Abbott - Revision history

Alexis-outside at 19:33, 6 April 2026

2026-04-06T19:33:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:33, 6 April 2026
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	Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.		Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.

			Want to make your own? Head over to the [[Make Yer Own Abbott]] page

	This is a design page for the general conceptualizing/exploring of possible mechanisms/designs for Abbott. Please feel free to edit, nothing is set in stone. Any trouble with the wiki (it's new and has not been put through its paces), please write alex@alexhornstein.com / 401.688.0489 and I'll fix it ASAP.		This is a design page for the general conceptualizing/exploring of possible mechanisms/designs for Abbott. Please feel free to edit, nothing is set in stone. Any trouble with the wiki (it's new and has not been put through its paces), please write alex@alexhornstein.com / 401.688.0489 and I'll fix it ASAP.

Alexis-outside: /* Tentacles */

2026-03-31T16:41:03Z

Tentacles

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:41, 31 March 2026
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	=== Body ===		=== Body ===
	I don't have a design yet for the body, but I like the idea that it should be 3D printable and fit on the smallest printer bed that any collaborator has. I forget if the recurse printer is an A1 (250 x 250mm bed) or an A1 mini (180 x 180mm bed). Anyone know?		I don't have a design yet for the body, but I like the idea that it should be 3D printable and fit on the smallest printer bed that any collaborator has. I forget if the recurse printer is an A1 (250 x 250mm bed) or an A1 mini (180 x 180mm bed). Anyone know?


			I'm kind of imagining a body like some sort of framework, roughly like a menorah but pointing towards you. Also all the candles are tentacles. It's not a perfect simile.

	=== Tentacles ===		=== Tentacles ===
	Well, that's why we're on this site. This is a wiki for an open-source 3D printed tentacle device that I think we can adapt to this. The tentacles are a clever, living hinge design that pops off the printer in one piece, and they articulate in just one axis. There's also a hole running through the center of the tentacle which can be used to run, say, an LED light or another servo for the tentacle tip.		Well, that's why we're on this site. This is a wiki for an open-source 3D printed tentacle device that I think we can adapt to this. The tentacles are a clever, living hinge design that pops off the printer in one piece, and they articulate in just one axis. There's also a hole running through the center of the tentacle which can be used to run, say, an LED light or another servo for the tentacle tip.

			[[File:Dipstick.gif]]

			The tentacles are cable-driven mechanisms. The "spine" is the living hinge part that's moving, and that blue thing is a tensioning cap which lets you easily adjust spring tension in the tentacle.. The spine is threaded like a big bolt, and the tensioning has internal threads like a big nut. More details/files/3D models on the [[Open-Source Design page\|design page]]. The spine also has two holes that run all the way through on either side, and those are for running the string which puppeteers the spine.

			On the other end of the pipe, there is a capstan -- this is like a drum, and a piece of non-stretching string runs from one end of the spine, down through the hole on that side, wraps around the capstan a few times, and then goes back through the ''other hole'' in the spine, before getting tied off at the tip.


			It's one of those things where a picture is worth a thousand words

			[[File:TrunkCam cross-section.png\|800x800px]]


			In the manual version, when you turn the handle one way or the other, it pulls the string and the tentacle tentacles. For Abbott, I think we could basically put a servo on the capstan, get rid of the pipe, and make the base of the octopus something that has many pipe-like appendages, where we can put the

	=== Eyes ===		=== Eyes ===
	I think it would be good to have expressive LCD eyes.		[[File:Eyes.jpg\|thumb\|none]]I think it would be good to have expressive LCD eyes. These are [https://www.amazon.com/AITRIP-Display-Interface-240x240-Raspberry/dp/B0BL7G3HTP/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3C9N783QQ710J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rPMBCSoQfJOxcFlgJWeFwEYgZDE80VF5P3Z5qCqqyziLVO1t_-zrLwn_swgF-Krn_Ofgt98qNQdYwcWCw9107fGYTqhNltJHSIXHgJCB8RkdQCSZKuejWWjtkWsnyY-tAdGJzajR9pyWPtx8LGGV_sgO9nPs-zgB9RliLnHxuM-4JHFsyII6fLRv_I0MlXLotN2vOJZU1KO0yHmWP0JWOHdh7YJvIi5aLHl9QU7w3-M.UcP8I_4IzX2ksZ6TPqZ2zCw0aoKeRRAtKIQFXuQzHao&dib_tag=se&keywords=round+LCD&qid=1774969108&sprefix=round+lcd%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 cheap, round LCD displays] that run for ~$7 a pop on amazon, and we could presumably drive them with a raspberry pi via SPI.

