One of the scariest, but sometimes funniest, motifs in exciting films is probably the painting with the eyes that seem to follow you. To help you bring this concept into reality, there is the design for a three-dimensional face with animatronic eyes that actually move and follow you. As challenging as that may sound, the Maker 101 channel on Hackster.io shows that it's simple enough to be considered an entry-level project, combining 3D printing with an Arduino Nano and a few well-integrated electronics.
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Introducing the animatronic face from Squid Games
Get ready to build an animatronic Squid Game boss face using 3D printing, servo motors, a PIR motion sensor and a DFPlayer MP3 module. This spooky addition to any home will fit the Halloween spirit or even serve as a conversation piece. The eyes move in response to movement while a spooky sound plays, making it eerily interactive.
If you're curious about how to control eye movements and trigger motion-based sound files, this project is a good place to start. The PIR sensor detects movement, synchronizes servo motors for eye movements and triggers audio playback with the DFPlayer, creating a realistic animation.
Required skills and parts
This face with animatronic eyes is considered a beginner's project, but some skills are required. Maker 101 designed a custom printed circuit board to integrate the Arduino Nano microcontroller and other electronic components on one board and made this design available for purchase on PCBWay.
The key electronic components for the project include:
|
component |
Crowd |
|---|---|
|
Arduino Nano microcontroller |
1 |
|
DFPlayer MP3 module |
1 |
|
PIR motion detection sensor |
1 |
|
Servo motors |
5 |
|
Speakers for audio output |
1 |
Other components include capacitors, resistors, connection blocks as well as socket and connector strips for the Arduino and DFPlayer module. The full list of parts needed can be found on Maker 101's PCBWay project page.
The animatronic eyes and electronic components for the project
If you are not familiar with soldering, consider using PCBWay assembled circuit board service. The required circuit diagrams and a parts list can be found on the project page.
In addition, you need to 3D print the face and eye parts and then assemble everything. Thanks to Maker 101's detailed instructions and YouTube video demonstrating the setup, this should be easy for DIYers who already have at least a few projects under their belt.
Building the animatronic face
To 3D print the face and animatronic eye parts, you can use PLA on any standard 3D printer. In the Maker 101 example, the parts were printed at medium quality settings. More advanced DIYers could use smaller layer height settings and even use sanding and painting techniques to achieve a more polished look.
3D printing of the face mask
The project website contains the STL files for 3D printing all components for the face. These parts include:
|
component |
Crowd |
|---|---|
|
mask (face) |
1 |
|
Eyeballs |
2 |
|
eyelids |
2 |
|
Servo holder (to hold all servos in place) |
1 |
|
Universal joints (to allow smooth movement for the eyes) |
2 |
|
Support rods |
2 |
|
Back plate (to cover electronics and for easy wall mounting) |
1 |
After printing the parts, you can assemble everything and start testing. Maker 101 walks you through the instructions step by step. Therefore, be sure to follow the instructions. There you will also find the code required for the Arduino Nano.
The main code uses the DFPlayer library to control audio playback and the PIR sensor to detect motion. When motion is detected, the code triggers the servos to move the eyes and simultaneously plays an audio file.
This seamless coordination makes the animatronic eyes look super realistic. The code processes various actions smoothly and ensures that eye movements and sound playback transition seamlessly.
An eerie piece of wall decor that interacts with your guests
After testing everything and assembling the mask, find the ideal place to mount it on the wall. You can easily power it with a 9V power adapter, but you should either hide the power cable or power the face from a battery pack.
You should place the mask in a location where there is likely to be a lot of traffic so that the mask can react to people passing by and follow them with its gaze while shouting urgent calls to them. Maker 101 provides the framework for a much more challenging project.
Imagine adding more sounds or even conversations to the mask's audio repertoire, or perhaps LED lights that illuminate when motion is detected to enhance the visual effect of eyelids and moving eyes. Thanks to this foundation for inspiring decor, the sky is the limit.