Scrapper
Project type
Concept + Product Design
Brief
Design a mechanically functional Star Wars Droid
Scrapper is a droid with a frenzied attitude. His love of tinkering with objects led him to scavenge for parts that he could then sell for a profit after fixing them. He constantly finds himself in imperial junkyards, abandoned shipwrecks, and landfills. Scrapper is a very versatile droid that can give any piece of broken or used junk a new purpose.
3D printed, airbrushed and hand painted and weathered by me
Phase I
Inspiration
One of my favorite things about the Star Wars Universe is its ability to take a concept from our world and transform it into a beautiful piece of design that fits right into the Star Wars saga. Before the competition, I watched a video about one of the largest landfills in Indonesia. It shared the stories of Pemulung; these are the people in Indonesia who scavenge through trash to find things that still have value to them and can be used or sold. This act of scavenging was my inspiration process. Connecting all these real-world references, led me to start sketching what this droid might look like.
Phase II
Ideation
I used images of Pemulung workers as underlay sketches to pull form and poses that the droid would mimic in the Star Wars Universe
Phase III
Prototyping
After an initial round of sketching, I found the solo wheel droid to be a good fit because of the energy and action it held in its form and functionality.
Phase IV
3D Thumbnailing
Once I found the initial design, I did a rough model in Fusion360 which I used as an underlay to sketch on top of.
From there I started to see the form evolve. Once I had a strong enough starting point, I brought the sketch into Fusion360 and started modeling. I love 3D Design and being able to make changes on the flow is an amazing feeling, especially when the history tree in Fusion360 makes updating components very easy. The main method I used to model some of the components was sketching to extrusions, however, I played around with surfaces and had a fun time learning new things along the way.
Phase V
Prototyping
This was my first time making any character in Fusion360. Since there was a mechanical component to be considered, I struggled to wrap my head around making some of the joints. I did research into 3D printing joints, and I was slowly able to learn how to design various joints. There are 2 ball and socket joints, one in the neck, and one in the torso. Pivot joints are in his shoulder, elbow and wrists. The wheel tire flows freely on the inner rim while the suspension in the legs allows for Scrapper to traverse rough terrain.
Phase VI
Final deliverables
I had a blast making this droid and am grateful for this opportunity to expand upon my design, modeling, and storytelling skills. Enjoy!
Phase VII
Manufacturing
I knew from the beginning of this project that I wanted to make a practical model. I designed this droid to be easily 3D printable with articulating snap and ball and socket joints. I used two Philips head screws to connect the legs and wheel, but all other joints are friction fit joints requiring no hardware to build.
Phase VIII
Finishing Touches
Bringing back my passion for physical model making, I used airbrush techniques, as well as hand painting and weathering to give a life and story to this character.
