Zoltar Speaks - the Instructable

Featured in the Instructables Newsletter December 17th 2009!
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I waded through about 1000 photographs to try and give as much detail as I could.
I am sure this is way too long, as well as long-winded. There were components of Zoltar I was obsessed with and spent WAY too much time on getting the details JUST RIGHT.

Since this was my first time doing something this complex, I undoubtedly wasted alot of money on buying the wrong things, dealing with breakage, buying more, breaking more and then buying still more!

My total cost for this project was $5000, I figure about $1500 was 'waste' and FAIL WHALE

Since Zoltar would be mounted on my segway i2, it adding several factors to the equation
like balance, and wind resistance, pitch and yaw and driver (rider) safety.

I have logged over 10,000 miles on my segway, and even with all that experience using it
it was still a cautious ride with Zoltar fully assembled,

so if you are planning on doing this one and you die, don't blame me!

Here is a Video of Zoltar in Action:

I had a custom base plate made at a welding shop. I choose to make it from steel because I knew it would have to hold about 100 pounds of "costume", I took cardboard and made a basic template
and had holes drilled where the platform already was tapped and I would mount it there.

I didn't want to dedicate the segway JUST to zoltar, so I designed it all to be able to be disassembled easily. Note also the Side Bars welded that would hold the struts.

Using standard construction materials (aluminum struts, drill and tap, wing nuts and 1/4 - 20 screws), I mounted the beams on to the base. I drilled and tapped everything because I did not know the
level of disassembly I would need as I went along. I built this in my house and was no way to move a box 30" x 30" and 7' tall fully assembled!

I started to measure heights of me, and how much actual clearance I would need above me. I also added a cap for stability and support struts.

[Note: the first cross beam was the place where the table was to be]

My concept was to have panels interlock with each other, so I could transport it. I also decided that I would use pop rivets with which to assemble everything. They are small, strong and don't leave sharp edges. I must have used a thousand by the end of this project!

This is the roof build, I needed it to be both light and strong but to look like a heavy wood roof
so I used urethane paneling, and have a neighbor mitre / fit the thing together for me

I stated on the detail work as well as mounting the panels,  the molding was all standard stuff you can get at home depot, I used a gold gilding pen to do the intricate details.

Started on the FUN stuff for me, all the electronics. This is really where my field of expertise is in.

Truthfully I was really winging all the booth building and construction,

Since Zoltar is self contained, all lights had to be 12v (or lower). The early tests were all with batteries / power packs, until I wired a central power source.

This is the early front panel - I changed it like 5 times till I was happy with the layout
I wanted to be able to give out "fortunes" and developed a chute drop for the card
but it jammed more than it worked, and I ended up purchasing a electronic card dispenser.

Having purchased all the electronics, I started to mount and wire all of them in, making sure I still left clearance for the 12V battery and the segway handlebar to move left and right (for steering).

I used sheet tin on the side panels to act as a support as well as provide a mounting area for the side bars and all the electronics. It also helped to support the table.

Started pulling wires. It looks like a I had a rat helping me with the work in this photo!

At this point, I had wired in 8 UV Cold cathoid lights into the front side bars, UV LED arrays on top,
an LED Spot light on the top bar, power for the "crystal ball" and also had started wiring in the sound system, Voice changer module, and more!

Ahhh! - finally some results worth showing off. I used UV reactive spray on the star pattern of the roof.Here are some pics of it. In testing, I found out the roof was too top heavy, so I gutted out the center of it just leaving the frame, and used foamcore to cover it.

a little UV light makes this a thing of beauty

I just printed out the Zoltar cut it to shape and dipped it in UV reactive spray.

You may want to skip this step because i go absolutely crazy and obsessive here ...
....... You still here reading?  Ok, I warned you!

I wanted Zoltar to have a big sound, and be heard in a crowd. But I also had the problem of where to place the speakers (they're heavy) and how to hide them.

This was one of the more daunting puzzles to solve, and the answer came while I was in Florida where the hotel I was staying at used carpet as baseboard. I thought ... carpet, remove the backing and have sound transparent but still have a solid color! -- and viola!

BUT no matter what I did, it still wasn't loud enough, and I still had space limitations. And brilliant (mad) idea #2 was born; I embedded Mid range speakers into PA (high range) cones added 1000w of amplifiers, and viola (squared!)!

Painted the roof, Had the front plexi sheet professionally lettered with UV reactive paint
Finished all the moldings and assorted pieces.

What good is a Fortune Teller booth without a Fortune Teller??
Here I am being "pimped" to be Zoltar!

Don't you love that generic term?

I can make about 7 more instructables with the details (and I will)
Here are some random photos that I thought I should include.

Wow, what can I say... WOW!

http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/1329.html

You know you have MADE IT, when you make it into a tech web blog!!

:)