Destined for Droids
From Honduras to LA, Walter Martinez Marconi has chased a life of madcap robotics.
Written by Walter Martinez Marconi. His workshop appeared in Make: Volume 97. Photos courtesy of the author.
My name is Walter Martinez Marconi. Growing up in Honduras, I was five years old when my mother took me to see a new sci-fi movie called Star Wars! My mother loved watching movies in the theater, and so did I. I told my mom as we got out of the theater that I would build those robots when I grew up.
I built small robots for high school science fairs. I took apart a lot of toys to see how they worked and reused the motors and lights in my own creations. There was a carpenter shop on my way home from school, and I asked them to make me small robot bodies out of wood so I could insert electronics and motors and make them come alive.
My father was working in the US at that time, and I asked him to send me a computer. I’d seen an ad in a magazine for a RadioShack Tandy TRS-80 computer that could attach to a TV. He was confused as to why I wanted one, but still he sent it to me in Honduras. I didn’t know English, yet all of my notes were in English because that is how I learned to code in BASIC. I was the only kid in my school with a computer! People did not understand why I was so fascinated by it.
Recycled robots
With everything I was learning, I was hired at radio/TV/VCR repair shops to help out. I unsoldered spare components from dead radios for my own circuits. There were no surface-mounted components back then, so everything was reusable! A TV station nearby would dump old equipment — I loved going there and getting boards for components. Back then I had no idea how dangerous fumes and lead would be, so I’m thankful I was fine.
One day it occurred to me that when I saved a program to a cassette on my TRS-80, the motor in the cassette player moved. Eureka! I could control a motor with a computer! I took the wires and added them to a motor in the mouth of a wooden robot head. I would tell people, “Check out how the mouth moves when I enter commands on the computer.” I calculated how to save the program to move the motor a certain period of time. Little did I know that is exactly what I would end up doing with modern robot controls now!
Flirting with danger
At one science fair, I blew out the electrical fuses in my high school (a converted house with four rooms in downtown San Pedro Sula, Honduras). So the principal gave me money and asked me to buy new fuses, since there were no circuit breakers.
I’ve been very fortunate to have had a lab everywhere I’ve lived. As a kid in Honduras, I had one on our roof that was covered by giant mango tree branches so no one would know. My dream was to live in a castle with a big lab inside! My roof lab was like a Frankenstein lab — I had chemistry sets, electronics, dead bugs, and lizards that I hoped to bring back to life!
I was always burning chemicals up there until our neighbor saw me and told my parents! They were really cool, so they offered me a part of the garage to use as my lab. Yes, I almost burned our house and got electrocuted a few times. I’m not sure how I’m still alive! My parents somehow stayed supportive and loved watching my experiments. Even now they still love watching my creations!
Honduras to LA
I came to Los Angeles right after graduating high school and studied Computer Engineering and Electronics. My father rented a garage that had been converted into a room, and I converted a corner of it into a lab. I found electronics in the trash and at swap meets and harvested the components for robots.
I took a correspondence electronics course while also going to college, so I learned theory and worked hands-on at the same time. I got a certificate in Electronics from the National Radio Institute in 1990 — I think I still have the awesome trainer with a voltage source, a signal generator, and even an AC power output.
My biggest challenge was the language. I studied English day and night until I made it to the English Honors program at El Camino College in Torrance, California. I think it helped that my girlfriend at that time was an English major.
My senior project for my bachelor’s degree was an electric wheelchair with a robot body with arms, head, etc., all controlled by a Motorola 6HC11 processor and a ton of infrared sensors. It was programmed in Forth. I made a controller for the motors based on relays and had the robot run autonomously. It took all the money I had, but it was worth it! Someone offered to buy it from me, and I sold it to buy more parts and build more things.
Going full time
I joined the Robotics Society of Southern California back in 1992 and was the president for three years. I am currently an IT manager for California State University, Long Beach, where I’ve worked for 30 years.
At one point I wanted to teach higher education, so I got a master’s degree. I was a lecturer at CSULB for 23 years, teaching beginning robotics and managing senior engineering student projects. I still help students with their senior projects but no longer teach.
While I was teaching, I participated in Battlebots and Robot Wars, where I was invited to compete twice in England. Naturally, I got my students involved, and we built three battle robots and competed nationwide. Most of those students went to get great jobs at NASA JPL, Tesla, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, etc. How do I know? I got invited to these places by my students. They told me saying they built battling robots and competed in Battlebots helped them during their interviews! That was super satisfying to learn.
From fighting to fiction
After competing, I was asked if I could build a battle robot for a Nickelodeon series called Taina, which got me hooked on working for TV productions. I went on to build robots for commercials for Exxon, a TV series for Netflix called Never Have I Ever, and an Amazon video skit. I’ve consulted for Transformers and puppeteered military and police robots in shows like The Rookie, 911 Lonestar, CSI Las Vegas, and Breaking, a movie starring John Boyega from Star Wars.
