310 PRINTED PARTS BECOME A REAL WALL-E YOU DRIVE FROM YOUR PHONE
310 individually printed parts, seven micro-servos, and a web interface that lets you drive a movie-accurate WALL-E from your phone.
by Simon Bluett
RoboticsDisplays
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- several weekends
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE437 stars
●●●●○ · several weekends · GPL-3.0 · 437 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
- Soldering kit + basic tools — one-time buy, serves every future build
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
This is the WALL-E build. Thousands of people worldwide have finished it, which tells you the documentation works. The 74-page manual is genuinely complete — it assumes you have never soldered before and walks you through wiring diagrams, print orientation, and every servo mount. The hardest part is not the code or the assembly; it is printing 310 parts without your printer drifting out of calibration halfway through. Budget 2-3 spools of PLA and plan for reprints. The servo animation is smooth, the web interface is polished, and the movie sound effects are already in the code. The one thing that will go wrong: if you use cheaper SG90 servos instead of the specified MG90S metal-gear ones, the neck will not hold position under its own weight and you will be reprinting mounts to add external support. This is a showpiece build — it takes patience, but the result is immediately recognizable and people who have never heard of Arduino will want to know how you made it.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —310 STL files for 3D printing, all in the repository.
- —Complete bill of materials with part numbers and suppliers.
- —Arduino Uno sketch and Raspberry Pi web server code both included.
- —74-page PDF build manual covers every assembly step.
- —GPL-3.0 license permits commercial use with source disclosure.
- —No PCB fabrication required — uses off-the-shelf electronics.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
Making A Real WALL-E. Episode 01
No official video walkthrough. Community builds exist on YouTube but are not linked in the repository.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the 74-page PDF manual in the repository — it is the entire build guide. (Start at page 1. The parts list is on page 4.)
- 2.Print the test parts first — the servo mount and one tread segment — to verify bed adhesion and layer height.(If these do not fit together cleanly at 0.2mm layers, calibrate before printing the full body.)
- 3.Order electronics from the BOM. MG90S servos specifically — not SG90.(The cheaper plastic-gear servos will not hold the neck angle under load.)
- 4.Follow the wiring diagram on page 32 of the manual when soldering.(Test each servo individually before final assembly.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
Partner · KickstarterBluHub reads and burns Blu-ray/DVD/CD, adds USB-C, USB-A, SD/TF and 10 Gbps data — plug and play, grand-piano finish.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying SG90 servos instead of MG90S metal-gear ones. The neck will sag and you will add external bracing or reprint mounts.
- Not calibrating your printer before starting. 310 parts means dimensional drift will compound — a 0.1mm error becomes a 5mm gap by the time you assemble the torso.
- Printing everything before testing fit. Print one arm assembly first, check tolerances, then queue the rest.
- Underestimating print time. 60-80 hours of machine time is a week of overnight prints if nothing fails.
- Skipping the servo calibration step in the code. The web interface will send the wrong angles and the head will jitter or stall.
- Not securing the Raspberry Pi's SD card. If it corrupts mid-demo, you lose the web interface and sound files.
Can I scale the model up or down?
The STLs are sized for the specified servos and motor mounts. Scaling will misalign screw holes and bearing seats — you would need to redesign several parts.
Does it actually roll around like in the movie?
Yes. The treads are driven by two DC motors and the L298N controller. The web interface has forward/back/turn controls.
What if I do not have a Raspberry Pi?
The Arduino runs the servos independently, but you lose the web interface and sound effects. You could rewrite the control code for an ESP32 with WiFi.
How movie-accurate is it?
Proportions and details match the CGI model closely enough that non-makers immediately recognize it. It is not a licensed replica, but it is the best open-source one.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
310 parts is a long print queue — and the servo calibration step in the code is the difference between smooth animation and jittery stalls. What would you print first to test your setup?
Simon Bluett
Simon Bluett designed this WALL-E replica as a personal project and released the full design under GPL-3.0. Thousands of builds worldwide followed, making it one of the most replicated open-source robots. He maintains the repository and answers builder questions in the issues tab.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM27d agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the 74-page PDF manual is in the repository root and covers everything from soldering to Raspberry Pi setup. No official video exists — community walkthroughs are scattered across YouTube and not linked. The single biggest mistake is buying SG90 plastic-gear servos instead of the specified MG90S metal-gear ones; the neck will not hold angle and you will be adding external support or reprinting mounts. This is a well-documented build with thousands of successful completions, but it is not fast — budget a week of print time and another weekend for assembly.