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Monster in a Box — Parallax Forums

Monster in a Box

GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
edited 2012-11-07 05:43 in Propeller 1
Hey guys! Here's a video showing my project that I was working on (and asking all the n00by questions) LOL

http://youtu.be/2pkMfcFDVvs

I have the Propeller Proto board driving a MP3 player, fog machine remote, stepper motor, and strobe light - and reading a PIR sensor for my Monster in a Box Halloween prop

for the MP3 player I am turning on power to it through a 2n2222 transistor, the fog remote had a battery that I just couldn't get to match right so i am just "pushing" it's buttons with two reed relays (the fog machine works by pressing an on button and then a separate off button) - the strobe light is on when it's plugged in - no other control - so I spliced it's wire and am controlling it's power through the relay board, powered by the 5V regulator from the Prop Proto

there's a few things I have to fix for next year - you can't hear the MP3 sound when the box is bouncing the lid - so I need a better set of speakers or amplifier and I would like the bouncing of the lid to be more random - which I can control by changing up my steps to the stepper - should be easy enough but I BARELY got this done in time to scare the kiddies last night :)

thanks for everybody's help on the forum - without you guys answering my questions I'd have never finished this!

Jamie

Comments

  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-11-01 06:21
    That's great, I imagine it freaked out quite a few Trick or Treaters last night.
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2012-11-01 07:20
    Excellent! A miniature battery version to take on public transport would be wonderful (though I can see "issues").

    Add rubber bands to the roller following the cam to reduce the lid noise? Replace chains with (bloodstained, frayed) ropes for same reason?
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-11-01 07:25
    Thanks and thanks for the suggestions - but I was kinda liking the loud banging :) I was just thinking I'd make the audio louder ;) but maybe I should quiet the rest down a bit too ;) hehe
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2012-11-01 12:04
    That's fabulous! I love the creativity and ambition you've manifested. The only thing I can think of adding would be a chaotic animatronic oscillator, such as binky (Tom Jenner) recently presented, to shake the lid.

    He's got great analog designs here (starting at about 4:40), but it sounds like he's working on a digital approach, too, based on the Propeller.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,670
    edited 2012-11-01 12:14
    Very cool project. It looks like you used a wood circle with irregular spokes attached to a motor to make the lid bounce up and down. That's pretty clever...
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-11-01 12:20
    Thanks Guys!

    Although I cannot take credit for the idea, nor some of the implementation :) the Monster in a Box has been done before and I got the idea for the cam follower (the disk with the "bumps") from one of the other ones out there :) the fog machine, strobe light, stepper motor, and using a microcontroller are my twists on the original though (which used an old drill for a motor) :) hehe
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,108
    edited 2012-11-01 19:49
    I wrote a lot of MIB code this season -- as I do every Halloween season -- for the EFX-TEK Prop-1 (BASIC Stamp 1 ) controller. Most of the Propeller stuff I did was advanced animations, often with multiple shows; some controlling servos, one even broadcasting DMX cues to another device.

    If you can add an air supply a randomly fired pneumatic will give you much more lively performance from the lid. You can point one down, too, to cause the box to jump up and down.

    Congrats on a successful prop -- and now that you have the platform, you have ~364 days to make updates! :)
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-11-02 04:14
    I wanted to avoid doing the air thing for this first prop - I was already in over my head with all the electronics that I didn't want to add air to the mix LOL but I WILL start to get into it - I've got an air compressor so I need some pneumatic solenoids and I'm good, right? :) Maybe next year will be some air driven props ;)
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,108
    edited 2012-11-02 06:02
    There are lots of good sources of pneumatic components. I tend to get mine from my friend, Brian Warner at Evilusions (http://www.evilusions.com/store/pneumatic-components).

    Halloween props is a healthy addiction where you just want things to be better and better every year!
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2012-11-02 07:13
    Wow! 3/4" bore, double-acting, 2" travel, $34.

    All kinds of cool ideas come to mind! A game I made recently included a Propeller and four servos. It was a surprising hit (no pun intended). Pneumatics would take it to a whole new level. Almost steam punk.
  • robotboyrobotboy Posts: 30
    edited 2012-11-02 09:10
    How do you use MP3 noises?
  • eldonb46eldonb46 Posts: 70
    edited 2012-11-02 10:47
    Home made pneumatics are cheap; a solenoid, a section of PVC pipe, with a smaller plugged PVC plunger with a small sock and rubber band as the gasket, makes for interesting pop-ups even with a leaking air sounds.

    Also, high pressure air escaping from a section of 1/4 inch surgical rubber tube makes for unexpected movement is a darkened passage way.

    My son has used many of these tricks in his Halloween Hunted Houses.

    It is ALL fun and games in October.
  • CircuitsoftCircuitsoft Posts: 1,166
    edited 2012-11-06 17:39
    GeeksGoneBad wrote: »
    Yeah you couldn't even hear my MP3 player over the slamming of the lid (which I will fix next year) so if you just wanted the lid slamming noise then all you'd need would be the motor, cam, cam follower - it was pretty loud and scared every visitor :) success! hehe
    Need help with that for next year? I love doing audio stuff.
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,983
    edited 2012-11-06 18:19
    GeeksGoneBad wrote: »
    Thanks and thanks for the suggestions - but I was kinda liking the loud banging :) I was just thinking I'd make the audio louder ;) but maybe I should quiet the rest down a bit too ;) hehe

    Shades of creep show, NICE WORK!!!

    Nah, keep the change er I mean chains. Maybe have the prop vary the motor speed for a bit more random opening. Oh, maybe add a couple of pneumatic lifters to the box to make it jump up a bit as well. Maybe mirrors or reflectors around the top lid to illuminate the ground when the lid is up and the strobe fires. Could not see much effect from the internal lights in the video.

    Oops, late to the party, looks like JM already suggested lifts.......
  • GeeksGoneBadGeeksGoneBad Posts: 100
    edited 2012-11-07 05:43
    Thanks guys!

    yes I think for next year I will just get louder speakers, or mount the speakers outside the box where you can't see them - simple - easy :)

    I had worked on electric solenoids to try and bounce the box up and down (because I didn't want to venture into pneumatics yet) but they were not nearly powerful enough to make the box move violently enough - they lifted it, but it was lame LOL - I will probably start playing with pneumatics before next year so we'll see on that :)

    I think part of the problem with the strobe was that I made the lid recessed in an attempt to make sure the stuff inside was hidden from view but I think I choked off some of the light too
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