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2012 Halloween Project — Parallax Forums

2012 Halloween Project

RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
edited 2012-11-06 11:20 in Robotics
That time of year.....to start planning for Halloween.

Each year Wayne's World of Paintball puts on a Haunted Trail for six nights
to raise money for Toys for Tots. My part of the trail is the junk yard that I am
planning on expanding to 9 creature/events this year.

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Comments

  • Nick ErnstNick Ernst Posts: 138
    edited 2012-05-29 11:33
    A little early?...no, just being prepared! If you were located over here on the West coast with us, I would definitely make a trip to come through! Everything looks really cool, and the Propeller makes for a nice control system! Post some pictures when you have it completed!
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-05-30 10:48
    Thank you. If this year, I can feel confident everything is ready to go a week before the first night, that would be a win. Past years haven't had that comfort level.

    This next video focuses on using relays to control motors and how I am progressing on automating the polecat.
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-05-30 11:25
    This is the relay wiring graphic from the video.

    relay.jpg
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  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-06-03 12:39
    I have been less then impressed with the speed and power of servo's ......at least the servo's that I can afford.
    Thinking maybe a small swing arm motor. Yep, I am truely a one trick pony.

    I thought it would perform better with this small jaw. The servo was originally for the doggies jaw but I had to move up to a bigger servo.
    I have a spring in the jaw to help close it when I was doing it by hand. Might
    try it without the spring before moving to another motor.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-06-03 13:03
    Even so, I think the jaw action looks pretty good. Remember it'll be dark, with spooky lighting and (I'm guessing) sound effects. The audience really won't be staring at the dog's jaw opening and closing, especially if you put those red LEDs in its eyes. Shiver!!

    -- Gordon
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-06-04 05:14
    I was hoping for three or four chomps each time the head swings out.

    For sound effects I am using a MP3 trigger board. Each monster has their own sound and this year
    I am going to build a speaker control system that I didn't get around to last year that routes each sound
    to the monster's speaker.

    Last year I ended up using a home theater sound system and piping the sound out to all speakers.
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-06-05 11:47
    Feeling like a doofus. I was using single servo spin and shorting the waitcnt at the end trying to get more speed....keeping the first waitcnt at one second. I didn't see it there, I guess.
    repeat                                                                                                                 
        position:=100                     'Start sending 1ms servo signal high pulses (100 * 10us = 1ms)                                                        
        waitcnt(clkfreq/6+cnt)                'Wait for 1 second (1ms high pulses continue to be generated by the other cog)                                                                   
        position:=30                'Start sending 1.38ms servo signal high pulses (Center position)                                                      
        waitcnt(clkfreq/6+cnt)                'Wait for 1 second (1.38ms high pulses continue to be generated by the other cog)                                                                     
      
    

    Now she chomps pretty good. Can't make the waitcnt any shorter as it never gets to it's full open and close position before turning around.
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-06-10 14:19
    I was hoping to put up pole cat video today, but he has still got to wait a bit before trying the rig. I am having trouble getting the angles right as the arms keep kinking up. This is why I start so early.

    IMG_8755.jpg
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  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-06-17 15:12
    The pole cat rig got a total re-work but he still has a catch in his giddy-up and for some reason the servo has slowed back down again. It is now running 6v instead of 5v which I thought might make it tidy bit faster.

    He has a lot of other motion going on also which I kinda like. Seems less amatron long as he doesn't shake himself loose.
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-06-26 05:58
    Been a bit lazy of recent on this project. I have found what helps me in this state is to make a list of the things I need to do. helps me re-focus.
    It also gives me a chance to do what I was putting off........a pin count.
    2012 HALLOWEEN
    
