Can-Crushing Robot Head Progress Update

Since my last update, I’ve made some tangible progress toward realizing my retro-futuristic robot head can crusher. My concept is still centered on blending a 1950s sci-fi aesthetic with practical functionality.

Over the past week, I finalized a rough CAD model in SolidWorks and 3D printed a 15% scale prototype of the robot head. The model helped me test proportions and overall geometry, particularly the placement of facial features and the feasibility of housing the crushing mechanism inside the head. With the small-scale, testing was limited but incredibly useful for visualizing how the final piece might look mounted on a wall.

My initial design features a mostly boxy head with stylized eyes and a mouth that doubles as the can output chute which is connected to a funnel system. I have purchased an electric can crusher as the internal mechanism to simplify the functional side while keeping the exterior visually clean. By hiding the crushing components behind a stylized facade, I can focus more attention on the retro-futurist detailing.

One challenge has been finding a balance between the aesthetic and functional sides of the project. For example, the sliding mechanism of the mouth is tricky to get the proportions right, and through my prototype, I have found that I need to consider assembly a bit more. Lighting integration is also on my radar; I’m considering subtle LED accents to give the robot a bit more life, assuming I can route wiring cleanly.

Next steps include scaling up the model, finalizing the shell design, and printing it in sections due to build volume constraints. I’ll also begin integrating the can crusher and testing how it interacts with the shell, especially making sure the mouth opens reliably and the crushed cans exit cleanly. I expect this stage to involve a good bit of iteration, especially when mounting and aligning internal components. Though my prototype shows that my funnel mechanism works somewhat reliably, I hope that this scales well.

Overall, I feel good about the direction I’m heading. The aesthetic is holding strong, but I plan to add more details to enhance it.