April Fool's Day Hoax

Here’s my completed robot.
I scratch-built everything from the waist down, plus the sensor rings. I took more than four years to build him, but it can be done in far less than that. You could spend anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 on this project, depending on materials and features.

My robot and I are pictured in the 4th edition of Flint Mitchell's book that started it all, You Can Build the Lost in Space Robot. Click here to order your own copy from Amazon.com.

It’s certainly possible to build the B9 robot from the classic TV series Lost in Space. All it takes is time, patience, and some money to play with. My own robot (pictured at left) is now complete, and I’ve gathered some information to help get you started on your own project:

A little history – When Irwin Allen first conceived the idea for Lost in Space, there was no robot or Dr. Smith character. It was only after the pilot episode was shot in early 1965 that he decided to give the Robinsons a mechanical companion.

Rather than incur the expense of designing and constructing a robot costume from scratch, Allen remembered that MGM had a perfectly good robot gathering dust in its prop department. He made a few phone calls, and within days the Robby costume was on the 20th Century Fox lot, ready for screen tests.

Despite its proven track record, the Robby costume was ultimately deemed unsuitable for the role, largely because he did not fit through the door of the Jupiter 2 without ducking. Soon afterwords, Robert Kinoshita, who had created Robby some ten years earlier, was hired to build a replacement robot. Almost no physical evidence of Robby's days on the Lost in Space set has survived. However, we now know that Kinoshita’s robot design from Forbidden Planet was the original B9 robot and Irwin Allen’s first choice for Lost in Space.

These rare behind-the-scenes photos are proof of Irwin Allen's initial plans for the robot character:

Veteran performer Bob May brought the robot character to life for three seasons of Lost in Space. He worked without a screen credit, as producer Irwin Allen wished to retain the illusion that the robot was an actual computerized servant. Today Bob appears at conventions with replicas of the B9 robot costume.

If you're curious about starting the project, or just want to know more, The B9 Robot Builders Club is the place to explore. Click here for the site.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this April Fool’s Day hoax.
Email me: mthompson11@gmail.com

Click here to return to reality

The Bermuda Triangle Plans
You can build the robot's waist, legs, and feet the same way that I did with these templates & instructions. Contact me for details.