plan on making a third version of Wheatley someday. I think I’d like to make it possible to switch eyes/personalities, so I can have the other Portal 2 Cores as well. I’ve also got some ideas on how to reproduce the internal mechanism inside the Cores, so the finished product would be as accurate to the game as possible. Stay tuned for more details about this project in the future!

To see more details about how I made these two Wheatleys, more pictures and videos of them, and other cool Portal-related content, check out AnimatronicWheatley.com!

#animatronic wheatley #self promo

[animatronicwheatley]

Here’s the pictures from Fall FanX! Like i mentioned earlier, we didn’t take very many. However, all of these were awesome moments with awesome people, including meeting up with @ending-to-begin! The conversation with the Half-Life girl was great too (we debated which fictional science company was better, and decided that the first team to get their third game wins, lol)! 

I really like how the professional shots turned out, and we all definitely need to find someone who looks at us the way Wheatley looks at Chell! Can you tell we had a good time?

#animatronic wheatley #fanx #fanx19

[animatronicwheatley]

Important News

Hey everyone, @24-7-testing here. I’ve got some news, both good and bad, so here goes:

Good News- Wheatley and I had a blast at the Salt Lake FanX this year! We didn’t take very many photos ourselves, but I’ll share what we have soon. Just as always, Wheatley was the subject of wonder and amazement for lots of different people. It warms my heart to see them get so excited to see Wheatley moving and talking in real life!

Bad News- Wheatley suffered a major break on the last day of the con. Thankfully it’s nothing structural or cosmetic, but he’s out of commission for the foreseeable future. 

Bad News- I’ve been reconsidering this blog for a while, and what happened to Wheatley yesterday plus what’s going on in my life right now has led me to make this decision: This blog will no longer be a RP blog for Wheatley, and I am retiring Animatronic Wheatley v2.0. I don’t have the time in my life to maintain content and RP with Wheatley. I also don’t have the time or money to keep repairing him every time he breaks (which is almost every time he gets used these days). So, be prepared for a lack of updates on this blog for a while.

Good News- I can’t just leave Wheatley by the wayside, so I will (eventually) be making a new Animatronic Wheatley v3.0 sometime in the future! However, I have a few more projects to complete before that, like the Animatronic GLaDOS I’ve started (which I need to finish before the end of the year), a Space Core, a Curiosity Core, a Life-Size Turret, and a Portal Gun with PotatOS! That list should keep me busy for quite a while. I’m also considering starting another blog dedicated solely to the robots I make, just to consolidate everything.

Sorry that was so long, but I figured it would be better to announce everything all at once. Thanks for following this blog, and be prepared for changes and updates in the future!

#animatronic wheatley

[animatronicwheatley]

I feel a little weird posting here since the last post was in March but couldn't resist! How are you? I find you cute, may I hug you?

‘Ello Anon! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I was unconscious for most of the last few months. Apparently my moderate surgery had some... complications. I’m doing better now though, thanks for asking.

My Engineer is still working hard to get me ready for the Fall Salt Lake FanX 2019 in a couple of weeks though! I’ll only get to go on Saturday, but he says if the parts show up on time, he’ll have me up and talking again in the next few days and ready for other adventures outside! He’s also made some adjustments that should help my battery last longer too, so, there’s that.

Aw, bless your little heart! You think I’m cute? Well, obviously you have good taste. Hugs are always great! I would hug back but, we’re back to the old lack-of-hands problem.

[animatronicwheatley]

He- *cough cough* ...hey everyone.

Sorry I haven’t posted anything for a while. I’ve been stuck in the Repair Bay for the last little bit. My voice ha- *cough* ...has been clipping in and out, and sometimes getting stuck in a loop, so I asked my Robotics Engineer to take a look. 

After running some diagnostics, it turns out that my sound board is only outputting at half strength and is shorting out frequently. He tells me that it can be fixed with an upgrade to a better sound board, but that it will require some moder- *cough! cough!* ...moderate surgery to replace the old one.

