The Owner of Calrad is really into Halloween and every year he put’s on quite the show in his neighborhood which takes almost a month to prepare for. Each year we create and add a new prop to his ongoing collection of scary spooky creatures. Below is a video and screenshots, diagrams of how we created the talking pirate prop.
How we created the pirate + Products used:
The talking Skull is comprised of a 16 channel servo controller for use on a DMX network which operates 6 DC servo motors, 4 DMX channels for L.E.D. eye illumination that was purchased from a company called Skulltronix, website: www.skulltronix.com they manufacture some interesting animated servo controlled skulls and other products that are controlled using the DMX protocol, link to DMX information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMX512. We used a DMX to USB controlled interface box from ENTTEC to communicate with a laptop running xLobby and (VSA) Visual Show Annimation software, website: http://www.brookshiresoftware.com/vsa_overview.htm. Steven wrote a custom API to talk to the (VSA) software, available in the current xLobby release. Functions include (Play), (Pause), (Stop). The skeleton was dressed with a halloween pirate outfit and the chest, accessories were created from scratch using various items from different local stores. The audio L+R speakers are mounted on each side of the pirate head draped in black cloth, the sub-woofer is mounted on the upper step also covered in black cloth and the audio feed connected to the laptops speaker output jack. See the pirate block diagram below for all the technical details.
The pirate is triggered by either the IR motion detector or by a wireless 2 button RF remote that can initiate (Play) or (Stop) animation commands detected by the 72-USB-IO4 module. We wrote a 10 second delay between having the IR motion detector trigger the pirate automatically and allowed the handheld 2 button RF remote to work all the time. We placed white L.E.D strip lighting in the pirates chest so at the 10 second DMX timeline xLobby sends a trigger to Relay no. 1 on the 72-USB-IO4 module to activate the L.E.D lights. At 50 seconds into the pirate aninmation, DMX timeline a lamp above the pirate display flashes on\off while the pirate is laughing, not show in the video because we filmed the clip before we connected the lamp. We wanted to do some other intersting things to the display but ran out of time there were 2 other relay output’s left on the 72-USB-IO4 module to use + we can add additional modules to create other effects if needed. We used xLobby boolean logic events and triggers + API commands to the (VSA) software to create the end result.
Obviously the Pirate Manual Control Screen shown below can be controlled using a IR line of sight remote system or a RF to ir remote, or the xLobby xPad webserver system using an iPad, Iphone or andeoid devices, etc. as well.
What you see in the video: The video starts off with a dialog, 10 seconds into the video clip the pirate chest lights up, 50 seconds into the clip an overhead lamp flashes until the end of the animation then the pirate is reset and all lighting is turned off ready for the next IR motion detector trigger or manual RF remote control trigger.
Download Video, High Resolution: xLobby Halloween Pirate
xLobby Pirate Block Diagram
PDF File: Halloween Pirate Diagram 2011
(VSA) Visual Show Automation Screenshot
xLobby Manual Control Screen
(BOC) DMX Controller board.
DC Servo’s used for hobbyists applications can be used to move differnt types of elements in a halloween setting, the possibilities are limitless for creating movable figures and objects the creations are limited only by your imagination.
Electrocution Guy
Download Video: Bob’s Halloween Electrocution Guy
The Electrocution guy consists of the following items to make it all work.
1. Mounted IR Motion detector to trip the control board that starts the whole animation sequence
2. Air compressor delivery system + Control Board with relays to activate air valves that make him move around, media playback system for the screaming-frying, electrical sound track
3. Fog machine activated by the control board, fog is directed out to a tube that runs up his left leg and into his body to simulate smoke.
4. large sub woofer, speakers with amplfied audio system to simulate the electical activity and screaming effects
5. Not shown in the video but look at the picture above, their is a cable near the cement that moves around + flashes bright white L.E.D.s and has a speaker mounted in the end that emmits a loud sparking sound…simulating sparks at the end.
6. Dimming, flashing spot light to simulate surging or loss of electicity.
7. Flashing Strobe Light for added electrical effects
Time permitting I will update this post with other details or things I forgot to expand on.
Intersted in xLobby technology visit the main website here: www.xlobby.com
Wes Black
