Image Credit: Amy Senna
Here’s something you won’t find at your local Buy N Large. Computer programmer Mike Senna recently unveiled a life-sized, working Wall-E replica that can trundle around on its treads, wave both hands, raise its eyebrows, and — of course — warble its own name. Senna has spent a staggering two and a half years on this project, toiling for about 25 hours each week while holding down a full-time job at a biometrics company in Orange County. Though Senna has some experience bringing beloved pop culture bots to life — he completed a similar R2D2 replica in ’03 — Wall-E presented a unique set of challenges.
For starters: The robot “changes size during the film,” Senna tells EW, which made its dimensions difficult to determine. Without real-life schematics or prototypes, Senna had nothing but screen shots from Pixar’s movie to guide him. Senna also had to custom create nearly every one of Wall-E’s parts, although he did luck out by finding a perfect pair of eyes at Home Depot. The builder wanted his creation to be able to convey emotions — just like the “real” Wall-E — so he spent the lion’s share of his time building its head.
All that effort paid off: The larger-than-life Wall-E that roams around Disneyland has immobile eyes, but Senna’s 3.4-foot-replica features peepers that can move. READ FULL STORY »
