I Completely Redesigned WALL-E’s Front Panel… Again! | Project WALL-E Ep.6

This week we’re doing something a little different… The original recording ran to well over an hour, so I’ve split it into two separate videos. This first part focuses entirely on redesigning WALL-E’s front panel, simplifying the wiring and making everything far easier to assemble and maintain. In this episode you’ll see: • A redesigned front panel layout • Ribbon cable connectors replacing bulky wiring • Illuminated push buttons with custom 3D printed light guides • TFT display mounting improvements • Adding a 16-channel I²C GPIO expander • Addressing I²C devices correctly • SMD resistor soldering and testing • Building distribution boards for cleaner wiring • Plenty of real engineering decisions… including changing the design halfway through! One thing I always try to show on this series is that development isn’t a straight line. Sometimes you build something, realise there’s a better way, and start again. That’s exactly what happened here, and I think the finished design will make the larger WALL-E build much easier later on. Part 2 (Episode 7) is also releasing today, where we move on to fitting the chassis, tracks and the main logic and power boards. If you’re enjoying following the build, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next stage of Project WALL-E. Thanks for watching! 00:00 Introduction & Why This Episode Is Split 01:13 Redesigning WALL-E's Front Panel 04:48 Replacing Connectors with Ribbon Cable 06:57 Illuminated Buttons Concept 13:36 Adding an I²C GPIO Expander 16:50 Configuring the I²C Address 21:26 SMD Resistors & Front Panel Electronics 27:45 Building the Illuminated Buttons 36:01 Next Time: Chassis & Logic Board #wall-e #esp32 #electronics #robotics #3dprinting #maker #arduino #diyrobot #engineering #bambulab #soldering #embeddedsystems #makerprojects #robot