How It's Done – Dux
Dux is one of our newest robots, introduced just in time for Halloween. With Dux, we decided to revisit the spider theme seen in robots like Invader, Weyland, Rayker, Fujin, Raijin, and Skyros. However, we wanted to approach it differently, creating a design that’s truly original. This led us to a unique decision: placing the turret beneath the pelvis. It was a first for us and posed some challenges, as we had to position three guns in a way that avoided collisions with the robot’s legs during movement and turret rotation. Here's how we created the design.
Why the name Dux? The name comes from Latin, where Dux means “leader” or “general” (Dux militum). In our case, though, it simply stands as Dux. A bonus? It’s a playful nod to our drone names, reminiscent of “ducks”
One of the references was water striders and their slender legs with characteristically curved “knees.” We also drew inspiration from Half-Life. And what about Uncle Scrooge’s three nephews? They inspired Dux’s built-in drones: Huey, Dewey, and Louie
We explored three model sets to find the right balance. Ultimately, we chose the third design, which struck a chord between elegance and practical realism. For the drones, we opted for the designs from the first concept sketches
In the top-right corner, you’ll see Dux’s joint model, while the bottom showcases one of its drones. The drone designs are nearly identical to each other — yes, they resemble beaks — with the primary difference being the turret placements on their back
Dux's drones
The modeling process involved optimizing the triangle count to meet technical requirements, which proved to be a bit of a hurdle
Another challenge was fine-tuning Dux’s animation. This was our first robot with such a distinctive leg placement, so we had to navigate uncharted territory
In the end, we overcame these obstacles, and our Dux came to life!