Plan for an ambitious project...

[BurntBiscuits]

Hey there. My name is Sean and I'm new to cosplay as a whole. I just signed up today although I've been conceptualizing and planning this build for a while now in collaboration with three of my friends.

While none of us have any experience we have been planning a very ambitious build that we totally expect to cause us all too many difficulties and spur a lot of comments that run along the lines of "You won't manage that". Despite this, we plan on holding strong.

Sadly we haven't got anything worth showing as we're still in the planning stage, but I am going to layout the basic plan of what we want to do. The reason I have made this thread is to show everyone what we want to do and ask for advice on how we can do it.

We each want to build ourselves a customised set of armour based on the MJOLNIR Mk V seen in Halo: Reach. We want the build to closely resemble the armour found in the games and we're planning on creating an authentic undersuit as well.
We also want to build ourselves some replica weapons as well. These include:
-M6C/SOCOM (The pistol featured in ODST)
-M6G (The pistol featured in Halo 3)
-M45 Shotgun (Halo: Reach era)
-Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel (Halo: Reach era)
-M319 Individual Grenade Launcher
-XBR55 Battle Rifle (This is the battle rifle featured on the front cover of the book, 'Contact Harvest'. I chose this because it is somewhat unique and would have been produced around the time Halo: Reach took place.

We're hoping to include some moving parts, such as detachable magazines and making the bipod of the sniper rifle movable. We are still considering what material would be best to make these out of, although wood seems to be the best so far.

Now, I'm going to list some features we want to include in the armour.

-Lots of details, such as battle scarring and scratches as well as small engravings for panels and lights
-Detachable Permutations - This might be difficult to achieve but would certainly make the armour very customizable. We hope to use clips to allow us to detach and attach different pieces of armour, such as shoulder plates and chest guards.
-Shield indicator lights (The small lights covering the armour) I am planning on using LEDs and covering them with transparent frosted plastic to dull the glare.
- Headlamps. These would likely just be torches integrated into the sides of the helmet.

The following is really ambitious:
- A computer integrated into the suit. Yes, we know it's a bit much. Some of you may think this a pipe dream that all noobs have and that we'll never manage it. If you are thinking that, we will prove you wrong. What ever difficulties we encounter, we shall over come
As the techy of the group, I am planning on designing and building a small computer out of cheap, low spec laptop parts. The computer does not have to be able to run Crysis after all
I will be adding several USB ports to the build and a large battery pack. The battery will need to be large to ensure the computer can run for a long period of time while powering the computer and all the lights. How will I wire the lights? Easy. USB.
By making all the shield indicator lights, headlamps and other features plug into the PC through USB, not only does this make powering them easy, it provides a simple method of shutting them down and powering them up.

The PC will be housed in the back. From the builds I've seen, the body armour is not very thick, so we will have to modify it to house the laptop. To keep it cooled, we will use small fans that run along the side of the back plate. I am expecting this to be the hardest part of implementing the computer. USB ports will be placed in the top and bottom of the back plate.

Obviously, there is the issue of the display and the input.

For the display, we are going to make a go at a HMD (Head Mounted Display). This is a display projected on to a visor. While it seems very futuristic, these systems do exist and can be built at home and attached to a pair of glasses. We can use the same principles for a helmet and visor.

As for input, we will have a pad attached to the forearm. This will be similar to a keyboard, but will make direct commands, such as 'Turn on/off Headlamps'. Finding the actual hardware for this is going to be difficult. If anyone has any idea how I could make this, or buy one, I'd be grateful

The OS for the system will be a modified version of Linux. This is because Linux is free and customizable, providing one has an understanding of code, which I do. As such, I'll be modifying the OS to simplify it's operation and provide more direct functions.

TL;DR
I want to put a working computer inside these suits.

Okay, so I know this is a bit crazy. Especially for a noob. I know a lot of you are gonna shoot me down. But I am determined to get this done, as are my friends. We will post updates of both the armour and the computer on this forum, either in this thread, or another.

