Makers Next Door: Creating Robots with Steve Tam in a Galaxy Not So Far Away
For 61-year-old retiree Steve Tam, Star Wars and robots are two things he’ll never tire of. In fact, his fondness for them is so great that it motivated him to pick up a host of 3D printing and programming skills to bring one of his beloved characters, R2-D2, to life.
The lengthy project took him three whole years to complete. After countless hours revising his designs at MakeIT at Tampines, Steve can now elicit beeps and whistles from the fully functional R2-D2 replica through a remote control.
The iconic droid’s multiple moving parts and flickering lights is a captivating spectacle, though its creator humbly declares that “it’s not exactly the same as the one in the films, but has perhaps 80 percent of its likeness”.
To the casual observer though, his droid appears professionally constructed, albeit smaller in size when compared to the original.
3D Printing and Programming: A Convenient and Affordable Means to Create a Robot
It all began after Steve’s retirement in 2018, when he came across a cheap 3D printer during his travels in China.
“Before the availability of 3D printing, it would’ve been very difficult to make a robot — you’d need metal or plastic sheets, and the space and heavy machinery to work with those materials. With a 3D printer, you can print whatever you design, and it’s much more flexible,” says Steve.
At around the same time, the first library makerspace, MakeIT at Libraries, had just opened its doors to the public at Tampines Regional Library. It was this newly established makerspace that provided Steve with the resources to explore his new hobby.
Despite already owning a 3D printer, Steve found the makerspace’s facilities an essential part of his process and soon became a regular. For him, the biggest incentives for his visits were the free materials he could experiment with (particularly PLA filament, an environmentally-friendly plastic used by 3D printing machines), which he put to good use by conducting test prints to fine-tune his designs before printing the final iterations at home.
The Long Road to Completing an R2-D2 Droid
Despite the challenges along the way, the determined creator did not let them faze him.
“This robot is half the size of the original,” says Steve, citing budget and space limitations as factors that he had to consider when designing his creation. “Eventually, I realised that making it at a smaller scale turned out to be more challenging because of the decreased space I had to work with to store the mechanical and electronic components.”
Steve had essentially taught himself through trial-and-error and by referencing the work of other tinkerers in robotics on YouTube.
“There were times when I was stumped by some of the technical aspects of the project, and I was not able to find a solution online,” he recalls. “I decided to change my expectations (of what I wanted to achieve). Sometimes, when you get stuck, you need to work with what you have so that you can move on. Otherwise, you lose your patience and your interest to continue. After all, this is a hobby and not a job.”
Start Simple and Have a Sense of Purpose
“If I could do it again, I might use a higher-powered motor and battery. The R2-D2 can be controlled by a remote control, but it’s currently not very fast due to these limitations. I would like to upgrade these components in the future. But back then I wanted to start with something simple, low-cost and easy,” he says.
Beginners learning how to 3D print and programme should start off with simple, more affordable equipment before progressing to increase their budget for higher-end equipment. Doing this allowed Steve to focus on familiarising himself with the technology before investing further into his hobby.
“You must also have a sense of purpose as to why you want to learn 3D printing and programming. What is it that you want to achieve with these skills? If you learn the technique just for its own sake, you might not have the passion to continue your journey with it. But if you have a goal or objective that you want to achieve, it will help to motivate you to develop your skills.”
It was this sense of purpose that gave him the determination to cross the finish line of his long-standing R2-D2 droid project:
A Balancing Act
Now that his work with R2-D2 is done and dusted, Steve has moved on to an even more ambitious project: He is working on a robot cat that he hopes to programme to be able to move independently.
“This project was inspired by two things: my cat that passed away seven years ago, and the robot dog, Spot, from Boston Dynamics, which I found very interesting,” he says. “Why not combine my memory of my old cat, and my interest in creating a robot dog, by trying my hand at creating a robot cat?”
So far, Steve has created a first iteration of the project. But it has yet to turn out to his satisfaction — after having 3D printed all four limbs of the robot cat, he discovered that the motor components of the robot did not work well together with the 3D printed limbs.
He is now taking a different approach, by primarily focusing on 3D printing one limb at a time and motorising them individually. Next, he plans to explore using a sensor called an inertial measurement unit (a device that measures and reports an object’s gravitational state as well as current orientation) to see how it can assist in the robot’s ability to balance itself automatically.
Simulating the movement of a four-legged animal such as a cat will be Steve’s key challenge for this project. Compared to the R2-D2, which was wheel-mounted, tweaking the mobility and balance of his robot cat’s limbs to imitate its real-life counterpart will require more fine-tuned programming on his end.
Do or Do Not, There Is No Try
Someday, Steve hopes to build a full-sized version of C-3PO, R2-D2’s golden humanoid companion from the Star Wars universe. To him, it is the ultimate challenge due to its size and complexity. For now, he is content brushing up his 3D printing and programming skills through his pet projects.
Begin Your Maker Journey
Inspired by Steve’s story? You too can be a budding droid-maker! Sign up for one of the free 3D Starter Sessions to learn more about 3D modelling, 3D printing and robotics in easy-to-understand, hands-on workshops.
About MakeIT
MakeIT is a free-for-public library makerspace that aims to introduce the wonder of digital and tech-based creativity through 3D printing, robotics and other forms of tech-based tinkering to all adult and senior library members. All programmes and materials are free, and no expertise is required.
Join the community of makers at MakeIT on Facebook, or visit MakeIT at Libraries in person at the following locations:
