Star Wars Fan Plans to Build Life-Size AT-AT

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Star Wars Fan Plans to Build Life-Size AT-AT

Mike Koehler doesn't have project funding or construction experience, but he wants to make this life-sized AT-AT walker a reality, dammit.

It's a sad fact that these days, the USA just can't cut it in the global giant robot race. Japan has its thing [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101521-New-Lightsaber-Wielding-Giant-Gundam-Finally-Complete] ... in Sichuan province. But what do we have here in the States? Nothing, nada, zilch - unless the Statue of Liberty was really a coverup this entire time, that is. (Even then, it'd be on the French).

Star Wars fan Mike Koehler dreams of changing that. He dreams of channeling nerd power into a force for good. He dreams of an AT-AT for America [http://atatforamerica.tumblr.com/post/4394511190/the-dream-an-at-at-for-america].

In his manifesto linked above, Koehler calls upon the nerds of America to harness their "brain power, [their] manufacturing prowess, [their] organizational skills and [their] geek-fueled eye for detail" to create a life-sized replica of the AT-AT walkers from The Empire Strikes Back. He admits that he has no mechanical aptitude and no funding to get off the ground, but that's what group efforts are for. Plus, come on - wouldn't a full-scale AT-AT be awesome?

Koehler's vision goes beyond the simple statues we see in Asia, though - he wants his AT-AT to be fully functional. I think that may be dreaming a bit too hard there, Mike, but don't let me stop you.

Speaking with The Force.net [http://theforce.net/latestnews/story/LifeSized_ATAT_Construction_Project_Planned_137553.asp], the Oklahoma City-based father of three said that he hoped to have "several build teams across the country" who would then come together wherever they decided to put the damn thing together.

According to the AT-AT for America blog [http://atatforamerica.tumblr.com/post/4445007989/the-dream-were-all-clear-kid], funding site Kickstarter will be taking donations for Koehler's dream soon enough. But how much does an Imperial walker actually cost? Those things can't be inexpensive.

Plus, if you ever actually did finish it, you know that Japan's giant Gundam would just come to life, fly over here and cut off its head or something.

Ah well, best of luck to Mr. Koehler. You can keep up with the AT-AT project at AT-AT for America [http://atatforamerica.tumblr.com/]. Because yeah, as impractical as it would be? It would be pretty damn cool.

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manythings

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Nov 7, 2009
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In my head I'm seeing a collection of blooper reel moments of bad DIY and explosions with wacky sound effects.
 

Tartarga

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Jun 4, 2008
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If really hope he succeeds. Then we can make it fight Japan's giant gundam model, even though we would probably lose because come on, its a freaking gundam.
 

Buizel91

Autobot
Aug 25, 2008
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Full functional? Does that mean guns to...? if so...i see world domination...

But still sounds awesome, hope he gets it done =D
 

sylekage

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Dec 24, 2008
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Do it.

Straight up, do that shit.

That would be basically the coolest thing in the whole world. And to make it fully functional? That's every star wars nerds dream.

Now to make a fully operational death star...
 

The.Bard

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Jan 7, 2011
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The part of me that would support this project died the day the Special Editions hit theaters. Let's skip the AT-AT and make a 200 ft statue of Plinkett.
 

Nimcha

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Dec 6, 2010
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The.Bard said:
The part of me that would support this project died the day the Special Editions hit theaters. Let's skip the AT-AT and make a 200 ft statue of Plinkett.
That's just... so very sad. I'm so sorry for you, man.

OT: This would be awesome, if I had money I'd donate!
 

Therumancer

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Nov 28, 2007
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This has got to be a joke. To be entirely honest, we already have one, or we did. Outside the Star Wars ride (Star Tours) in MGM they had a giant Imperial Walker, I remember because I got yelled at for climbing up on it's foot. :)

Rest assured, we probably fired the first shot in giant amusement park robots, since I think that one pre-dates the Gundams and such in other theme parks, even if the later constructions are probably actually bigger, and of course are newer.

This is not to say that I wouldn't like to see more things like this built in the right places, they are quite fun just by their very existance.

I went on vacation to Universal not too long ago, and don't remember seeing a giant robot there, however it did occur to me that since Disney owns the rights to Marvel right now, when the contract expires for the "Marvel Island of Adventure", Universal will probably be looking for something else to put into that spot. Perhaps then we will see the world's pre-eminant giant robot statue, at least for a while. It does depend on what theme they go with though.
 

Cheesebob

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Oct 31, 2008
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Feh. If the Robocop statue was such a big problem, I can't see the At At doing any better. How big are those things anyway?
 
May 7, 2008
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Yes, oh yes I would love to see it done, if only to answer the question that has been on my mind for nearly 20 years, how the hell do you get out of one of those things?
 

CosmicCommander

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Apr 11, 2009
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The.Bard said:
The part of me that would support this project died the day the Special Editions hit theaters. Let's skip the AT-AT and make a 200 ft statue of Plinkett.
Why don't we make a clone of Plinkett, and make him operate the AT-AT? He's in a wheelchair, so he can be permabound to the interface.
 

ZombieGenesis

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Apr 15, 2009
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Wouldn't it be great if they do find a way for it to be fully functional, and the military buys the plans off them?

Well, maybe awesome is the wrong word.
 

The.Bard

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Jan 7, 2011
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CosmicCommander said:
The.Bard said:
The part of me that would support this project died the day the Special Editions hit theaters. Let's skip the AT-AT and make a 200 ft statue of Plinkett.
Why don't we make a clone of Plinkett, and make him operate the AT-AT? He's in a wheelchair, so he can be permabound to the interface.

Ooooooh. You, sir, have my attention. Can we put a human-sized replica of "the Flanneled One" on the ground screaming his bearded head off, a mere inches away from being crushed by AT-Plinkett's ginormous robot-hoof???
 

snagli

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Jan 21, 2011
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You need to get some experience before you make something as big as an AT-AT. Begin with a simple AT-RT, or an AT-TE if you're looking for stability. then, try an advanced design, like the AT-ST or AT-OT. When you're ready, and only then, build an AT-AT. Make sure you put the batteries in the right way, or it might overload. Also, flexible knee joints. You'd be surprised by the number of AT-AT's that fell because they couldn't climb up a small ramp.