However, we could do with some help in figuring out what to build this out of. Pepping seems like a bad choice, so foam is looking like the best option right now.

If anyone wants to offer any advice, or words of encouragement, please do. I hope you didn't get too bored by this wall of text

 

[Spitfire22V]

Why do you think Pep armor is a bad choice? I personally think it would be preferable to foam in this case. I believe most people use foam because it's faster, cheaper, and more comfortable than Pep. However, I think the strength of the fiberglass structure of Pepped armor would be better suited to housing all of the components you mentioned. Plus, it tends to be thinner, leaving more available space on the inside.

And forgive me for my ignorance, but I must have missed it. Why are you putting computers in the armor? Is it just for the lights and heads-up display, or is there something else?

 

[BurntBiscuits]

Why do you think Pep armor is a bad choice? I personally think it would be preferable to foam in this case. I believe most people use foam because it's faster, cheaper, and more comfortable than Pep. However, I think the strength of the fiberglass structure of Pepped armor would be better suited to housing all of the components you mentioned. Plus, it tends to be thinner, leaving more available space on the inside.

And forgive me for my ignorance, but I must have missed it. Why are you putting computers in the armor? Is it just for the lights and heads-up display, or is there something else?

True. As I mentioned, we still don't know exactly what we are going to use, but this is the first good reason for any method. thanks for the input

I guess it does seem a bit pointless. But there are several reasons. Firstly, it'll bring the suit closer to an actual replica. Instead of just something to wear, the suit can DO something. But I also had many features planned for the computer that I didn't get round to listing.

I'm hoping to create a LAN between each suit. This would allow us to integrate headphones and mics into the helmet and communicate with each other in different places. I have also been toying with the idea of including a webcam and displaying other users webcam feeds on the HMD.
The computer would also display useful information, such as what features are currently active or inactive, the time, a centre dot and anything else I can think of.

Finally, despite the triviality of it all, I want the challenge. To create something that looks good but also has functionality would be a significant achievement, even if some of that functionality is only immediately apparent to the user. Besides, I am always looking for extra functionality I can give to the computer. Thanks to USB and custom programs it can do pretty much anything.

 

[Hyperballistik]

You really have your plate full with all your ideas, and Im sure you could make these ideas possible, but it will take alot of hard work, I would try diffrent forms of building armor to get the hang of it first, It will take a little experiance to make accurate suits, and when you first start building the more you build the better you will get, In my opinion pep files show the most detail, foam can too but you have to figure ways to add the detail, there are some really detailed foam suits on this forum, I wish you luck on this build and hope you post your progress, you will see once you start building the armor you will probably opt out some of your ideas or add more, but my advice to figure out what to use to build this with is try out all of diffrent ways to build the armor and see what works best for you start with something simple and go from that

 

[BurntBiscuits]

You really have your plate full with all your ideas, and Im sure you could make these ideas possible, but it will take alot of hard work, I would try diffrent forms of building armor to get the hang of it first, It will take a little experiance to make accurate suits, and when you first start building the more you build the better you will get, In my opinion pep files show the most detail, foam can too but you have to figure ways to add the detail, there are some really detailed foam suits on this forum, I wish you luck on this build and hope you post your progress, you will see once you start building the armor you will probably opt out some of your ideas or add more, but my advice to figure out what to use to build this with is try out all of diffrent ways to build the armor and see what works best for you start with something simple and go from that

Thankyou

I am expecting a lot of hard work as well as some tests and drafts to gain some experience. While I wonder what experts believe would be the best method of creating this armour, I think you're right in that I should find out for myself what I prefer

 

[Hyperballistik]

Thankyou

I am expecting a lot of hard work as well as some tests and drafts to gain some experience. While I wonder what experts believe would be the best method of creating this armour, I think you're right in that I should find out for myself what I prefer

Thats your best bet, hope you get this going

 

[Bishorzidi]

This sounds really freakin cool. I'm seeing more and more of these "functional" suit ideas/builds out lately, and I like it. And fyi, I know I'm new here but I don't think ANYBODY is going to shoot you down. Everything you mentioned is totally possible. However, I do recommend you just take it one step at a time. Having such a large goal is great in that you'll have something awesome to aspire to and if you work hard enough you WILL reach it, but I can say from experience that if you jump around too much between components of a project, you're not going to see much progress and you'll get really tired really quickly. I'm not trying to lecture you, I'm just saying I highly recommend you make a game plan and go baby step by baby step so that you can really see the suit(s) come together. Every time you finish a piece, you'll get excited and gain a second wind for the next piece, and you only get more and more excited as the build goes on.

Good luck to you guys! I really hope you have what it takes to pull this off. I'll follow this thread closely once you start putting up progress pics. There's plenty of people here to help you with your questions.

 

[ventrue]

Now, I'm going to list some features we want to include in the armour.

-Lots of details, such as battle scarring and scratches as well as small engravings for panels and lights
-Detachable Permutations - This might be difficult to achieve but would certainly make the armour very customizable. We hope to use clips to allow us to detach and attach different pieces of armour, such as shoulder plates and chest guards.
-Shield indicator lights (The small lights covering the armour) I am planning on using LEDs and covering them with transparent frosted plastic to dull the glare.
- Headlamps. These would likely just be torches integrated into the sides of the helmet.

Seems fairly realistic so far.

- A computer integrated into the suit. Yes, we know it's a bit much. Some of you may think this a pipe dream that all noobs have and that we'll never manage it. If you are thinking that, we will prove you wrong. What ever difficulties we encounter, we shall over come

Still doable, the question is rather: What for?

How will I wire the lights? Easy. USB.

Actually, USB cables aren't really the best choice if they are built according to USB specs. To power a light, you just need two wires. One if you have multiple ones in a row and use a common ground. You can have that at a much lower price and, more importantly, with a much smaller diameter.

By making all the shield indicator lights, headlamps and other features plug into the PC through USB, not only does this make powering them easy, it provides a simple method of shutting them down and powering them up.

Or you could just use a plain switch. Saves you a few hundred bucks, doesn't add weight, needs less power and doesn't have to be programmed. Or if you want something more sophisticated, use an Arduino. Requires programming, but is rather cheap and really small and light. Arduinos are also perfectly capable of driving all kinds of fancy stuff.. small TFT touchscreens, wireless communication, USB, you name it.

For the display, we are going to make a go at a HMD (Head Mounted Display). This is a display projected on to a visor. While it seems very futuristic, these systems do exist and can be built at home and attached to a pair of glasses. We can use the same principles for a helmet and visor.

They do exist, they cost a boatload of money and they definitely can NOT be built at home. You may be able to hack a pair of movie glasses or something, but scrapbuilding a HUD into your helmet just like that is not possible.
Aside from that, it won't do you any good to see something you can't interact with because all the input devices are on your arm.

As for input, we will have a pad attached to the forearm. This will be similar to a keyboard, but will make direct commands, such as 'Turn on/off Headlamps'. Finding the actual hardware for this is going to be difficult. If anyone has any idea how I could make this, or buy one, I'd be grateful

There's a ton of possibilities here. If you actually do have the money for your Laptop-HUD-plans, then ditch the laptop and the HUD and get yourself the Arduino and display I mentioned above. You'll save time, money, weight and programming it is way easier than turning Linux into Mjolnirlux. Such a display will act much like a touchscreen on a phone.
You can also print fixed buttons on a foil and mount conventional pushbuttons and some lighting behind it to emulate the effect on a smaller budget.
Or you can just do it really cheaply and just add plain switches and a few lights and label them.

All of these solutions allow you to turn a light on and off with a LOT less hassle than your laptop idea, the Arduino would also support most of the other ideas you've named.

Okay, so I know this is a bit crazy. Especially for a noob. I know a lot of you are gonna shoot me down.

Just to get that straight before the idea even comes up: I'm not "shooting you down". I'm merely trying to be realistic.

However, we could do with some help in figuring out what to build this out of. Pepping seems like a bad choice, so foam is looking like the best option right now.

What Spitfire said. You may want to think about making moulds as well if there are any parts that you and your friends need the same size of.

 

[Devious]

Ventrue has is 100% right:

Arduino is the way to go.

There is an endless number of components that can be integrated into them, including wireless adapters allowing them to share information. I would make the walkie talkie system separate, but all the other features can be done with the arduino.

Also what is your budget? This project will end up costing you guys around $5000 (or more) if you want what you said you do.

 

[BurntBiscuits]

Thanks for the advice

As for the 'why?' question, as I said earlier, I wanted something that felt like an actually MJOLNIR suit.

Anyway, I have had no real experience with wiring or any kind of engineering. Unlike me, you know what you're doing and what you've told me is really helpful. I did think that the whole setup could possibly be replaced with something much more simple.

I had never heard of this Arduino before, but it sounds like exactly what I need. An actual computer probably would be a bit much for what I need while this seems about perfect. Definitely worth looking into

As for the HMD, I know you say that making one at home is not entirely possible, but I still want to look into it. From what I found before, they seemed like a somewhat real possibility, but none of the designs I found seemed quite right. Whether it will happen is another matter, but if I could pull it off, it would definitely make the suit feel like a genuine MJOLNIR suit. Nevertheless, I guess this might be an actual pipe dream.

Thanks for the critical review, this is exactly why I asked here first

BTW, I would never have counted that as 'shooting me down'. I was referring to any post that simply said something along the lines of 'Can't be done'.

 

[BurntBiscuits]

Ventrue has is 100% right:

Arduino is the way to go.

There is an endless number of components that can be integrated into them, including wireless adapters allowing them to share information. I would make the walkie talkie system separate, but all the other features can be done with the arduino.

Also what is your budget? This project will end up costing you guys around $5000 (or more) if you want what you said you do.

Because we didn't have any idea what to make the suits out of, we hadn't put together a budget yet. Instead of fitting the design round the money, we wanted to do it the other way round. However, that amount seems a bit much. We'll have to go back and rethink our plans.

 

[noble 1]

i will be watching this thread intently, i am looking forward to the heads up display as i have searched and could not fing any kind of system that does this, good luck with this build and welcome to the 405th.

 

[Devious]

Making armor from foam itself is not very expensive, you may well be able to make a suit for about $200 plus a bit more for undersuit and strapping.

But then comes electronics, even straightforward circuitry when done right can cost a fair bit. Arduinos cost $30, but in order for them to have the capability you want you will have to get many other components to attach to it, as well as batteries this could end up being another $150-$200.

Add the cost of new tools you will need (ie. Dremels, hot knives, soldering irons, etc...) and you are at about $1000 per suit.

I suggest you keep it simple, just start by building a foam suit now, so you know what goes into it. For permutations its easy to make another arm or shoulder piece and switch it for the old one. Making molds is expensive, that is a big way to save cash, by sacrificing speed and efficiency for lower cost.

I believe that you guys can do this just start slow and add onto your suits over time, this distributes the cost making it easier to pay for.
So go buy some EVA foam floor mats, print the tabless pep files, and get gluing!

 

[BurntBiscuits]

Well, because we live in such close proximity to each other, we may be able to get away with only buying two or three tool sets, especially for the more specialised stuff.

Circuitry can be expensive, but there are quite a few shops around where we live that sell these things cheap. Not to mention I have a couple of friends doing engineering type courses who could nab us something occasionally

As for the permutations, I see what you're saying, but I like finding somewhat unique methods of doing things that haven't been done so much before. It would also be massive space saver if we didn't have an upper arm piece for every shoulder And I agree, I want to avoid moulds, I'm not a big fan of them.

