NieR:Automata-Machine Lifeform

NieR:Automata-Machine Lifeform  (1:12 Scale)

Story Background:
Nier: Automata is set in a distant future where Earth has been invaded by alien mechanical lifeforms, forcing humanity to flee to the Moon. The world is filled with ruins and remnants of machinery, with Earth now a desolate place dominated by robots and an unknown mechanical civilization. The story revolves around the conflict between humanity, androids, and mechanical lifeforms, exploring core philosophical questions about existence, life, and consciousness through an unfolding narrative and the introspection of its characters.

Small Short-Legged Mechanical Lifeforms
Small Short-Legged Mechanical Lifeforms are the basic units of the alien mechanical army, characterized by their small size, swift movement, and simple yet frequent attacks. They often appear in groups and are equipped with close-combat capabilities. Some can self-destruct, while others use lasers or other ranged weapons. Although these machines lack complex battle strategies, their sheer numbers and collective attacks can pose a significant threat to the player.

Design Concept

• The model replicates the various moving joints of the Small Short-Legged Mechanical Lifeforms from the game and animation, allowing for a wide range of poses and high playability.

• The model height is 120mm.The head can rotate along the XYZ axes. Each arm has 14 movable joints from the shoulder to the fingers. Each leg has 2 movable joints, and the front and rear feet are independent. The chest can rotate 360 degrees.

   

   

Printing and Assembly

• Recommended material:  PLA Basic
• The majority of the model is printed using a 0.4mm nozzle.
• The last print plate ，The arms and fingers both include integrated printed bearings, with internal resistance mechanism. A 0.2mm nozzle is required to ensure that the bearings inside each joint do not stick together.
• The last print plate, Please enable dynamic flow calibration when printing. For different materials, if the bearings are too tight or too loose after printing, you can adjust the flow rate slightly by increasing or decreasing it around 0.02 from the base value of 0.98.
• Smooth PEI plate is the priority choice. For the plate using a 0.2mm nozzle, as it contains small finger components, it is recommended to wipe the Smooth PEI plate with alcohol or apply glue before printing.
• After printing the arms and fingers, they should be left to cool for a few minutes to allow for internal shrinkage.
• The three bearings in the arms have resistance components, so initial movement requires more force （If resistance is too high, dry the filament if necessary）. You can use small needle-nose pliers and a piece of tissue to gently apply force to get them moving, but be careful not to apply too much force to avoid damaging the parts.    
• The printed finger parts can be moved by applying slight pressure with the hand, allowing the joint bearings to move.
• The installation of the fingers and wrists should be secured with filament.
• It is recommended to print the eyes using transparent filament,  as it will make them more vibrant.
• The front and rear parts of the head can be aligned using filament holes for positioning, and a small amount of glue should be applied to secure them.
• No glue is needed for the assembly of the other parts.

For detailed installation, please refer to the diagrams：

Added Arm assembly procedure 

Update 20250530     LED-ready head upgrade with expressive eye options

Bring your machine lifeform to life — literally.
This upgraded head is designed to support Bambu Lab’s Single LED Magnetic Control Light. A dedicated compartment behind the eyes allows for easy installation of the LED module. With magnetic sensing built in, the light can be turned on/off or toggle between modes simply by waving a magnet nearby — no switches required.
Even without the LED, the head preserves the original look and fits seamlessly into your setup.

The eyes come in three expressive styles:

• A clear version for a clean, minimal aesthetic
• AMS dual-color versions: clear + yellow for a peaceful, passive expression, or clear + red for a more aggressive, combat-ready appearance

Once the LED is installed, light shines through the colored base, giving your model a glowing gaze — soft or intense, depending on your chosen combination.

For detailed installation, please refer to the diagram：

Update 20250108

The tolerance of the multi-angle pivot on the body used to fix the arm has been adjusted. Now, the damping effect when the arm is fixed to the body is stronger than before.

Update 20250307

Adjusted the insertion force at the connection between the thigh root and the body.
Update 20250319

The rotational damping of the bearings at the hip joint and ankle has been appropriately increased, while also improving the smoothness of rotation.

UPDATE 20250608

Adjusted the tolerances of the holes in the hand and fingers for easier assembly.

Increased internal resistance in the wrist and elbow joints to improve rotational feel and stability.

The upper body support has been optimized
 Update 20251117

Reduced the insertion force for the legs, making assembly smoother.
Underarm bearing cups are now printed separately and mounted on the body, preventing the previous support structure from causing the spheres to be uneven.
Increased the internal resistance of the wrist and elbow bearings, improving overall joint stability.

The arm has been updated to include two versions.
ARM PLATE 1 is the standard version (recommended for printing first).
ARM PLATE 2 increases the internal resistance at the wrist and elbow joints (print this one if you feel the wrist and elbow joints in Disk 1 have lower internal resistance. This is mainly because different filaments and printers can result in variations in joint resistance).