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 Cybernetic Leg Ideas?

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Bob Fatt


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Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« on: Jun 23, 2015, 01:38 PM »
So I'm putting together the backstory for my mando and decided I want him to lose a leg from the mid calf down. I'm looking for a Mad Max aesthetic, so something that looks well worn and very ugly.

What I'm wondering is, how am I going to build a robot leg? I've seen plenty of robot arms which I've taken inspiration from, but nothing for legs. I was thinking of getting a split toe wetsuit boot such as:

It's got a unique look that doesn't just look like another boot.

I was planning on bulking up the calf with shaped sintra for plating, but I'm not sure how to do the same for the top of the foot. What would be the sweet spot between looking like metal and still having some flexibility to move?

Also, the grip on a wetsuit boot is going to be terrible. I imagine I'll be slipping all over the place. I'm not too concerned about the different heel heights (my other boot will hopefully be a cowboy boot) seeing as any awkward gait or limp will benefit the character.

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Havelock


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #1 on: Jun 23, 2015, 06:31 PM »
Dude, you're insane!  I have no helpful suggestions for you, but if you can pull this off, it will so rock!  Best of luck, vod.  I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

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Vraeden


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #2 on: Jun 24, 2015, 07:58 AM »
Also, the grip on a wetsuit boot is going to be terrible. I imagine I'll be slipping all over the place. I'm not too concerned about the different heel heights (my other boot will hopefully be a cowboy boot) seeing as any awkward gait or limp will benefit the character.

If you have a shoe repair place in town, they may be able to put a better sole on the wetsuit boot.  You don't need it to be waterproof anymore, so they could sew/glue/nail something on and you'd be okay.

I would not embrace anything that changes your gait or is of an imbalanced height.  If you want to affect a limp or stilted cyborg-like movements as part of your character, that's fine, but wearing shoes that cause you to change the way you walk strikes me as a bad idea.  While that may be great for your character, being forced to walk around like that at a con all day is just begging for knee, hip and back problems down the road (and I say that as a middle-aged guy with knee, hip and back problems).

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Danto


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #3 on: Jun 27, 2015, 10:40 PM »
To better your grip you can use turf toe from a Athletic shop, it's a liquid rubber that adheres to anything slightly porus, it's super tough and tacky.

Good Luck,
Danny

Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #4 on: Jul 23, 2015, 01:13 AM »
An option I would suggest, if you're not willing find a shoe repair place or if want to do it yourself. Get a pair of used boots with about a similar thickness heel as your cowboy boot. I suggest looking at a goodwill or something. Cut the heel off the and attach it to the wetsuit with some contact cement. I've used DAP contact cement to repair my own hiking boots and it holds really well, I imagine it would work for this just as well.

For bulking up the top of the foot, you have a couple of options as far as I can see it.

1. Build layers that slide along themselves, like medieval  plate armor. This can be hard to do, but can look really cool. Being as this is a boot, I imaging it won't be the center of focus often and probably won't need the cool factor of articulated parts. It just needs to look need in photos and give you're character some dimension.

2. Craft foam. It's thin, but can be layered easily, and pretty flexible even up to a few layers glued together. It takes to paint really well. It's incredibly cheap. the only con I can think of off the top of my head is, like anything painted metallic, it can take some work to make it look like actual metal.

Another idea with the foam is, you can sometimes get it with textures on it, or even stamp your own texture on it with a little force and some light heat (maybe a hairdryer). So if you want to do something like a plate pattern or a nano fiber weave, you could do that too.

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jett drexel


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #5 on: Jul 23, 2015, 03:29 AM »
hi bob, just an idea but have you considered using a ninja tabi boot instead of a wet suit boot. you get the same 2 toed aesthetic, a sole you can build up and it'll let your foot breath. if you do consider this they sell them on e-bay and they're not that expensive.

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Havelock


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #6 on: Jul 26, 2015, 03:00 PM »
hi bob, just an idea but have you considered using a ninja tabi boot instead of a wet suit boot. you get the same 2 toed aesthetic, a sole you can build up and it'll let your foot breath. if you do consider this they sell them on e-bay and they're not that expensive.

Listen to Jett.  Jett is wise.

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Mikelus Keldab


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #7 on: Aug 07, 2015, 01:50 PM »
If you aren't already sold on the boot idea, you could always build up a C-3PO leg. Everyone will recognize it as a droid leg and thus a "replacement part," if you will. You could easily greeb it into a Mad Max scrapyard aesthetic droid leg. During the build you could even make the sole as thick as required to match  ;)

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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #8 on: Aug 07, 2015, 03:08 PM »
Yeah, Really cool idea! I love cybernetic stuff.

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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #9 on: Oct 24, 2015, 09:04 AM »
Check out medical leg braces. Add plates, bundles of wires, the standard array of greeblies and your boot idea. Might even help with any joint pain.

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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #10 on: Dec 09, 2015, 12:00 PM »
Do you mean something like this ?



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DocNightshade


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 04, 2016, 05:29 AM »
Just be sure to run the idea by the Approval Team. I know they don't allow tabi or split toe footwear for kits, but not sure how they'd rule it if it's part of a cyber-leg.
I love the idea of a visible cybernetic and can't wait to see how you go with this!

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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #12 on: Jan 26, 2016, 05:06 PM »
Do you mean something like this ?



Lol I was thinking of Edwards automail as well

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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 27, 2016, 07:21 AM »
Hehe... wel its the only Cybernetic leg and arm I could think of.

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Pax


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Re: Cybernetic Leg Ideas?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 28, 2016, 07:48 PM »
Amputation between the joints could be tricky to sell.  You could just look like you're wearing a goofy boot.  But one thing you can do is to really focus on that interface where flesh meets prosthetic.  Is the prosthetic removable, as is typical nowadays, or is it a replacement, like Luke's hand?  Does it fit over the remaining limb, or is it built in?  What remains of the leg?  Bone, nerves, muscle, skin?  Is this a top-of-the-line replacement or something procured in a back alley to be 'good enough?'  Is it weaponized?
  Also consider that joints are both fragile and often bulky in most articulated devices, even sometimes in the galaxy far, far away.  So you could try making an oversized 'ankle joint' and simplifying the foot down to either a slab (which might interfere with your gait), or maybe just another joint at the ball of the foot (which may be more believable when you walk).  That might help it read 'replacement parts' instead of 'armor doesn't match.'  Though of course a simplified foot would also skew you away from top-of-the-line replacements.
  Anyway, a few thoughts to consider, for whatever they're worth.  ;)

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