Back to the Mule

POSTED BY: twitch
UPDATED: Friday, September 29, 2006 17:28
VIEWED: 1593
PAGE 1 of 1

TWITCH

Friday, September 29, 2006 1:41 AM

Lemme preface this by saying I'm building a small 4WD robot for mini-sumo competition. It's going to be built to resemble the ATV Mule as much as possible. I think I can get the rest of the electronics next month, so I'm getting back on the mechanical design.

My original plan involved a lot of aluminum, a lot of anodizing (yellow, of course), and lots of nice neat machined lines and laser-etched artwork.

I re-watched some of the earlier Firefly episodes (like THAT was hard) with an eye for the original ATV Mule. I realized my original idea was massively flawed. The Mule's anything but neat, anything but clean, and anything but full of snazzy anodizing with laser-etched artwork.

So I'm back to the drawing board on the overall design. I'm taking notes, but if anyone has any still photos or screenshots of the original ATV Mule, I'd love to take a look at them.

Features I'm going to insist on for the 'bot: scuzzy yellow paint, skull and crossbones license plate on the front (LOVE that touch), corrugated rear fenders, and screen mesh front rack. Any other features I should insist on in my design?

For what it's worth I do have to pack in four DC gear motors, four wheels, five IR rangefinders, at least three edge sensors, a lithium polymer battery pack, two circuit boards, and enough hardware to hold everything together. So I can't just make a 1:12 scale model of the Mule.

Any and all input is eagerly welcomed.

-- Twitch

ANONYMOUS1

Friday, September 29, 2006 6:11 AM

twitch,

http://still-flying.net/index.php

click on screencaps and pictures

Then the episodes where you remember the
mule being in.

Here is one. Serenity page 3

Wash on mule on Serenity's ramp.

TENTHCREWMEMBER

Friday, September 29, 2006 12:35 PM

Yes, you must have a Wash "driving" it!

If you need additional screencaps, let me know.

Still-flying has 1 scene for about every 10-15 frames, so I might be able to find you something else since I can get just about every frame with my screencap program.

BWAH!
TCM

http://www.cafepress.com/10thcrew

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PENGUIN

Friday, September 29, 2006 12:41 PM

Somewhere on this web page are pictures of the real mule on the Universal lot...

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

ANONYMOUS1

Friday, September 29, 2006 5:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Penguin:
Somewhere on this web page are pictures of the real mule on the Universal lot...

That is the hovercraft mule from Serenity.

Whoo-hoo! It is at Universal Studios, CA tour ride.

Browncoat wanted pics of the ATV mule from Firefly. You know the one that set on fire in War Stories.