    1.  Eating sounds on wall spotlight speaker
    2. Remote trigger of spotlights, transformer on/off sound, and warning message on spotlight   speaker
        a. relay for spotlights
        b. 12v dc plug cord for spotlights
        c. control line and ground from control box
       d.  relay  in control box for speaker
    3.  Door creak sound
        a. switch to activate
        b. signal line back to control box
        c. use spotlight speaker/relay
    4. Pole Cat laser line start
        a. Speaker/relay
        b. 12c dc plug for pop-out motor, spotlight, eyes, laser and servo
        c. control line for servo,spotlight,  and pop-out motor
        d. signal line for photoresister
        e. switch/signal line for determining back position 
    5. Head banger
        a. pop-out motor relay
        b. 12c dc plug for pop-out motor, spotlight, and eyes
        c. control line for pop-out motor/spotlight/eyes
        d. speaker/relay
    6. Toilet popper
        a. Speaker/relay
        b. 12c dc plug for pop-out motor, spotlight, eyes
        c. control line for spotlight/pop-out motor
        d. switch/signal line for determining back position
    7. Dog Leaper
        a. Speaker/relay
        b. 12c dc plug for pop-out motor, spotlight, eyes
        c. control line for spotlight/pop-out motor
        d. switch/signal line for determining back position 
    8. Camera/shotgun
        a. (might have sound of stuff falling down on other speaker)
        b. voice of junk yard owner saying “Now you hoodlums are going to pay”
        c. speaker/relay
        d. control line to camera
        e. shotgun gun blast sound
    9. Doggie
        a. Speaker/relay
        b. 12c dc plug for pop-out motor, spotlight, eyes, and servo
        c. control line for servo,spotlight/pop-out motor/eyes
        d. switch/signal line for determining back position 
    10. Ghost in the machine
        a. Speaker/relay
        b. control line for leds and may add a vibration motor to give it some motion
        c. some kind of tetter platform so that it rocks but locked down 
    11. Hood guy
        a. pop-out motor relay
        b. 12c dc plug for pop-out motor, spotlight, and eyes
        c. control line for pop-out motor/spotlight/eyes
        d. speaker/relay
        e. switch/signal line for determining down position 
    
    
    Total number of control/signal lines or pins:
    Control: 19   9 are for speaker control
    Signal:  6* for nordic remote
                 7 for signals from props
    
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-07-08 05:27
    Been playing around with this other method for getting linear action out of a motor.
    Hard to tell without a load, but it might be more efficient then the swing arm
    at popping out my Halloween props.

    [video=youtube_share;DChPB0ZeDPQ]
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-07-10 09:51
    Using 3dstudiomax to try and figure out how to make a metal rod and ball bearing version of this new linear action gear.

    rig2.jpg
    rig3.jpg
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  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-07-24 08:24
    Hey Neighbor! :)

    I'm just a few hours south of you! I'm working on a Halloween prop for this year too, using the Prop as well!

    I've made some cheap linear slides using drawer slides from Lowes or Home Depot before - just an idea I thought I'd throw out for ya :)

    Jamie
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-07-24 11:29
    Strange, this morning putting up dishes I noticed the basket rail in the dishwasher and thought that might work.

    Currently, though I am thinking about making a shuttle on two bars similiar to Ben Heck's heat element shuttle on his 3d printer.
    [video=youtube_share;xJndXebTG9I]

    It would give me a sturdy platform to mount a push rod on one side and the channel for the "orbital bit" on the other.
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-08-24 09:32
    Not where I was hoping to be at by this time as I seemed to be out the whole month of July with a summer flu.

    I do have a working speaker control system but still no sound. By old mp3 board gave out and I can't get a new one
    to work. I am thinking about just going with Agyeman' wav player object and an sd card.

    Found out something simple to most folks but myself. By adding weight to counterbalance the weight of my
    monster hanging from a pivot point, my motor has to work a lot less to move it as it floats at the mid-point so pole cat
    moves faster.

    [video=youtube_share;G7XJnjVWlKc]
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-08-24 10:12
    you are ahead of me! :)

    I just finished hacking a cheapo $3 Chinese MP3 player so I could control it with the Propeller
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  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-08-24 10:41
    you are ahead of me! :)

    I just finished hacking a cheapo $3 Chinese MP3 player so I could control it with the Propeller

    I had considered using IR to communicate with my zune mp3 player, but couldn't figure out an easy way
    to play specific files.

