Starling Technologies 1/6 B9 Robot Plug-N-Play Life Force Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | February 2014 | Manufacturer | Starling Technologies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | B9 Robot Plug-N-Play Life Force Kit | Scale | 1/6 |
| Kit Number | N/A | Media | Pre-assembled electronics modules and fiber-optics |
| Pros | Provides a great way to bring the Moebius kit to life | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $95.00-$130.00 (see text) |
First Look
Starling Technologies produces an interesting range of electronics modules for science fiction subjects as well as other applications. This is their Lost-in-Space Robot B9 Life Force kit which is designed for the experienced modeler that doesn't want to deal with electronics assembly/soldering. This system is literally ready to go straight out of the bag.
Steve Causey installed this system in his Moebius B9 build review and the results were very impressive. He used the $95.00 version which doesn't include a remote control.
Starling Technologies sent a slightly different unit for us to examine (and also install in a B9!). This is the $130 system which includes a remote control system (the receiver is in the upper left of the image below and the transmitter looks like an automobile one-button key fob). Click on the image below to see a larger view.
This system has an audio module which produces 17 pre-recorded phrases from the TV series and a lighting module which produces random LED blinking lights for the chest panel and an audio-synchronized red light tube that illuminates in synch with the pre-recorded phrases. This system is powered by a 9-volt battery but you can opt for a wall-power module instead. The kit also includes fiber-optics that you will route through your Moebius model to illuminate the various buttons and lights as well as heat-shrink tubing to build your fiber-optic bundles. The kit has a nice PDF instruction manual to walk you through the installation and integration process.
What is really nice is that the various cables are pre-wired with quick-disconnect connectors to allow the system to be installed in the kit without de-soldering/re-soldering various lines. There are also three control switches in the system which are usable with or without the remote control. One is power on/off, one activates one of the 17 pre-recorded messages, and one is a reset button that re-sychronizes the audio and voice tube (should you shut off the system in mid-sentence).
Here is a YouTube video of our very first, literally straight out of the bag test:
This is a really well thought-out and designed product which will bring the Moebius kit (or other B9 robots out there) to life. How can you not want to light up and animate that Moebius kit?
Definitely recommended!
My sincere thanks to Starling Technologies for this review sample!