Since we discovered how to make Number Five move, we decided to upgrade Number Three. We tried to preserve as much of the original design as possible, so we didn’t mess with the decorations or redesign the frame. We also made the legs stronger so the robot could support itself easily and won’t fall. Professor Brockenhoff was very pleased with being able to more effectively scare strangers!
Please note, this material is provided for informational and fun purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
We started off by disassembling Number Three. Given how Number Three was designed as a framework, it was pretty easy to take apart.
Number Three’s Arm being Upgraded
We wanted to upgrade Number Three to make it move. Since walking with two legs is incredibly hard, we decided to only make the arms and hands move. We first used hinges to upgrade the hands so that they could open and close. Next, we had to replace the fixed joints with movable joints. Borrowing from extra part from Number Five, we added flexible joints for pipes to power a air brush. The added weight of the metal join required use adding more support for the legs. We tried plastic joints, but they failed durning testing.
Then we attached lightweight linear actuators to the joints to move them. Given we wanted more controlled movement and a quieter robot for our front parlor, we opted for electronic verse pneumatic power. We attached the linear actuators so that when they extended, the arms reached out and when they pull back, the arms bent.
And finally, for controls, we used a remote control unit for garage doors. Since we need the polarity to switch (the wires reverse, positive/negative to negative/positive) to have the linear actuators go in and out we had to make sure the control unit reversed the polarity not just turned the power off and on.
And now you see the update Number Three testing its arms with Professor Brockenhoff at the controls!
Girl Genius is a webcomic started in 2002 written by Phil and Kaja Foglio and colored by Cheyenne Wright about a world of steampunk mad scientists that build amazing robots. Girl Genius has greatly influenced our art and writing and we recommend you read it. You can read it for free online, or buy physical copies. The authors write a new page every other day, so if you get to the end, make sure to look back to find new pages.
Trilobites are the Heterodyne family sigil (the Heterodyne family plays a central role in the story) which is a fitting symbol of the old and mysterious family.
What we like most about the main character Agatha Clay is that she is really smart and hilarious. She builds lots of cool inventions that do amazing things, and since she thinks differently than the other characters, her dialog is really funny. Our favorite quote is, “But I want to do math now!” Some of our favorite inventions that she had made are a coffee machine that makes coffee so perfect it makes people go mad, a deer robot that looks really pretty but has a bunch of different types of weapons, little circular robots that can make other robots, and a weaponized wagon army controlled by an pipe organ. The fact she is also very dangerous just adds to the fun!
The artwork is fantastic and really brings to life the rich world of Steampunk Europa. What is most impressive is the attention to detail, for example, there are sometimes little monsters on the page, and you have to look carefully to notice them. Also, the steampunk robots look like they can actually work! There are also lots of scenes that are happening in the background, so look carefully, otherwise, you might miss some information! In the beginning, it is black and white, but most of the story is in lots of colors.
Each location is rich in details and lets the reader explore a steampunk world like no other. Our favorites are a huge underwater city buzzing with lots of steampunk submarines and Mechanicsburg, the home of the Heterodyne family which is packed with danger, mystery and dominated by the powerful Heterodyne castle.
Girl Genius comics
The plots take unexpected and fun detours but everything is intertwined, all the characters are somehow connected to each other, and there are no loose ends. The dialogue is hilarious and rich, for example:
Violetta, “So, when can we be sure it is done and we haven’t doomed the Earth?”
Agatha, “Oh once the containment limit returns to normal. As for not dooming the Earth- well- that is more a lifelong goal, really. But so far so good.”
Humongulus: Humongulus angry? Never! You have used guile! Tactics! Awareness of the landscape! Humongulus is impressed!
Franz: Good ’cause with those arms you could punch me into next week.
Humongulus: You know the very sole of Humongulus.
And it is not just us who thinks Girl Genius is great, it has gotten multiple Hugo awards!
The Hugo Award!
The best part of the world is the crazy robots and monsters. There are lots of weird monsters that just live alongside everyone else, and crazy robots are an everyday sight. The robots and monsters are central to the story and some are main characters who act and think very differently than humans which adds to the realism.
