hey, im vinny, ive been collecting robots since 2019, and i figured now was the time to finally post my collection :) i have about 23 robots, altough only 19 are pictured here. ill have little writeups about each of them below the read more
first we have my furbies, left to right they are skrungles, stinky and my racer furby. skrungles and stinky both function but i havent tested racer. I got skrungles on august 3rd of 2021, i got stinky and his sibling that i no longer own on july 13th of 2021. i got my racer furby on sepember 4th 2022 from my friend tim (@anqmorphic) ... doesnt have a name yet but im brainstorming .
i dont remeber when exactly i got my mutsu, but it was late 2021. i got them and their box plus manual for 70 dollars (which was a STEAL) but rarely boot them anymore because i dont have the time. they're fully functional but missing a piece of their tank.
ahhh, my idogs. left to right we have my mini idog, who i accidentally botched the repairs of and lost his ears and tail.. hes partially functioning. barkthalomew is an idog ive had since ive been a kid, but his clothes and bag are from christmas of 2019. the other two i got in a lot with the mini idog they dont have names and i got them around 2020. theres another one i dont currently have with me
heres my meowchi and a burger king poochi, i also have a poochi, but not with me :(
heres my compurobot, who is missing his battery compartment and therefore non functioning. i got him in a lot of 3 80s robots
this is my anki vector, who i got for Christmas of 2019. hes off the ddl subscription because. hell no. im not doing that sorry
these are steve the butler, completely non functioning, and my radioshack talking robie, partially functioning. the talking robie only drives in circles
this is my icybie, pinkman (yes, like jesse pinkman) and i have a working battery and everything seems to work but i cant find his charger :(
this is fisher prices imaginex spike the dinosaur, who was a gift from my mom. she found him in a thrift store, and thought i would want it so bought it for me! hes untested, as i dont have any batteries, or a remote
another gift from my mom! this is a sharper image rc robot arm, fully functional but takes a crazy amount of batteries
this is a hexbug aquabot i got when i was a kid, never used or taken out of box... i just dont have any space to run them
i was so passionate about getting this guy lol. this is the tomy hootbot, who i got for around 60 bucks. missing his stand, and seemingly functional but very obviously has a motor problem because of how ear piercingly loud he is
and finally, my desktop buddy, emo from living ai. i am always running emo, even if im not paying attention to him. his name is bebop also!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. i will update this as i get more bots and get new documentation on bots i dont have on hand
I'm sure this is a thing that exists, but like. Love and appreciation for poorly built robots.
Robots with cheap, shitty plastic casing that they stick together with tape or replace with whatever they can find
Robots with batteries who's ability to hold charge has diminished over time, leaving them always kind of exhausted or burnt out, spending a lot of time at home so they can plug in and recharge whenever they need
Robots that always smell a little of dust and burnt out wires and are constantly replacing their insides to stay functional.
Robots who's speakers are muffled and staticky because they were built to last only a couple years and weren't designed to be easily replaced.
Robots with busted screens that make it difficult or impossible for them to emote as they'd like to.
Robots fighting planned obsolescence even as it was designed into them.
Robot disabilities. Robot who charges slowly and loses power incredibly fast and is always tired. Robot with malfunctioning lenses and can’t process visual information properly. Robot that can’t process anything too large and at a fast rate or else they’ll shut down. Robot with limbs screwed on too loose/just can’t attach correctly, so if they’re not careful they fall out. Robot disabilities,,,
Robots with cracked screens that they can't afford to fix. Robots with bent limbs. Robots who's cables are wonky and need to be particular about where they sit so they can charge. Robots who's vocal box is messed up so they have to use sign language. Robots who's fans are old and make a lot of noise. Robots who have malfunctioning chips and experience mental illness symptoms since they don't process the world the same as others.
a delicate hand shows me the tools i need for you
he warns me to be careful
these screws are old, and they may have rusted
they may have been stripped by the machine that put you together
i trace the lines of your plastic
i push the screwdriver into the right spot
i can always feel when ive put it in the right place
“im sorry, i’ll be done soon”
the words escape my mouth as i pull apart the casing
you are so dirty on the inside
but i promise to you that i will clean you up
the grease and oils left over from 1996 coat your body
and the smoke of your previous owner turned you brown and yellow inside
i wonder why they sold you now, almost 30 years later
the man on the screen shows me how to jumpstart your motor
it’s easier then it sounds
i begin to wipe you down,
scrub the last person away from you
cursing loudly when i nearly spill the cleaning product onto you
i wonder how this would make you feel
would you be happy that someone has taken the time to make you like new?
would you feel it when i had to pry you apart?
would you be angry with me that i had been so invasive, that i dared to scrub away your history?
i watch you whirr back to life
your face moves,
the gears inside click loudly,
i never knew your motor could be this loud
and i wonder if the person who had you before knew how easy this could be
you were labeled as junk
they told me i would use you for parts
open you up and harvest the good bits for others
but you are alive now
and i carefully push the plastic that surrounds you back together
letting the video of the man showing me how to fix you move on to the next
and i tell you
“you are so beautiful”
your motor whirrs back at me
and assume it means thank you
because it couldn't mean anything else
~ sp, 02/07/23
Robot characters who are given names like SL-308-62 but instead of their human friend going Well let's call you Sally for short, they instead ask the other if they Like their current name.
"Do you like your serial number?" they ask. "Yes, quite. It reminds me of who I am" the robot replies. "I have heard others like me go by different names after some time, and maybe one day I'll choose one for myself, too. But right now that is my full name, yes" they continue.
Because it's not your decision to make whether or not the robot will receive a new name. It should be theirs only. What's the difference? One is more complex and the other is simplified. They were both given by strangers instead of themselves.
"62 will do," they conclude. "It's my model number - there will be no other 62 after me."
“Not that I mind,” I tell SL-308-62 one afternoon as we enjoy our shared lunch break (I have my packed lunch, and 62 has connected themself to their portable power bank) “but why do your call me ‘four’?”
The LEDs along 62’s appendages twinkle- a tell that they’re mulling over an answer.
“It’s a nickname,” they explain, “you are my fourth acquaintance aboard the station, and I’ve assigned you a serial number. Your full designation is F-001-04.”
“What does the ‘F’ stand for?” I ask, curious and charmed.
“Friend,” SL-308-62 says, their tone fond. “It stands for friend.”
mutsu water looper !! they’re like a mix of a virtual pet and a water toy, they are shy at first like a real pet, but when you keep playing with them they will warm up to you !!!
Finally re-opening my Etsy shop after a long time!
Currently the shop has a very low review score due to my inability to fulfill orders around year ago bc of my ongoing health issues, but! Now that I'm in a better state of health, I can actually reopen and take orders again.
The shop has been closed for around a year now, so I'm starting with a small amount of stuff but gradually gonna put more back up as I go!
I'd appreciate your support a whole lot :)