Mega Man X Helmet

Using the same 3D scan of my head I used for Gray Fox, I modeled the helmet around my head using front and side views of the toy’s helmet. Everything was modeled in Solidworks, using a combination of surface modeling techniques and traditional prismatic modeling

Once I was satisfied with the overall shape, I thickened the surfaces and added all the fine details.

The helmet is made up of a front and back piece, and in order to keep them together when wearing, I implemented a lock feature into the design of the ear pucks, such that when these rotate, they allow the helmet to open.

After a number of iterations on the final design, the helmet was ready for production. I produced a test print of the front half as a test fit, using my Lulzbot TAZ6 FDM printer.

Having verified the fit, I printed the two main components of the helmet in MDS nylon, from Shapeways

I then applied high build primer and sanded repeatedly until the surface was smooth.

The minor components, such as the red lens, the mohak and the ear pucks were printed on my MDF printer. I also printed the left arm and the buster in my home printer.

Many more layers of primer and sanding later, I painted the helmet using a custom mix of createx airbrush colors, and finished it with a coat of Alclad aqua gloss clear coat.

I installed a strip of WS2182b addressable RGB LEDs and routed it through the helmet. I also cut a few pieces of frosted acrylic to diffuse the light.

I coded the lights to pulse and fade, on an AtTiny 85 chip. The helmet has rechargeable LiPo batteries, and it charges via USB.

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