Thanks for the support and thankyou everyone for making us feel welcome at 405

 

[higdog827]

Look, the PC think does sound a bit outlandish. Possible? Yes. Useful? Not exactly. Think simpler, use ventrue's aurdino idea! That would work well. Now as for you HUD, I actually have a workable idea that I remembered from a Popular science magazine I was reading a while back. Its this new high tech pair of snowboarding/skiing goggles made by Recon instruments. They actually have A BUILD IN HUD. Its a tiny screen built in to the side of the goggles that projects the images into your field of vision! I was considering using them for my build but theyre gonna be pricey! But you should reaaaaallly look into these things! HERE is recon's page on them.
Look at it!!

You NEED to use this for your HUD. If you used this, It would be amazing!

 

[BurntBiscuits]

Yeah, I think Arduino is the best option

Thanks for the info, those goggles look really interesting, however the price is really steep. I'll see what I can do however, I'm prepared to save up for something a bit outlandish

 

[ventrue]

Its this new high tech pair of snowboarding/skiing goggles made by Recon instruments. They actually have A BUILD IN HUD. Its a tiny screen built in to the side of the goggles that projects the images into your field of vision!

They don't project anything, they just have a small display you can (and have to, if you need the info) look at. I guess that does fit the definition of a head-mounted display, but I don't think it's worth the effort. You'd need to hack this to display your own stuff, which, if possible, is going to be really fiddly considering the size and nobody else is ever going to see it anyway. I'd rather go for a tacpad on a forearm, you can at least show that off

 

[Echo 199]

They don't project anything, they just have a small display you can (and have to, if you need the info) look at. I guess that does fit the definition of a head-mounted display, but I don't think it's worth the effort. You'd need to hack this to display your own stuff, which, if possible, is going to be really fiddly considering the size and nobody else is ever going to see it anyway. I'd rather go for a tacpad on a forearm, you can at least show that off

I agree; a tacpad would be easier, cheaper, and a whole lot more awesome. If you had a smart phone you could probably write something for it that had gps, facetime conferencing, etc. all in one. Plus mounting it would be a snap: http://www.amazon.com/iArmbands-Armband-Incredible-smartphones-protective/dp/B0041MD8N4

Not quite as ambitious, but i still think it would be freaking sweet.

 

[CoolC]

Being new to armor making, you have some ambitious goals. If my recollection serves me right, we've heard a lot of outlandish goals of many noobs. I don't think they went as far as just "dreaming" it. If you have unlimited funds and time on your hand, then go for it.

Like you said, you are new to cosplay. It is a costume play, not a fully functional costumes. It is an event that you can dress like another character out of your own for the day. A functional costume has no place in our society. You may spend thousands of dollars on your costume which at the end, may be equal par with those who spend just a few hundreds of dollars. When you go to cosplay, it is the appearance that matters.

I've read OXM last year where there was an interview of Adam of 405th. He made a 100% accurate Master Chief. At the end of the article he mentioned that the costume is just as costume. What else do you use it for beside opening doors for pizza delivery.

Proof us wrong and good luck. Perhaps you find some use of your "outlandish" armor that we've never heard off.

 

[higdog827]

You'd need to hack this to display your own stuff, which, if possible, is going to be really fiddly considering the size and nobody else is ever going to see it anyway

Well If Im right, the thing runs on android, and if your good with technology, youd be able to write some apps for it to display your stuff, you wouldnt have to "hack" it. Then again, im not too up to date on cell phone operating systems, so im not sure if thats entirely true. And as for the nobody will see it thing, I dont think BurntBiscuits would really care! If I understand his ideology on this build correctly, he wants the thing to be as close to actual MJOLNIR as possible. Thats why he wanted the PC intergrated into the suit. So since this is essentially a HUD and he has enough money to blow on this, I think he should do it! If he did it right it would be awesome!