Input requested

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MikeTheEngineer
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Input requested

Post by MikeTheEngineer »

I've been out of the country for the past couple months. Anyway, I'm back and will continue working on my projects. My second one came out much better than the first, just needs painting.

Anyway, I am looking further down the road and want to know what people think the interest level would be for baby and toddler dolls that can move, blink, look you in the eyes (and follow your movements), cry, giggle, etc. I believe it could also be programmed by the owner for other desired movements and behaviors.

http://inmoov.fr/build-yours/

But child sized, with a silicone skin. The number of servos needed would be expensive, but it would displace very expensive silicone, so the overall price to construct should be similar. It would take some engineering re-design from the above link so that the liquid silicone wouldn't get in the exposed joints. There would be tradeoffs. I don't believe it'd be possible to make this seamlessly with the technology I currently possess.

Would something this lifelike be desirable, or would it be deemed "creepy" because it's to lifelike?
What features would be most desired? Open/close of hands? Simulated breathing? Nursing motions? Larger/faster motions may be more difficult... like "frog kicking". Unassisted walking would me impossible, but hand-held walking may be doable for a toddler. Crawling (without falling over) would be extremely difficult. (Try sitting in a chair missing a leg)
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Barbydoll
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Re: Input requested

Post by Barbydoll »

Looks interesting!!
Our grandson did some 3D printing at his Art College.
I found it so fascinating all he was able to do with it.
It has so many possibilities to it!!!
I like the heartbeat, breathing & crying that is now available in some dolls.
I don't own silicone dolls, so I am not sure what someone would be looking for in them.
Best Wishes with your ventures!!!
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LindaBforbabies
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Re: Input requested

Post by LindaBforbabies »

Not my cup of tea... I wouldn't like my dolls to move..
but want to wish you the best Mike!
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Re: Input requested

Post by Gabriele »

Mike I find this very interesting. I would love moving dolls. My two daughters also had dolls with a moving face. Also a robot dog I would buy if I could afford it. I love the progress with the dolls and am excited about what will come. Sorry for my bad english, i speak german.
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Barbara L.
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Re: Input requested

Post by Barbara L. »

Something like this?


I think it is very interesting and would like to follow your progress.
and see your models when you get them made.
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Court_LLRN
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Re: Input requested

Post by Court_LLRN »

I'll be honest - a moving doll sounds a bit creepy to me. I mean it's cool that technology has come so far as to do that.
If I had to pick for a toddler size, I'd say breathing, opening and closing eyes and maybe able to have the motion of sucking a pacifier.
A baby doll able to 'breath' and suck a pacifier would be most appealing to me. But when you reach child size and getting into all of the robotic possibilities, that's creepy to me. I'm not a fan of animatronics.
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MikeTheEngineer
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Re: Input requested

Post by MikeTheEngineer »

Barbara L. wrote:Something like this?


I think it is very interesting and would like to follow your progress.
and see your models when you get them made.
Yes, but probably not to the sophistication level, and hopefully better looking.
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Re: Input requested

Post by erin1958 »

I don't need my dolls to do all that. I'd say the 2 most important factors are going to be realistic look and the cost. If collectors don't think they look real and have fine detail, they're not going to be interested and cost is of course, huge. It sounds like way more than I'm needing a doll to do but I wish you luck with your ventures
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Re: Input requested

Post by Atalanta »

Working with movements, means that you have to consider the skeleton.
You wouldn't want a servo to perform movements that stretch the silicone too much. So the skeleton shouldn't allow such movements either.
I wouldn't be surprised if that turns out to be the most useful part of your projects. Expensive silicone dolls can tear if the limbs are moved too freely.
Court_LLRN wrote:I'll be honest - a moving doll sounds a bit creepy to me. I mean it's cool that technology has come so far as to do that.
If I had to pick for a toddler size, I'd say breathing, opening and closing eyes and maybe able to have the motion of sucking a pacifier.
A baby doll able to 'breath' and suck a pacifier would be most appealing to me. But when you reach child size and getting into all of the robotic possibilities, that's creepy to me. I'm not a fan of animatronics.
A Disney movie isn't creepy, whilst you know that it isn't real.
It becomes creepy if it takes over your imagination without reason. That's what can happen with animatronic dolls.
Suppose you take care of a precious doll. It takes imagination to love a doll, right? Do you want the doll to perform things that your imagination can perform as well?

If I keep the same honesty, I must remark that the same applies to professional painting and rooting, which makes a doll very realistic looking, but worth thousands of $ too. That's more than imagination wants. You could consider those dolls works of professional art. But in that case, they should keep their value, which they seldom do.
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Re: Input requested

Post by Court_LLRN »

Atalanta wrote:Working with movements, means that you have to consider the skeleton.
You wouldn't want a servo to perform movements that stretch the silicone too much. So the skeleton shouldn't allow such movements either.
I wouldn't be surprised if that turns out to be the most useful part of your projects. Expensive silicone dolls can tear if the limbs are moved too freely.
Court_LLRN wrote:I'll be honest - a moving doll sounds a bit creepy to me. I mean it's cool that technology has come so far as to do that.
If I had to pick for a toddler size, I'd say breathing, opening and closing eyes and maybe able to have the motion of sucking a pacifier.
A baby doll able to 'breath' and suck a pacifier would be most appealing to me. But when you reach child size and getting into all of the robotic possibilities, that's creepy to me. I'm not a fan of animatronics.
A Disney movie isn't creepy, whilst you know that it isn't real.
It becomes creepy if it takes over your imagination without reason. That's what can happen with animatronic dolls.
Suppose you take care of a precious doll. It takes imagination to love a doll, right? Do you want the doll to perform things that your imagination can perform as well?