Our favorite little clank
This is a picture of a little clank (robot) that the main character made. Girl Genius is in a steampunk world and has cool robot illustrations. We were so inspired by Girl Genus’s cute and cool-looking robots, we spent two years designing and building our own working steampunk robot Number Five !
Inspired by the Boston Dynamics robot videos, steampunk art, and Girl Genius, the HipMonster team set out to make their robotic dog walk to take for a walk on our city street. This project ended up being a lot harder than we imaged and took two years to complete. This greatly impacted our work on the HipMonsters’ website which is just now being updated with new content. So, finally, we give you the making of Number Five!
Please note, this material is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Getting Started
Base supplies to get started:
Brass Pipe Fitting, 4-Way Tee, Female Pipe (1, 1/4″ x 1/4″ x 1/4″ x 1/4″ NPT)
Brass Pipe Fitting, 90 Degree Barstock Street Elbow, 1/4″ Male Pipe x 1/4″
Brass Pipe Fitting, Barstock Tee, 1/4″ x 1/4″ x 1/4″ NPT Female Pipe
Black Steel Pipes ,close nipple pipe, 1/4 in. x 8 in, Black, 5 Pack
Black Steel Pipes, close nipple pipe, 1/4 in. x 6 in, Black, 5 Pack
Black Steel Pipes, close nipple pipe, 1/4 in. x 2 in, Black, 5 Pack
Hex Nipple Coupling Set – 1/4-Inch NPT x 1/4-Inch NPT,Solid Brass, Female Pipe
3/8 Inch Stainless Steel Cable Clamp
90-degree Swivel 1/4-Inch Male NPT x 1/4-Inch Female NPT
Clear 6mm OD 4mm ID Polyurethane PU Air Hose Pipe Tube Kit 10 Meter 32.8ft
Pneumatic Rotary Lever Hand Valve 1/4” N PT Air Flow Control 3 Position 4 Way
Pneumatic 16mm Bore 150mm Stroke Air Cylinder Double Action
Bike Pump
Building on our experience creating Number Three, we used piping to build the skeleton for the robot. To make it stronger to withstand the force of walking we used 1/4-inch steel pipes and pneumatic pivot joints rather than PVC tubing. After that, we assembled the legs using the pivot joins to allow the legs to move.
Assembly begins!
After the legs were completed, we built a spine to help attach the legs and provide an attachment platform for the batteries, controller, and engine.
The skeleton is coming together
When Number Three moved, the legs would frequently come loose so we made sure to be attached tightly to the spine. We knew from other robots we built that the vibrations of a running robot tended to unscrew bolts and screws. So, getting everything put together as tight as possible is essential.
Final tightening of the frame
The spine takes a little patience to screw together because we used three parallel sets of pipes for strength. It proved difficult to screw them in at the same time and the best approach was to take it slow and calmly.
Side view of the completed skeleton
This is the side view of Number Five with most of the pneumatic pistons in place. We had two powering the back legs and four to power the front legs which did most of the pulling. We found from the full-scale test pull was better than push for control. If a front leg got stuck and the back legs still pushed forward the robot would veer to the left or right.
Below is a top view. The front part of the skeleton does not have a spine. This was originally to enable us to adjust the strides of the legs but that ended up being too finicky and we instead locked them in place. Sadly, we don’t have a clean attachment point for a head if we ever want to add one.
Top view of the skeleton
Next, we started connecting the air tubes to the pistons. We first laid out how the piston would attach to the frame then cut the tubes to link them to the engine. We made sure that they were long enough not to get yanked out, but short enough not to get caught in the robot’s legs.
Fitting the pneumatic tubes
The tubing took a few attempts to get the length right. It is better to be too long than too short, so we have a bag filled with little bits of extra tubing. The tubing connects the piston to the engine. In the beginning, the engine was a bike pump powered by a kid but the final version would have a car air pump.
