I'm currently in the design phase for a giant robot costume. It's for a superhero convention. My basic idea is from "Superman VS The Mechanical Monster".

I don't want to look like a transformer. I'm taking ideas from various other mechs like the ABC Warrior from Judge Dredd,

The ATM-09-ST Scopedog,

Sky Captain

and the power loader from Aliens.

My question to you is this; Should I include some sort of BFG in place of a left hand like on the Scopedog? The fingers will flex on the right hand.

I tried to build a Robotech costume to wear to the SIU Carbondale Halloween festival in '84 but I gave up on it. I saw this guy and got all jazzed about the idea again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tX8uUcuN7I

You mentioned the Superman thing. What genre are you after? If you're after a 1930s/1940s robot, they didn't have big giant guns for hands. If you are going more for the Battletech/Mechwarrior look, then yes do it.

I think I'll mount the guns on the forearm. I've gotten some tines from a large metal leaf rake. These flex and straighten well. Did you ever have one of those robot grabber toys? The hands will be based on one of those.

a while back I experimented with piano wire and tubing to make skeletal hands for a grim reaper costume.

I didn't get far on the costume but I learned a little about making the hands.

I had a piece of wire the length of the finger and it formed the backbone/joints.

to this I taped lengths of tubing to be the finger bones and inside the tubing i ran a length of thin wire to flex the fingers, pull the wires and the fingers curled, like the toy robot hands.

for something bigger, you might want to get hold of some old bicycle brake or shift cable. remove the plastic outer coating and stretch the springy wire guide. now when the knob end of the cable is up against the springy cable guide and you pull it hard, the spriny part will shrink. let go and it returns to length.

for fingers you can have the hinges (knuckles) along the top of the finger and the cable along the bottom. pull the wire and the finger curls, release it and its straight again.
hope that all makes sense

Exactly what I had in mind.

Progress pics.



Lookin' a lot more like a Scopedog than I care for. The head swivels from side to side as I look around. I see through the round port in the front.

Intresting start there. Do any of those lights work?

That is going to be one tall costume. I like what you've done so far.

I replaced the smaller lenses with convex mirrors. The big lens is cut from a Mcdonald's give away. The cut out at the bottom will have a blinking control panel. There will be two muffin fans installed in the back for ventilation. I am going for 9 feet tall with this one.