Animatronic Owl

**MrSkully** · 09-15-2009,06:45 PM

Hello all.

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time for new projects this year, so I've had to really focus on a handful of favorites. One of these projects, an Animatronic Owl, is part of our "mood setting" creatures for our haunted yard display.

In the summer I purchased an Easy Gardener Motion-Sensored owl:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Gardener-8021-Defense-Electronic/dp/B000FJRSOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1253068389&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Easy Gardener 8021 Garden Defense Electronic Owl - Sound And Motion Sensored: Home & Garden[/ame]

and servo controls for a custom beak and wings. He's not 100% done yet (he needs his "feathers", but here's some movies I took during various phases so far.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HWx3xcpEVk]YouTube - Animatronic Owl Head Movement Test 2: Freeze Ray[/ame] -- Beak movement test (Freeze Ray Song)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcX0xjls7Sk]YouTube - Animatronic Owl Wing Test[/ame] -- Short and basic wing movement test
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZerGBACSP4k]YouTube - Prototype Animatronic Owl Integration Test (no audio)[/ame] -- Full body integration test (no sound

)

For now, I'm leaving the original motor / sensor controls for the head movement, but I may eventually put a servo in place of that mechanism as well.

I'll try to share some more once the feathers go on (maybe this weekend!?!?) Here's to hoping.

**Mr_Chicken** · 09-15-2009,07:06 PM

I've been following this build on youtube...Very cool!

**Calloween** · 09-15-2009,07:10 PM

is that wizard board?

**MrSkully** · 09-15-2009,07:18 PM

No. It's a servo recorder from Servocity.com. I use it for general testing and other grunt work around the haunt.

**Calloween** · 09-15-2009,07:25 PM

That was my second thought

**hedg12** · 09-15-2009,07:51 PM

Very cool! I have a Gemmy owl I bought from Lowes last year that I'm doing basically the same thing with, but no wings. I'm jealous!

(Dr. Horrible's tune was a nice touch, too.)