			For ~6x more money, they [https://www.amazon.com/ESP32-S3-Bluetooth-Dual-core-Processor-Connector/dp/B0CSYVVV2N/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2SK55AS637ZT1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tMVVGwMr6zelGhXcN5xe44damDLx_JtZ3U_73Sah8NQgyxemQ7Gy2LWPHcYxfCVyuUn8EC76vqzK0qTTlwhV2QOyfoO0-vEL2tWElXYRes90xiU5iC5oPmZW8mvwTIvl1Dy0goquWcUfmKsr58MF7XNo4Km28VGDF3YHgYTWtbCM-FG6xjga3V_KnpWzdPYuucos653QSmCAUkkwFaCSRmJgkuFxy4bvR-oNTjApUd1OhKImWvjSOzLxNDkddz53Z8MrgiscxNUEOH2MVY72Ea21OFYJlYuYiZM2dL4C5s0.HONyNz5RUEYplg47KQjdwvb0zlwhurIq8Sr0zedt1co&dib_tag=se&keywords=ESP32+round+LCD&qid=1774969274&s=electronics&sprefix=esp32+round+lc%2Caps%2C209&sr=1-2 make some eyes with built-in ESP32s], so they have a standalone way to control them over wifi, and need no wiring. It's tempted and very modular, it's just a difference of $7/eye vs $23/eye

	~~There are some round LCD screens with SPI interfaces that seem to have good pi support, and then there are some with built-in ESP32s with wifi support.~~		WDYT?
	~~[[File:Eyes.jpg\|thumb]]~~

Alexis-outside at 15:41, 31 March 2026

2026-03-31T15:41:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:41, 31 March 2026
Line 12:		Line 12:
	* all developers can access a 3D printer		* all developers can access a 3D printer
	* the parts are designed with the constraints that you can make them work with the common materials		* the parts are designed with the constraints that you can make them work with the common materials
	* All developers working on this get a complete, working thing when they're done*		* All developers working on this get a complete, working thing when they're done
	*

	I put a bit of thought into a bill of materials, trying to keep it as cheap and as complete as possible. Take a look at the spreadsheet below and let me know what you think. ~~Some elaboration~~		I put a bit of thought into a bill of materials, trying to keep it as cheap and as complete as possible. If you're not comfy improvising with hardware, just buy the stuff and it'll work for you. If you are comfy improvising with hardware, pick and choose as you see fit. Take a look at the spreadsheet below and let me know what you think. This is still a rough revision, but I think it's within ~80%

	[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing Common Bill of Materials (for rapid MVP prototyping in different places)]		[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing Common Bill of Materials (for rapid MVP prototyping in different places)]

			=== Brain ===
			I think a pi zero 2W is a good brain -- it is a linux-based system, making it easy to use software libraries to plug into stuff like the zoom API, and can also control low-level things like servos and LCD screens

			=== Body ===
			I don't have a design yet for the body, but I like the idea that it should be 3D printable and fit on the smallest printer bed that any collaborator has. I forget if the recurse printer is an A1 (250 x 250mm bed) or an A1 mini (180 x 180mm bed). Anyone know?

			=== Tentacles ===
			Well, that's why we're on this site. This is a wiki for an open-source 3D printed tentacle device that I think we can adapt to this. The tentacles are a clever, living hinge design that pops off the printer in one piece, and they articulate in just one axis. There's also a hole running through the center of the tentacle which can be used to run, say, an LED light or another servo for the tentacle tip.

	=== Eyes ===		=== Eyes ===

Alexis-outside: Reverted edit by Test-user (talk) to last revision by Alexis-outside

2026-03-31T15:11:38Z

Reverted edit by Test-user (talk) to last revision by Alexis-outside

← Older revision	Revision as of 15:11, 31 March 2026
Line 1:	Line 1:
		== Abbott Design page ==


		Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.