If I keep the same honesty, I must remark that the same applies to professional painting and rooting, which makes a doll very realistic looking, but worth thousands of $ too. That's more than imagination wants. You could consider those dolls works of professional art. But in that case, they should keep their value, which they seldom do.
I'm not sure what you're trying to get at. What does a Disney movie have to do with a moving doll? Nothing...
No I have no desire for a doll to perform. I personally don't imagine my dolls doing much of anything. That's why they're dolls. Not animatronics. There is currently a baby doll out on the market for children that can open and close its eyes while making noises and sucking a paci and I hate it.
That being said, I'm sure that there are those that would love it. I gave my opinion as did others on this thread as that's what was asked. If the majority of people here say they wouldn't be interested in a doll like this, it would be important for him to see that and either find a different market or reconsider giving the amount he'd have to invest.
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Re: Input requested

Post by lauraslilones »

Whilst I think it's a nice idea it wouldn't be for me. I find the animatronic babies very intriguing but I couldn't have one in my collection. One reason is I prefer sleepers and don't expect them to move but if an awake doll moved it would honestly terrify me, flash back to chucky.

But that's just my opinion. There may be a market for them but the cost would make it a very small group of people x
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Post by LynnW »

I just saw this link posted in one of the threads in the Bountiful Baby forums..

I do not support or endorse Babyclon's business practices. For those who do not know the background, they have a reputation for stealing sculpts from other artists and reproducing them in silicone. But I did want to share the link to show that things like this appear to be in the works already.

I don't personally need or want my dolls to be this "real" (realistic looking is good enough for me), but I'm sure there is a market out there for this and there are some who would like/want this and be willing to pay the high price tag associated with it.
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Re: Input requested

Post by Suzanne »

I am sure there are people out there who would love to have a doll like this. I like my dolls to be just that though. Dolls that I can just dress and that's it. No moving or wetting parts for me. Good luck with this though
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Post by hookedoncrochet »

My friend makes silicone dolls and her last one has a breather in it, very realistic, but not sure I would want anything more than that, but wish you success with your venture
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Re: Input requested

Post by Melissas Babies »

I personally like the Idea, I would love to create one!!! No they are not for everyone, I have many of my animal collectables that move!!
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MikeTheEngineer
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Re: Input requested

Post by MikeTheEngineer »

hookedoncrochet wrote:My friend makes silicone dolls and her last one has a breather in it, very realistic, but not sure I would want anything more than that, but wish you success with your venture
Do you know where I can find a 'breather', or is it just rigged up from available parts?
Thanks.
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Re: Input requested

Post by Brooke »

I would like to see/have one that only had a heartbeat, could breathe and could open and close eyes. But for the eyes to open and close I don't know how you would sculpt them realistically.
My concern with all of this is cost - the dolls would be so expensive very few could ever dream of having them. Also, under the skin, what would all those mechanics feel like?
I wish it was possible for you to concentrate on making silicone dolls that would be less expensive so more people could have them.
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Re: Input requested

Post by MikeTheEngineer »

Brooke wrote:I would like to see/have one that only had a heartbeat, could breathe and could open and close eyes. But for the eyes to open and close I don't know how you would sculpt them realistically.
My concern with all of this is cost - the dolls would be so expensive very few could ever dream of having them. Also, under the skin, what would all those mechanics feel like?
I wish it was possible for you to concentrate on making silicone dolls that would be less expensive so more people could have them.
Most likely the raw silicone is more expensive than the electronics. Silicone is more than $10 a lb. Most of that would be located in the body... which would be removed and replaced with a hard plastic shell around the electronics. Sure, it'd be expensive if I made each finger move individually, and each joint move automatically. But It'd probably just make simple, like all fingers open and close together... that only takes one servo, and some fishing line. ^_^

How would it feel? Like bones. The skeletal structure is easy to design and build... getting it in the right place within silicone is the tough part. It would have to be inside the mold... suspended by something... Or it'd have to be made in pieces, and have tons of seams. I haven't figured out how the animatronics guys make it look so good.
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Re: Input requested

Post by Dion »

Like several of the ladies here, I don't want a doll that crawls, walks, wiggles, breathes, blinks, sucks, drinks, cries, talks, wets, poops or anything else. I like my dolls to look like pretty, sweet babies, plain and simple. That's it for me, but to each his or her own.

:toast: Dion
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Post by MikeTheEngineer »

Dion wrote:Like several of the ladies here, I don't want a doll that crawls, walks, wiggles, breathes, blinks, sucks, drinks, cries, talks, wets, poops or anything else. I like my dolls to look like pretty, sweet babies, plain and simple. That's it for me, but to each his or her own.

:toast: Dion
What about posable? Would you like it with a posable "skeletal structure"? Maybe a rib cage?
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