In the scene from Breaking, I played a SWAT team member. I controlled an iRobot military robot with a gripper, and John Boyega plays someone dead on the floor with a backpack still attached to him. I was supposed to cut the straps of the backpack and remove it, but I was nervous getting the cutting tool so close to John’s neck! I didn’t want to be known as the guy who killed Finn! Life continued, and I completely forgot about Star Wars.
Droids rediscovered
Fast forward to 2019 — during the pandemic I reignited my passion for droids when I went to a comic convention in Long Beach, California. A group of builders was showing off their full and semi-completed droids and I saw I could do it myself. You could get a pre-cut wooden frame and aluminum skins to wrap it, and the plans were online to 3D print many of the accessories and greeblies. I asked a few questions, and the builders were enthusiastically helpful! I felt I belonged right away, so the building bug kicked into overdrive!
Since you could 3D print a dome, I dove into the 3D printing world. I’ve owned maybe 10 printers since, and even attempted to make my own (with no luck). I’ve run a couple of printers 24/7 for at least a few years now! (Let’s not talk about my electric bill or how much I’ve invested in my garage.)
The droid builder group had local build days, so I went and inquired about anything I did not know how to do. I learned so much from that experience that I’ve been able to help others get into it also. My droid builders friend circle has grown worldwide over the years, and I’ve met some of the most talented and kind people in the maker world.
I’ve also got to meet the builders who make and puppeteer the droids for the movies, and have even been invited to show off my creations at amazing events! I feel so honored to have joined the ranks of these amazing people.
Astromechs are hard
It took me two years to complete my R2-D2, even with all of my experience! The electronics were the easiest part for me because they were the same controllers, motors etc. as I had in my battle robots (except my R2 has fuses and battle robots do not). The reality is that every R2 you see has its own unique set of controls, motors, and batteries; no two are 100% alike.
Today, besides lots of little robots and static droids, I have several full-size droids: my own R2-D2 named R2-LB because of the color scheme (and with 7 different custom heads), a live-action Chopper, my own contraption of FLO (waitress droid from Dexter’s Diner), Mouse droid, ES-SE, and a new tracked-based droid. I take these full-size droids to a lot of non-profit events monthly, and it’s extremely rewarding to see kids and adults admire these live creations!
I am also a member of the 501st and Rebel legion, so I have screen-accurate costumes of Jedi, A’Sharad Hett, a Tusken Raider, a Jawa, and an Inferno Pilot — all favorite characters that I associate with. I played a Tusken Raider in an Apple/Lucasfilm commercial for an app called “Find Your Friends,” filmed in downtown Los Angeles. I’ve made parts of my costumes using electronics, 3D printing, and I even took sewing classes.
My latest adventure is acting. I did several projects on set with my robots, and when asked if I wanted to be in front of the camera, I decided why not?! You will see me in the background on a lot of shows on HBO, Netflix, NBC, and a new movie with a little green creature released in May.
Where my tools live
I pretty much buy tools as I need them. My favorite tool is a hammer — not because I read Adam’s Savage Every Tool is a Hammer, but because you can mold anything with it. Isn’t making really molding anyway?
Trooper doll from Rogue One. It’s like an emotional support stormtrooper — haha!
WEN drill press, although I am searching for a better one
Buckets of infrared and sonar sensors, motors, servos, etc.
R2-D2 dome mechanism in progress
Hakko FX-888 soldering iron; generic hot air rework station
MSE-LB, a custom color 1/1 scale R/C Mouse Droid
R4-LB, a fully animatronic 1/1 scale Astromech droid that took two years to build!
Custom lightsaber for my A’Sharad Hett Star Wars costume
Servo tester
ES-SE droid legs and other parts on the floor — standard in my garage!
Bust form for sewing costumes
Filament dryer
FLSun delta 3D printer, and a small pretzel given to me by a kid while I was dressed as a Jawa; she did not get scared!
3D-printed heads for my Astromechs: R2, R9, R4, R5, and ZK
ROS1-based robot platform
Elide Fire Ball extinguisher in case 3D printer goes crazy and catches on fire
24” USCutter wireless vinyl cutter
Prototype head for Astromechs
Red toolbox from when students and I made battle robots. I don’t recall who brought it, but I kept it when the project ended.
I used to have a giant 80 watt laser cutter, but could not handle the fumes even with an extractor. I had larger equipment like lathes and welders, but today it’s better to outsource large dangerous jobs, especially if you just have a garage. I also paint at an external paint booth instead of my house because my wife is allergic to the fumes. I 3D print in the garage with PETG and PLA only. Anything else (like ABS or carbon fiber) I outsource.
Constructing your own
There are tons of resources for people who want to start making droids. Even a full size R2-D2 can be 3D-printed (mine is a combination of wood, aluminum and 3D printed parts). You can join Facebook groups like Mr. Baddeley Printed Droids and Droid Division Print Club. They have all of the files, circuits, link for every resource you could think of. Also, check out my website at socalrobots.com or my Facebook.
Walter Martinez Marconi is an engineer/artist/educator/actor/IT manager in Lakewood, California.