		This is a design page for the general conceptualizing/exploring of possible mechanisms/designs for Abbott. Please feel free to edit, nothing is set in stone. Any trouble with the wiki (it's new and has not been put through its paces), please write alex@alexhornstein.com / 401.688.0489 and I'll fix it ASAP.

		=== Distributed prototyping philosophy ===
		The idea here is to have people in different locations collaboratively develop hardware approaching the speed of software. The things which enable this are:

		* everyone has a minimal, [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing common set of materials]
		* all developers can access a 3D printer
		* the parts are designed with the constraints that you can make them work with the common materials
		* All developers working on this get a complete, working thing when they're done*
		*

		I put a bit of thought into a bill of materials, trying to keep it as cheap and as complete as possible. Take a look at the spreadsheet below and let me know what you think. Some elaboration

		[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing Common Bill of Materials (for rapid MVP prototyping in different places)]

		=== Eyes ===
		I think it would be good to have expressive LCD eyes.

		There are some round LCD screens with SPI interfaces that seem to have good pi support, and then there are some with built-in ESP32s with wifi support.
		[[File:Eyes.jpg\|thumb]]

Test-user: Blanked the page

2026-03-31T15:11:24Z

Blanked the page

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:11, 31 March 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~== Abbott Design page ==~~


	~~Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.~~

	This is a design page for the general conceptualizing/exploring of possible mechanisms/designs for Abbott. Please feel free to edit, nothing is set in stone. Any trouble with the wiki (it's new and has not been put through its paces), please write alex@alexhornstein.com / 401.688.0489 and I'll fix it ASAP.

	~~=== Distributed prototyping philosophy ===~~
	~~The idea here is to have people in different locations collaboratively develop hardware approaching the speed of software. The things which enable this are:~~

	* everyone has a minimal, [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing common set of materials]
	* all developers can access a 3D printer
	* the parts are designed with the constraints that you can make them work with the common materials
	~~* All developers working on this get a complete, working thing when they're done*~~
	*

	~~I put a bit of thought into a bill of materials, trying to keep it as cheap and as complete as possible. Take a look at the spreadsheet below and let me know what you think. Some elaboration~~

	~~[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing Common Bill of Materials (for rapid MVP prototyping in different places)]~~

	~~=== Eyes ===~~
	~~I think it would be good to have expressive LCD eyes.~~

	~~There are some round LCD screens with SPI interfaces that seem to have good pi support, and then there are some with built-in ESP32s with wifi support.~~
	~~[[File:Eyes.jpg\|thumb]]~~

Alexis-outside: fleshing out the page

2026-03-31T15:08:29Z

fleshing out the page

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:08, 31 March 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Abbott Design page:		== Abbott Design page ==


	Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.		Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.

			This is a design page for the general conceptualizing/exploring of possible mechanisms/designs for Abbott. Please feel free to edit, nothing is set in stone. Any trouble with the wiki (it's new and has not been put through its paces), please write alex@alexhornstein.com / 401.688.0489 and I'll fix it ASAP.

			=== Distributed prototyping philosophy ===
			The idea here is to have people in different locations collaboratively develop hardware approaching the speed of software. The things which enable this are:

			* everyone has a minimal, [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing common set of materials]
			* all developers can access a 3D printer
			* the parts are designed with the constraints that you can make them work with the common materials
			* All developers working on this get a complete, working thing when they're done*
			*

			I put a bit of thought into a bill of materials, trying to keep it as cheap and as complete as possible. Take a look at the spreadsheet below and let me know what you think. Some elaboration

			[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E2dhqLpAWhcRfN7Ml61jg7elpqfRhyic0ex8C5cSnjs/edit?usp=sharing Common Bill of Materials (for rapid MVP prototyping in different places)]

			=== Eyes ===
			I think it would be good to have expressive LCD eyes.

			There are some round LCD screens with SPI interfaces that seem to have good pi support, and then there are some with built-in ESP32s with wifi support.
			[[File:Eyes.jpg\|thumb]]

Alexis-outside: Created page with "Abbott Design page: Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival."

2026-03-31T14:37:31Z

Created page with "Abbott Design page: Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival."

New page

Abbott Design page:

Abbott is a web-controlled, articulated octopus that responds expressively to emojis in a zoom chat. It is named in honor of one of the tentacled aliens in Arrival.