AO-Maru Friendly Robot Design Reboot
The AO-Maru Reboot marks the return of one of Leo Blanchette’s most recognizable characters — a modernized take on the original AO-Maru Legacy Series robot.
This version combines nostalgic character design with upgraded 4K materials, rigging, and lighting fidelity, ideal for modern rendering and game engines.
Created in Blender 2.79, AO-Maru now benefits from a cleaner topology and more flexible rigging system.
The model’s structure was refined to express a sense of friendly artificial intelligence — a robot designed for positive interaction rather than intimidation.
Model Specifications
- 3,290 polygons / 2,869 vertices
- Formats: Blender 2.79 (
.blend), FBX - Fully rigged for animation and posing
- 4096x4096 texture maps (color, normal, specular)
- Includes HDRI environment for Blender Internal renderer
- Transparent PNG render setup
- Created and rendered in 2018
Design Philosophy
AO-Maru’s redesign embraces “soft robotics” — blending mechanical precision with organic motion.
Certain body components flex and bend as if rubberized, creating lifelike animation potential while preserving the clean, rounded aesthetic of early 2010s robot mascots.
This reboot also marks a stylistic evolution from the stock-era version: sharper materials, better-defined eyes, and a physicality tuned for both marketing visuals and indie game integration.
Artistic Context
AO-Maru began as a symbol of early web optimism — a cheerful robot who embodied the hopeful energy of human creativity meeting technology.
A decade later, this rebooted AO-Maru retains that charm, now polished for a new era of 3D storytelling and digital branding.
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