    What kind of monster or monsters are you building?
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-08-24 10:50
    I am working on a Monster in a Box prop - trying to add my own twists to the idea - I'll be posting something up soon as soon as I figure out the Cognew business LOL :)
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-08-31 13:38
    The exciting world of spotlights. Just one of many odds and ends that I have got to put together to get this whole thing to work.

    [video=youtube_share;kW47GGMjYmE]
  • bsnutbsnut Posts: 521
    edited 2012-09-01 01:25
    Its been a while since I posted anything. But, you are talking about one of favorite times of the year and that's Halloween.

    When comes to sound for your Halloween prop, you may consider the AP-16 by EFX-TEK and sold by Parallax. They can be serially controlled, or by pushbutton, or even external voltage (12vdc or 24vdc) which your audio from the SD card that is inserted in the AP-16.
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-09-01 07:57
    Ouch $130 is too rich for my blood - I'm sure it's worth every penny but I don't spend that much on anything LOL :)
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-09-04 06:12
    This is version 2 of the hoodguy Zombie torso. He will be laying face down
    on the hood of a junk car like he went through the windshield and got cut
    in half. Then suddenly he will rise up on his arms when the trail goers come by.



    [video=youtube_share;KAPYzahhjUQ]
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-09-05 03:40
    Very cool! Kinda reminds me of a ground breaker :)

    maybe if you made something like the offset wheel with a drop off so the motor would turn to the highest point - put the zombie back down (that could be slow, right?) and then turn a little bit more to the drop off that pops the zombie up (because of the spring) -
    I have some 6rpm gear motors that would probably work pretty well for something like that

    with that said I have a bunch of electronic parts that I'm willing to share and I created a site (www.makertrader.com) for just such a thing - it's meant to be for Makerspaces and Hackerspaces members to share parts and tools, but it kinda applies here - although you're a little far to swing on by and pick things up that you might need - I wouldn't be opposed to throwing some things in a small priority mail box

    Jamie
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-09-05 05:57
    He was originally going to be a pathetic zombie like the park zombie in the first episode of Walking Dead, just slowly
    going up and down struggling to get up on his arms.

    But now, with this rig I think I can pop him up really fast and have him glaring at them as if he
    is about to jump off and race after them on his arms. More of a modern zombie then the old school.
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-09-05 06:18
    Definitely - that spring is a great idea (which I may have to borrow the idea to bounce my crate up and down) :)
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-09-12 10:26
    I got my new SD card adapters in and started to play with Kye's KISS Wav player to use to
    give my monsters their voices.

    I am getting a bit of hum in the audio. I tried the circuit included in the object. Then I tried a more
    involved one I was planning on using between MP3 player and stereo system. And I tried a op-amp
    low pass filter I found somewhere. I know even less about audio then the little I know of electronics.

    Maybe I am thinking it is a low end noise when it really is high pitched? Tone death I am.

    2012-09-12_104537.jpg
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  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-09-12 10:59
    You know more about this stuff than I do ;)

    did you actually use an LM358 like the schematic or did you substitute some other opamp?

    I googled it and one guy said the LM358 wasn't so great for audio - are there maybe better opamps for audio?
  • RagtopRagtop Posts: 406
    edited 2012-09-12 11:53
    Yeah. The LM358 is the only opamp I have. Don't even remember what project I originally got it for.

    I have seen some mention on this forum about noise caused by not using de-coupling caps on the power
    lines to the propeller. I don't think I used them on the prototyping board. Next thing to check.
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-09-12 12:05
    Looking around I see a lot of schematics (ok maybe like two) that use the LM358 along with some other power amplifier (like Sparkfun's audio amp https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9612)

    what about hacking an old boom box or something just for it's amplifier circuit?
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2012-09-14 14:27
    I googled it and one guy said the LM358 wasn't so great for audio - are there maybe better opamps for audio?

    There are op-amps that are optimised for audio, such as the TL072.
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