Animatronics For Everybody (Part 1)
posted Apr 9, 11:04 PM by Puffo
In this 5 part series I will cover creating basic computer controlled animatronic figures using cheap parts and the best off the shelf software. At the end of this series you will have a fully animated figure that will be able to sing songs and scare pets. Every month I will be adding onto this series until the project is finished. The end result will be a figure that has double jointed arms, a swiveling head, and a fast moving mouth. I’ll then explain how create a soundtrack and add cloth or fur to finish with a realistic creature. The creation of more advanced projects will also be discussed.
Here is my previous creation. I’ll be taking it apart and building a new creature with you during this series. This guy was a monster I built for Halloween. He has fully movable arms, a swiveling head, moving mouth, and ability to breath smoke.
Parts Required:
- 1 Mini SSC2 module
- 1 Serial to USB cable
- 6 HS-311 servos
- 1 AC-DC adapter 6v 2.1a
- 1 copy of Brookshire Software’s VSA
- 1 Box of wood coffee stirrers
- 1 Windows computer 98/NT/2000/XP with a serial or USB port
You will also need:
- Hot glue
- Electrical Tape
- Scissors
- Audacity
Next time we will test out the servos and software. We will then begin to put together a frame for the creature.
In this 5 part series I will cover creating basic computer controlled animatronic figures using cheap parts and the best off the shelf software. At the end of this series you will have a fully animated figure that will be able to sing songs and scare pets. Every month I will be adding onto this series until the project is finished. The end result will be a figure that has double jointed arms, a swiveling head, and a fast moving mouth. I’ll then explain how create a soundtrack and add cloth or fur to finish with a realistic creature. The creation of more advanced projects will also be discussed.
Here is my previous creation. I’ll be taking it apart and building a new creature with you during this series. This guy was a monster I built for Halloween. He has fully movable arms, a swiveling head, moving mouth, and ability to breath smoke.
Parts Required:
- 1 Mini SSC2 module
- 1 Serial to USB cable
- 6 HS-311 servos
- 1 AC-DC adapter 6v 2.1a
- 1 copy of Brookshire Software’s VSA
- 1 Box of wood coffee stirrers
- 1 Windows computer 98/NT/2000/XP with a serial or USB port
You will also need:
- Hot glue
- Electrical Tape
- Scissors
- Audacity
Next time we will test out the servos and software. We will then begin to put together a frame for the creature.
