You've seen those fun, interesting characters that move, wave, jump, and scare the heck out of you in haunted houses at Halloween. Those are called animatronics, and sometimes called mechatronics. Many are very sophisticated and difficult to build, but many are very easy. In this article we'll offer some tips on how you can get started with simple projects.
Tip 1 - Don't be overwhelmed by those complex animatronics props you see in pro haunted houses. Some day you may want to build those, but for now, start small. The first thing you might want to do is eye some animatronics in action. A great way to do this is to keep your eyes open whenever you go to the grocery store, hardware store, or craft store. Watch for any interesting displays. If you stay alert, you will often see rotating signs advertising in-store specials. They're usually cardboard signs attached to a motor that is powered by a consolidate of small batteries. Look inside of them. Go around back and see how they are assembled. A goldmine for checking out interesting objects is any store that sets up holiday displays. Study those displays and you will learn a lot. You will see that most of them control with very simple motors and levers.
Animated Halloween Props
Tip 2 - Learn about simple levers. You will be amazed at how easy and fun it is to make objects move with basic levers. They are one of the most leading ingredients in approximately all animatronics and mechatronics.
Tip 3 - Read about animatronics. Your local library and the internet are great resources. Crusade for terms like animatronics, mechatronics, and robots.
Tip 4 - Go online or to your local hobby store and buy basic hobby kits that contain gears, motors, and other animatronics. Not only will you learn a lot, but you will have expansive fun!
Make Halloween Animatronics - Get Started building Your Own provocative Props