David Buckley - about me

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11 April 2021

David L Buckley
A little about me

I was trained in mechanical and electrical engineering at Associated Electrical Industries and Salford Electrical Instruments before studying mathematics at Manchester University. Following a temporary job in the Civil Service I moved on to programming, took a Post Graduate Diploma in Computing at the (then) Polytechnic of North London (PNL). The first computer club in the country started at the PNL which I joined and we started a Micromouse group. In the early eighties I designed two robots, Zeaker and Zero2, which were sold into education and to hobbyists; I was Consultant Editor for 'Your Spectrum' and 'Practical Robotics' both popular news-stand magazines and wrote numerous articles on robotics including sessions for 'The Open Tech' Foundation Courses. In the late eighties I designed and built the experimental 'Shadow Biped Walker' and since then have been designing and building custom electro-mechanical special effects for theatres and museums. Some of the more notable projects being:-

A Robotic-Leg for use in medical research into powered prosthetic legs, designed and built in partnership with The Shadow Robot Company for North Carolina A & T University;
Cycler Presentation Robots used by WasteWatch
various animatronic figures for museums round the world, such as the two animatronic talking figures, the Butler and Dr Mirakel, for the Spririt of Salzburg museum, Salzburg;
a total rebuild of the 'New Invention', a full-size wood-chopping car - invented by Beauty's father, for Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Rd, London;
a 3/4 full-size driveable Postman Pat Van for the British touring show;
the pneumatic special effects for the 'Jack and the Beanstalk' pop-up book for Disneyland Paris, the pages were about 15ft x20ft and real actors moved through the pop-up sets;
all the computer control and pneumatics for the figures in 'Rumpus Mansion' at Blackgang Chine Theme Park on the Isle of White;
the 2/3 full-size animatronic Camels for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the production at the London Palladium and the British and American touring shows;
and the control electronics and software for Jim Whiting's shows - in Cologne, Berlin, Deus ex Machina at the Wapping Pump House London and Bimbotown Leipzig.

I also designed a range of education robot kits which were sold around the world.

In 2014 I decide to retire - but if an interesting project comes along, who knows.

For more details see:-

A list of my robots

A list of pieces I have designed and made

My Portfolio

Some of my interests are:

Robotics and Ai - probably obvious!
Pre and Early History.
Fringe Technology - for example I would like to experiment with assymetric lifters, see http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/liftbldr.htm [2007]
In May 2004 I joined a walking club, walking ~14 miles most Sundays, although from summer '05 I was busy on the Shadow Leg and missed walking.
When I was creating the Cyclers I had some parts made by John Fox, clockmaker, of Sheffield and from time to time he would say "How about doing the ISA Experience" but he wouldn't say what it was other than I'd like it! Well in May 2004, I thought I needed a break and decided to go to Bradford and do the ISA Experience, whatever it was. It turned out to be a self development seminar and I had a fantastic time. So much so that in November 2004 I did the ISA GIT (Graduate Intensive Training) course. The great thing was I didn't have to believe anything, I didn't have to learn anything and I didn't have to remember anything and yet the benefits have been tremendous. Here is a photo of me taken at the end of the GIT. Since then I have enjoyed spending time with the others who were on the GIT and going back and taking part in the ISA Experiences as well as attending a few Satsangs.

[2007]
Well it has been three years since I did the ISA Experience and I wish I had done it years ago, I am fitter, healthier and happy.
Early in 2007 Louise who was on the same GIT suggested that it would be good to attend the Anthony Robbins seminar 'Unleash the Power Within', (UPW), in June at London's Docklands. In all, five from our GIT and a few others we know who have also done ISA took part in the seminar - along with 12,000 others. The Seminar started mid afternoon Friday to some really loud music, Anthony Robbins was a great speaker and by about eight pm all 12,000 were outside queuing up to walk twelve feet across burning coals. I could feel the heat coming off the coals but walking across them was like walking across a lawn after the rain. I really enjoyed the whole weekend and was thankful I had done the GIT beforehand as it enabled me to participate fully in the event.
Later in August I attended Robbins' Life Mastery seminar in St Andrews, Scotland where again the seminar started off with a challenge. This time it was to climb a fifty foot pole and stand on the top then dive off and attempt to touch a white buoy. The whole process was safe because we were harnessed and roped by a specialist company. It was quite windy, somebody said a force four, there were white horses being raised on the sea by the wind and the tops of the poles were moving about six inches in the gusts. I have never liked heights but as soon as I realised that the worst that could happen was that I fall off and hang on the rope and the only way down - besides climbing down - was to jump off anyway, climbing onto the top of the pole was like climbing onto a foot stool. The difficult part was keeping my balance in the wind, the view from the top over the bay was fantastic, I could look around and down past my feet without getting dizzy and the dive off the top was easier than jumping into a swimming pool. Here are some pictures of the poles and me on the top before I stood up straight and looked around. In the shot I am busy focusing on one of the white bouys while standing up, not easy in the wind.

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