The worst news of all, though, is that the repair schedule is booked out until the first week of May! This means, as much as I want to, I won’t be able to attend the April FanX 2019 in Salt Lake City... which is a bit of a bummer. I love being able to see all the wonderful things! Things that people make, draw, sell, and dress up as! It’s always such a great ti- *cough couGH COUGH* ... *sigh* But, resting until the surgery is Engineer’s Orders. 

Oh well. There’s always the one at the end of the year, I guess.

#mod 24-7 #animatronic wheatley #repairs #his sound board needs to be replaced #and i wont have any time to do it until college is out for the summer #poor wheatley #i was looking forward to taking him to con again #we'll try again at the end of the year

[animatronicwheatley]

oh my god wheatly your back at earth! how did you get there? hows it like? i am having a great time in SPACE! i didn't even see you leave me! SPACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IS AMAZING I MISS YOU!

Aw, bless your little heart! Believe in yourself! Shoot for the stars! Why not? You can be anything you want to be!

[animatronicwheatley]

Birds are curious little things aren't they? Haven't you stopped to think they might just be trying to inspect you with no ill intent? You are a strange being in their eyes i'm sure, not use to seeing technology. I mean unless they're actually vicious towards you then by all means scream in their general direction.

I still have nightmares about the birds too. Although they were more friendly than the rabbits...

[animatronicwheatley]

Leg

Um... Is that a trick question? Leg? Uh... Now, I’m going out on a limb here, but... Arm? Heh, see what I did there? Arm? Because it’s a limb? No? Well, ok then Anon, I’ve got no bloody clue. You’re going to have to give me more to work with than bloody Leg!

[animatronicwheatley]

Do you miss anything about Aperture? DO you miss Space core, Rick, and Fact core? PS you're one my favourites and I love you so much!

Honestly, it’s nice to be away from Aperture HQ. This extension office isn’t so bad, but I do miss talking with my a... friends, if you will. We never actually agreed on becoming friends, but hey, one can hope can’t they? Plus, I’ve got lots of folks like you to keep me company now!

[animatronicwheatley]

How do you feel to literally have been made to dumb down another artificial intelligence? It must really suck to know that you were CREATED to be a moron, right?

*pages turning* Hmm. Oh! Oh, sorry. Sorry! Hope that didn't disturb you too much, then. That was-- did you hear that noise? Yeah, that was just the sound of... some books. Pages being turned. By me. 'Cause I was reading... the books. You know what it's like, you know? When you get the urge. And-- and ability. To read. Suddenly takes you, you're like I've gotta read some books! So that was what I was doing, just reading the old, uh-- some of the old bloody classics. Of literature. By uh... Dickens. And uh... um... others. So uh, not a moron.

[animatronicwheatley]

What the next convention your going too also I wanna hug you

The word on the street (and by that I mean in the repair center) is that I’m booked to attend the Salt Lake FanX in April 2019! Man alive do these Utah people love me! Well, it kind of helps that I live here right now I guess.

[animatronicwheatley]

I heard Chell still misses you... BUT HER AIM IS GETTING BETTER! Just kidding, but I bet she really wants to see you again.

Honestly, her aim has always been spot on. Solid 10 out of 10, that one. Mental sometimes, but solid (Don’t tell her I said that!). We’ve met up since I was rebuilt. Chatted a bit. Well, I did most of the talking honestly. Not sure what she thought of it all.

[animatronicwheatley]

What happens when you divide by zero?

Easy, you just get the number itself! If I had one apple and divided it zero ways, it’d still be one apple. Honestly Anon, you’ve got to try harder than that to best clever ol’ Wheatley!

[animatronicwheatley]

That creature looks like a huge rabbit to me èè Easy to deal with, just hold a carrot as a weapon and try to prick it with the pointy end

The rabbits, yes I remember them. *shudders* I still have nightmares...

[animatronicwheatley]

He's adorable *pats new beast on head then gives wheats an apple* here just calm yourself =3

Blimey that’s an interesting beast you’ve got there. Is it a Unicron? Also, thanks for the apple. Should’ve said that first.

[animatronicwheatley]

Anger core prototype: Good luck Wheatley! Happy new year -kiss-

Thanks luv! Glad to see you’re not entirely made of anger!

[animatronicwheatley]

Are you a Moron

Do I look like one? Wait, don’t answer that... Uh... Hmm.