While attaching the pipes we recommend color coding the pipes with a little bit of nail polish or colored tape. You want the legs to be connected oppositely. If a right piston is rigged to push when the air is redirected, you want its mirror to pull.
Each piston has two connections:
one at the top which makes the rod push out,
one in the middle pulls the rod back.
Close-up of an Air Piston
Below is a gif of two pistons connected in opposition. This will enable the robot to walk with a stride.
Testing the pistons
Below is the first full-scale test. We used a bike pump to better control power. The bike pump worked remarkably well for most of our small-scale tests and was significantly quieter than the air pump. Plus it is cool to power a robot with a bike pump. As you can see… this test failed hilariously.
Test number one
The first test showed that controlling double-jointed legs was very difficult so we decided to shorten the legs as well as do tons of additional modifications. With lots of tubing, it tangles easily and it is hard to figure out where the problem is. We also added knees to stop the legs from overextending and falling.
After tons of modifications
The second full-scale test was much more successful and operated as we expected. This floor has a slight downward tilt but it also works in the opposite direction; admittedly a bit slower. It is still operated by a manual switch but the engine is now a car pump.
Test 2
At this point, number five was powered externally and controlled with a manual switch. Our final goal was to be able to walk number five in our neighborhood on Halloween, so we added batteries, electronic air flow controls, and a remote control.
Adding control units
The engine was an old portable air compressor for car tires that was super light and used little power. To make Number Five portable, it needed to run on a 12-volt battery which meant all the electronics had to run off of 12 volts as well. Luckily 12 volts is the standard power supply so finding the right parts wasn’t too difficult.
Adding the engine
At this point Number Five was completely self-contained and controlled by a remote. We moved the battery to the center of Number Five to give it a lower center of gravity. When we first put it together the first time it was clear it would fall over easily if the battery was on top. So we quickly built a lower platform that rested between the leg. The pump was light enough to stay in the back clear from the movement of the front legs.
Here is the first test of the fully remote Number Five. We had more slippage than we had in the prior tests; the weight of the battery and air pump impacted the wheel traction more than we expected. So back to tinkering…
The key improvements this time were:
A rubber wedge in the wheels made them only spin in one direction
Shifting more weight forward.
Extended the forward stretch of the front legs giving a lurching motion forward that was very effective on flat or downhill surfaces.
Taking Number Five for a Walk
After the modifications were complete, the sister team was ready to take Number Five for a walk in our neighborhood! Number Five worked well on the rough city sidewalks and could even manage to walk up a slight incline as shown in this clip. Downhill Number Five went almost too fast. We have learned a ton and stay tuned for the next modifications!
For high res videos of Number Five in action check out our YouTube Channel!
Where technology and beauty meet, our steampunk jewelry embraces the genius within! This collection of steampunk jewelry is fit for all steampunk-loving monsters. We were inspired by some of the cool steampunk gadgets in the books and movies that we have read/watched. Here are all of the books and movies that we were inspired by: Girl Genius, Secrets in the Mist, Howl’s Moving Castle, Clockwork Fairytales, Map to Everywhere, and Castle in the Sky.
Circle of Power Brooch
The Circle of Power brooch lights up to illuminate the center gemstone. It is two inches in diameter and has a magnetic attachment. To make this, we glued a Mancala gem on a gear and put it in a metal bottle cap. We then secured fairy lights around it and attached a lightweight battery to power them. You can easily turn on and off the fairy lights, and it is easy to replace the battery. The brooch is attached by very strong magnets, so you don’t have to poke holes in the thing that you are attaching it to.
Gears of Time
The Gears of Time choker is about six inches long and attached with a clasp. To make this, we sewed gears onto a normal black choker making sure they looked as if the meshed together and could work. To add depth and complexity we stacked gears on top of one another and used hot glue to secure them. We wanted the choker to fit tightly so it appear that you were peering into the inner workings of a robot.
The Hip Monsters team decided to make something that interests people when they walk into the room. Inspired by Girl Genius and this Steampunk creation, we made a mysterious steampunk contraption that only we know the use of.
