That sounds great! Would love to hear about some of your special effects. I’m always looking for something to add.

Here’s a few ideas that I’ve built:

1. Guests walked out onto a dock where an 8’ shark jumped at them, blood dripping from its mouth
2. As guests walked down a hall, they see an empty chair in a sitting room. When they approach, a ghost family appears in the chair.
3. In a corner, a gypsy medium appears with a crystal ball. Selected guests appear in the crystal ball as the medium tells their fortune.
4. An alien spaceship in the sky shot a fluorescent/ black light laser at the guests, followed by a blast of CO2
5. A 12’x12’ animatronic dragon was ridden by he-man. He is fighting another dragon. He was quite physically attractive, with a 6 pack and other rippling muscles
6. “Tool Time” set was recreated, with tools randomly activating. When “Tim Taylor” stuck a screwdriver into an electrical box, sparks flew and “Tim” and “Al” were transformed into skeletons (lighting effect)
7. Inspired by the movie Willard, guests walked into a basement scene. Skeletons in a suit bag and various rats adorned the scene along with boxes, trunks, old style wiring, etc... one rat was a puppet, who moved and addressed the guests. Suddenly the guests felt rats running over their legs while behind them, a wall of rats crawled over the boxes and down to their feet
8. A 12’x10’ high Mayan temple appeared over a rope bridge. When entering the temple, the guests were blasted with fog. Inside the temple, the walls were alive with hands reaching out to terrify the guests
9. The entrance to the Haunted House was through the mouth of a 8’x12’ skull, with moving eyes.
10. Entering a junkyard, guests were greeted with a pair of floating ghosts, hovering over their heads. Random headlights and the sound of a junkyard dog completed the illusion

 

Here’s a few ideas that I’ve built:

1. Guests walked out onto a dock where an 8’ shark jumped at them, blood dripping from its mouth
2. As guests walked down a hall, they see an empty chair in a sitting room. When they approach, a ghost family appears in the chair.
3. In a corner, a gypsy medium appears with a crystal ball. Selected guests appear in the crystal ball as the medium tells their fortune.
4. An alien spaceship in the sky shot a fluorescent/ black light laser at the guests, followed by a blast of CO2
5. A 12’x12’ animatronic dragon was ridden by he-man. He is fighting another dragon. He was quite physically attractive, with a 6 pack and other rippling muscles
6. “Tool Time” set was recreated, with tools randomly activating. When “Tim Taylor” stuck a screwdriver into an electrical box, sparks flew and “Tim” and “Al” were transformed into skeletons (lighting effect)
7. Inspired by the movie Willard, guests walked into a basement scene. Skeletons in a suit bag and various rats adorned the scene along with boxes, trunks, old style wiring, etc... one rat was a puppet, who moved and addressed the guests. Suddenly the guests felt rats running over their legs while behind them, a wall of rats crawled over the boxes and down to their feet
8. A 12’x10’ high Mayan temple appeared over a rope bridge. When entering the temple, the guests were blasted with fog. Inside the temple, the walls were alive with hands reaching out to terrify the guests
9. The entrance to the Haunted House was through the mouth of a 8’x12’ skull, with moving eyes.
10. Entering a junkyard, guests were greeted with a pair of floating ghosts, hovering over their heads. Random headlights and the sound of a junkyard dog completed the illusion

Wow. That blows me away in spades. Not even going to attempt that.
I’ll be happy if I can just get my skeleton to move his head back and forth and up and down. Wondering if there is some type of servo out there that can operate like a gimbal

 

Wow. That blows me away in spades. Not even going to attempt that.
I’ll be happy if I can just get my skeleton to move his head back and forth and up and down. Wondering if there is some type of servo out there that can operate like a gimbal

Not that I know of. But you can use two servos and a gimbal-like mechanical connection.

Start with a solid circle. The base of the head connects to the center of this circle. Also, place 2 axles in a line across the circle.

Make a second circle -a donut- whose inner radius is a bit larger than the inside circle. In one edge, mount the inner circle axles. Then mount 2 axles on the outer radius of the donut 90 degrees to the first axles...

Connect one servo on the donut whose arm connects with two ball joints to the servo arm and the inside servo at right angles to the inner circle axle. You can also mount the servo on the inner circle and the ball joint on the donut.

Connect a second servo on the torso whose arm connects with two ball joints to the second servo arm and the donut servo at right angles to the donut outside axle.

With this mechanical arrangement, you can position the head wherever you want.

You can make the gimbal assembly with 5mm hobby aircraft plywood. The axles could be brass rod or finish nails.

 

Not that I know of. But you can use two servos and a gimbal-like mechanical connection.

Start with a solid circle. The base of the head connects to the center of this circle. Also, place 2 axles in a line across the circle.

Make a second circle -a donut- whose inner radius is a bit larger than the inside circle. In one edge, mount the inner circle axles. Then mount 2 axles on the outer radius of the donut 90 degrees to the first axles...

Connect one servo on the donut whose arm connects with two ball joints to the servo arm and the inside servo at right angles to the inner circle axle. You can also mount the servo on the inner circle and the ball joint on the donut.

Connect a second servo on the torso whose arm connects with two ball joints to the second servo arm and the donut servo at right angles to the donut outside axle.

With this mechanical arrangement, you can position the head wherever you want.

You can make the gimbal assembly with 5mm hobby aircraft plywood. The axles could be brass rod or finish nails.

You are amazing at this stuff!!
Thanks again so much.

 

Hoping I can pick your brain with setting up the Arduino with the pneumatic actuators and solenoids I’ve ordered

 

Hoping I can pick your brain with setting up the Arduino with the pneumatic actuators and solenoids I’ve ordered

Well you found yourself a fine anamatronic guy. I am sure he will be happy to guide you along. My only advice would be start simple. Halloween is drawing close.

Ron

 

Well you found yourself a fine anamatronic guy. I am sure he will be happy to guide you along. My only advice would be start simple. Halloween is drawing close.

Ron

Yeah I know. Every year I tell myself to get started no later than August or September yet for the last 5 years I’ve always started late