Hi I'm Neil

Question

Hi I'm Neil from the UK !

I've been watching the forum with great interest for a while and wanted to know if the 5-7 week delivery time is up to date as I want to get a JD for Sam my sons birthday which is in mid May. We have scratch built 5 robots together up until now but they have all been arduino based so far. I will try and post pics in the forum of the last one we built - 5' tall and the same height as my son !

Also - are your cameras faulty ? They don't seem to have moved all day lol.

Neil

stonewolf · Answer

Neil :-} Greetings curious one :-} I have also notice the cameras haven't moved any since yesterday, I think there is a problem :-{ Well as far as the 5-7 week delievery time, you will be waiting much longer, there is a huge back log of preorders still waiting to be full filled :-{ I have been waiting since November 25 myself, not knowing I was ordering a preorder :-{ So to answer your question, if you ordered now, I doubt if you would receive your order in time for your sons birthday :-{

neilsingleton · Answer

Thankyou stonewolf ! That's a pity - I guess I will have to get him something else. Sorry to hear you are waiting so long, have you any idea how much longer it might be? Neil

stonewolf · Answer

Neil :-} Well supposedly some preorders are to ship next week, but at this time who really knows, being that they are preorders?

Antron007 · Answer

The cameras go down from time to time. Sometimes they turn them off to keep secrets and plot our impending demise. Well, maybe just to keep some secrets. But, the cams seem to freeze up from time to time. It's a pretty normal thing, cameras freeze, someone starts a thread, someone fixes it or posts that they are intentionally off.

Rich · Answer

It's uncertain at the moment if new orders will be shipped by May. If you haven't seen, DJ recently updated us on the current situation and while it does look like they are now towards the end of finalising the manufacturing and the first batch of orders should be shipping soon there is likely to be a large backlog. The best thing you could do is use the contact us page and ask them directly if there is any chance of delivery of a new order by the required date. EZ-Robot are open and transparent enough to give you an honest answer.

jstarne1 · Answer

Hello Niel! , yes there are some growing pains for EZ Robot. The impact and popularity spiked so quickly that they needed to get new manufacturers that could produce some seriously large amount of parts. The parts are able to be printed by anyone in the community so you can get started on a robot and the EZB v4 is right around the corner. Short term batches of boards are being produced in Calgary, Ez Robots local city and then another manufacturer is picking up on a larger and more economical scale for future needs. Theres a reason why thousands of people are waiting in line..... It a awesome product and simply cannot be compared by a Arduino, rasberry pi or beaglebone, they are just " Basic STAMPS" in comparison. I assure you if you order a couple boards you will not be disappointed. I have been around since the first 100 boards were made and Ez Robot delivers and progresses products faster than any other company i have seen in the hobby sector. To give you an example , Horizon Hobbies I worked for will spend 18 months on pre- engineering before coming out with equipment release date and offer preorders, its usually not till the following summer that everything starts shipping out. In retrospect they are moving fast in comparison to other companies doing R&D for new products before they launch.

neilsingleton · Answer

Hi jstarne, Thanks for the tips. I did look at the possibility of printing one of the robots as Sam and I have a replicator 2, but looking at the ARC software it doesn't seem to have all the files needed ? I searched on the forum in case they had been attached somewhere but it sounds like people have been waiting for the new files to be updated in the software. I may still place an order for some boards - although I will have to get something else for his actual birthday. Has anyone got any idea when the files will be ready ? Neil

Jason · Answer

Hey Neil, welcome to the EZ-Robot Community! Sorry for the vague answer, but we will be releasing the 3D printed files very soon! We are just finalizing them for injection molding, and want to be able to share the exact same files with our community. Plus this way, old files (available now) will not be floating around and cause confusion for everyone. It is hard to help someone troubleshoot their prints if half of the discussion is just around what revisions they are using. Thanks! Several files will be uploaded to ARC in about 45 days time assuming they come back without many revisions (based on the first samples we get from the factory). We will make sure to keep you up to date though as they come out. Happy Building!

jayceekeys · Answer

Hey Jason Was that 4-5 days time or did you really mean 45 like you typed? Lol Jay

Jason · Answer

45 days. As mentioned, we want to ensure the files we release are the final files to prevent any confusion with old versions floating around. Each day we are making tiny changes to the designs with he guidance of our manufacturing facility. The time sucks, but will allow us to provide the right advice if anyone has trouble printing parts since we will all be using the same files.

Antron007 · Answer

Since we are talking about 3d printed parts, I'd like to say I've had OK results printing the current, soon to be old, ones so far. I reccomend printing the six and jd body parts with support. as well as any of the male connectors. i havnt printed the rover.

neilsingleton · Answer

Hello Jason, Thankyou for the reply about the files. Just so I know which route is better, if I placed an order in the shop for a whole kit today, would it be shipped around June (you mentioned the files will be 45 days so I'm imagining that it will take a little while after that to make the kit and get it shipped to us). Or might the kits be ready around the same time as you release the files for people to print. I think the kits from you might still be our best bet. Neil

neilsingleton · Answer

Bump

neilsingleton · Answer

Hello all ! Well it's been a while since I posted last and I ended up getting Sam my son some tools for our robot workshop for his birthday! He was overjoyed but I know he had hoped for EZ robot kit so I thought I would pop back on the forum to check in. We're still keen to get involved in the EZ-robot community and have been keeping an eye out for updates. Sam has been learning everything he can in ARC (I'm more physical when it comes to the construction and he's more the programmer !). I'm going to place an order today, but thought I would ask about the print files and progress. I did look at another thread relating to the STL files with anticipation as I had been watching it for some time. I noticed it had been resolved but when I read more it seems that's not the case? Someone from EZ (can't remember which person sorry) said that files were being uploaded this week - but I think it was a hope rather than a firm promise. It would be smashing to be able to print off a part on the same day the order is made - to kind of mark the occasion ! Anyway enough rambling ! Thanks Neil

Mohamed.r · Answer

How old is Sam

Dave Schulpius · Answer

@neilsingleton, "Smashing"? I love the way you guys talk and the inflections used over the on the other side of the "big pond". It's great to be a member of an international community like this. I wish I could help you with answers but you probably know as much as the rest of us if you read through the forum threads. Dates for release keep being pushed back because EZ Robot wants everything to work properly. STL files keep changing as they refine the manufacturing process. It would be a true catastrophe if they made available STL files who's parts didn't work or fit properly when the rest of the kit arrived. Anyway, I or no one here really knows for sure but my feeling is they are very, very close to release but need to be 110% sure everything is ready and working. It sounds like a tremendous process of bringing everyone in the manufacturing process together to be able to ship out a 100% working and interchangeable, snap together product that not only a manufacturing shop can produce but also so a guy and his young son half way around the world can print off in the basement shop. eek The EZ Robot team of wizards are only the start and end of the process. Their the R&D and customer support part of it. There are so many other people and companies involved from physical manufacturing to supply to shipping. It's mind boggling. confused I'm glad your hanging in there with the rest of us. I'm looking forward to seeing what your son comes up with. I know with the support of a good father like you and this forum to back you up he'll have an amazing journey.

neilsingleton · Answer

Hi Mohamed ..... Sam is 8

Dave .... Thanks for the info .... I know I am good with lathes, mills etc but when it comes to code he's always been leagues ahead of me .... Don't know where he gets it from !

Cheers,

Neil

neilsingleton

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