Our amazing steampunk device.
This is our steampunk creation. It has two light bulbs, a pressure gauge, and some metal pipes. The light bulbs’ brightness is adjustable.
The side view
This is the side view of our device. You can see that on the side of the creation, there is a silver metal box. That controls the brightness of the lightbulbs.
The back view
On the back, you can see that there is a wire going from the silver box away from the device. that is where you plug in the device to the outlet. From the front it is barely noticeable, you can only see it from certain angles.
We saw the need for a new robot for halloween, so we made one. This is our steampunk squirrel powered robot Number Three. We wanted it to be as big as a kid to help with our Halloween decorations. Our other robots were small and not easy to see. Our plan was for a big robot with lights and room to grow as we came up with new ideas.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Getting started
These are some of the parts that we used. We gathered most of it from unused parts from other projects. This project ended up being a great way to recycle old parts and scapes and it made it look even more steam-punky.
Scrape parts
We used PVC pipes for the skeleton of our robot because its strong and lightweight. Also we had fitting from remodeling that would attach to the pipes and let us hangs details. The pipes are standard so if we did need to buy anything it would be easy.
Completed Robot
The image to the right is the completed robot. The starting images ended up not as good as we expected so the final image was the best to show how the tubing was used. First, we cut the pipes to the right size using one of us to figure out lengths arms, legs and spine. Then we assembled it and added feet to keep it stable as we worked. The feet were harder than expected to get the right balance and weight. We used concrete bolts with extra washers as needed.
Then we assembled the PVC pipes and painted it with two coats. The first was sliver; the second was bronze. Next, we used an old security camera mount and attached a plastic jar on the neck. We added a toy squirrel inside and a few parts that looked like little controls for it. We named the squirrel Professor Brookenhoff.
For a fake engine core we used an old battery powered lantern connected to an old water bottle.
Assembling the gear box
Now we started on the fake control box. To make is steampunk we used gears and only a few wires. Then we assembled the gears to control the robot. We used old wood as a base and stain and distressed it by hitting it with a hammer.
After that, we drilled a bunch of holes on the back and put thin, long bolts through them to create a framework for the gears. Before we assembled it we laid out the gears on the table in the pattern we wanted then transferred the gears to the rig. You must remember to lay out the gears in the opposite way you want them in the rig.
Side view of the gear box
Here is a view of gears completed with the control boxes on each side.
The gears took the most time and ended up being a lot harder than we imagined. It was difficult to screw the tiny nuts into place to give it a 3d look. Also, the bolts proved to be sharp. We attached some gears to the side of the control boxes so it would look like they actually controlled the gears.
Close up of the gear box
Then we attached a box to run the wirer through. We had a plan on the gears, engine, wire, pistons that we made before we started work that was our best attempt at design an honest working robot. The things we added is what Number Three would have needed if it was real.
Side view
We then added a second box next to the gears for attaching the control wires.
Close up
Here is a close up of the gears. Getting a 3-D design is important to make it look real. Each gear needs two bolts. One on top and one on the bottom. Make sure they are tightly screwed together.
Back view
Now we focused on putting on details that would make it look like Number Three could move. Since it was supposed to be steam powered we used four left over pistons. We attached pneumatic tubing to the pistons then attached the other end to the engine. The idea is the power from the engine would create steam, and Professor Brookenhoff would give commands to the gears which would send the steam to the right piston to make it move. The idea of the head came from Carmichael from The Umbrella Academy.
Close up of the feet
As we added more details to Number Three, we also needed to add more heavy things to the feet for stability.
Close up of the head
A close up of Professor Brookenhoff piloting Number Three.
Close up of the chest
A close up of the tubing from the engine to the joints.
Side View
Number Three from side view. Here you can see the hands which also ended up being hard to make. Finally we made the hands out of wires and springs so it can hold things.
Born from one of our favorite bushes and a failed costume, Lin the dragon was our most complex monster at that time. Lin is made from wood from our own garden, making her unique.
Flying free!
