The origin · The making · The people behind it
The Story Behind the Story
One real workshop. One imagined future. A droid build that became a world of its own.
BigBob’s project began with a practical idea: build an R2-Q5 and make it easier to control, configure and grow. Every round of feedback shaped the cockpit—from using screen space well to testing a controller, seeing a panel move and adding a new module.
Then came a second story: a missing uncle, a Red Barchetta, outlawed machines and a country shed filled with unfinished droid designs and a future still unwritten. In our original alternate-universe story, Bob starts as an independent maker. When the Solar Federation outlaws his work, keeping the workshop alive makes him a reluctant rebel.
His uncle’s original company was Barclay Automata Works. Explore its recovered archive to discover the machines and unfinished jobs Bob inherited.
Enter the Barclay Automata Works archive ↗
Two ways to open the story
The same 51-second opening, told through cinematic animation and live action. Both feature a text crawl without emphasized words, softer fades, a futuristic transition and an original progressive-rock score.
Cinematic animation
Warm, stylized adventure with a grounded workshop atmosphere.
Download animated cutLive-action interpretation
Weathered machinery, practical-looking props and dramatic light.
Download live-action cutThe Red Barchetta is modeled after a Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta: an open two-seater with rounded fenders, an oval grille, low split windscreens and wire wheels. See the car reference. These are edited preview cuts. Incorrect generated motion has been removed; brief still holds preserve the approved car and droid details. The revised Q5 has a predominantly black body with copper accents, wheeled side legs, a center tripod leg, dome pie panels and two folding front utility arms. The canvas-covered Barchetta reveal returns in both versions. After the discovery, Bob closes the shed doors as a gleaming alloy patrol air car races past with flashing lights and a searching beam. The patrol might be looking for him and the laws he might be breaking; the opening leaves that uncertain. The generated mechanic remains a concept interpretation of Bob. Fictional history and future features are part of the creative vision, not a claim of Star Wars canon or completed hardware.
From the bench to the screen
- Build the real project. A responsive cockpit, controller mapping, visual diagnostics and configurable modules form the software foundation.
- Make the hardware talk. Body, Dome and camera work explores Bluetooth controller input, ESP-NOW communication, Wi-Fi camera access and firmware updates.
- Imagine what comes next. Unsupported accessories can be previewed in software so builders can explore an upgrade before installing it.
- Give the workshop a history. The opening turns the project’s themes—repair, independence and shared knowledge—into a fictional origin story.
The tools behind the work
- BigBob + ChatGPT/Codex: human direction, iterative design, coding assistance and troubleshooting.
- Runway: animated and live-action opening takes and the original instrumental score.
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript and SVG: the cockpit, interactive controls and animated diagnostics.
- Python, Pillow and FFmpeg: exact text-crawl rendering, editing, music transitions and video export.
- PlatformIO, Arduino/ESP-IDF and Bluepad32: firmware development and Bluetooth gamepad support. ESP-NOW and Wi-Fi connect the system’s parts.
- Playwright, GitHub and Sites: browser checks, source sharing and website publishing.
How much code went into it?
2,187physical source lines in this snapshot
37selected current source files
2opening styles · one original soundtrack
Source snapshot: October 4, 2026| Project area | Lines |
|---|
| Dashboard and interactive diagnostics | 492 |
| Body and Dome firmware | 336 |
| Camera integration | 196 |
| Local hardware services and updates | 711 |
| Website and media production | 356 |
| Verification scripts | 96 |
Counted once per selected current file, including comments and blank lines. The dashboard is counted as its assembled HTML/JavaScript source; its component copies are not added again. Older builds, synced copies, private backups, generated binaries and third-party libraries/SDKs are excluded. Minified source can place many statements on a single line. This is a reproducible source-size snapshot, not a measure of hours, complexity or total lifetime revisions. View the exact file list and counts.
The sound of a workshop waking up
“Beyond the Signal” is an original instrumental score: chiming guitars, melodic bass, live-style drums and a dramatic build into the reveal. The opening uses an edited excerpt; the full track is available below.