Lin has posable legs, tail and wings. The legs can barely support her so we decided to hang her from the ceiling to watch over us as we craft.
Side viewClose up of a wing joint
The wings are from a dragon costume we were building that proved to be too heavy. The tail is made by repeatedly cutting the log and threading a steal wire through them to secure it.
The hummingbird monster was made from a branch too weak to be used for other projects. We decided to make it into a hummingbird because it already had a long beak, and the body was already shaped like a bird. After lots of trimming, sanding, and bees wax, we added felt and wire wings.
Bottom view
Hung from the ceiling, the humming bird monster comes to life.
We call this monster the Anteater. The Anteater monster was a wonderful branch that was too split to make a good wand or use in other projects. After we stabilized the splitting and cut out all the rotted wood, we sanded her and coated her heavily in bees wax.
Side view
At first we thought of mounting Anteater on the wall as if she was a trophy, but then the Sister’s team thought of having her appear to climb out of the wall. We then used a picture frame we were working on and created a fake window using the picture frame, paint, and plexiglass for her to climb out of. With a window as a mount, she made a great addition to our living room.
Need to track the moon phases for that perfect time to cast a spell? Worried about when you are due to change into a werewolf?
The following instructions are for a quick DIY Sun, Earth, Moon Orrery we did for a school project. This is suitable for ages 6 to 12 but may need adult supervision. We were inspired by this article in instructables.com but needed a much simpler design.
This project was also the start of HipMonsters, and we still use some of the same skills for our robots and woodworking projects.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.Equipment
Equipment:
Drill
Pliers
Wire Cutters
Parts:
Plywood (10 X 10 inches)
4 inch bolt with 3 nuts and 3 washers
2 inch bolt with 3 nuts and 3 washers
3 foam balls of different sizes
9 inches of thick wire (may use coat hangers)
5 inches of thin wire (may use pipe cleaner)
Foam padding
Step 1
First, measure the center hole for the main screw. This screw will support the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Step 2
Next, drill the hole and push the large screw through the hole and secure it with a washer and bolt.
Step 3
Turn over the base and stick four foam pads on the bottom. We used one large foam pad for furniture and cut it into four pieces. These foam padding will prevent the center bolt from scratching the table when placed upright.
Step 4
Turn the base back over and make sure the foam padding is tall enough to prevent the bolt from scratching the table. If not, then add another layer of foam. Next, screw another a nut to the halfway point on the bolt and then put a washer on top.
Step 5
Now we need to make the support wire for the Earth. Take the larger wire and bend both ends using a screwdriver as shown. The goal is the make the loops tight enough so the bolts are secure when threaded through them.
Step 6
Here, both ends are ready to secure the Earth to the center shaft. Notice one loop is smaller than the other. The larger loop is for the center bolt; the smaller one is for Earth’s bolt.
Step 7
Now, thread the smaller bolt through the smaller loop.
Step 8
Secure the bolt to the arm with a washer and nut. Then screw a nut halfway up the bolt. This bolt will serve as support for the Moon’s arm.
Step 9
Next, create the Moon’s arm. Bend the thinner wire similar to the Earth’s arm but only put a loop on one end. Bend the other end up to support the Moon.
Step 10
Now connect the thin wire to the screw on Earth’s arm and secure with a bolt.
Step 11
And we are nearly there! Just connect the thick wire to the screw and put a washer and bolt on top. Make sure to screw on tightly, the weight of the arm can make it droop.
Step 12
And finally we are ready to add the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The smallest ball is the Moon and goes on the smallest arm. The Earth is the mid-sized ball and put onto the outer bolt. The largest ball is the Sun and placed on the center bolts. You can paint the balls as the final step if you want to.Putting it all together
The Sun, Earth, Moon orrery is almost complete, we just need to assemble! Here are all the pieces laid out. We substitute the foam balls in one build with a ping pong ball for the Sun and felt balls for the Earth and Moon.Enjoy
You now have your own Sun, Earth, Moon Orrery and predict the next eclipse or start planning for the next full moon! Keep a watch out for werewolves!
