Finding Jim Henson in Junk: Animatronic Bots Will Make You Smile
Using junk to build animatronic bots is whimsical and amusing. These cobbled-together bots are just filled with personality.
animatronics
Animatronics Kits for Learning
I just stumbled across the Star★Bot animatronic platform kit out of the community of makers in Florida. It’s designed for kids to “create animatronic robots and learn microcontrollers, mechanics and papercraft.” Its Kickstarter campaign ends in a few hours! Pat Starace developed the kits at FamiLAB “Central Florida’s provider of space, tools, and community for creative technical learning and projects.” (All the organizers for the Orlando Mini Maker Faire met at FamiLAB.)
Inside the Art and Technology of Robot Combat League
Mark Setrakian’s presentation on the art and science behind Robot Combat League. See giant fighting robots go from concept to reality TV.
The American Scream, a Film About DIY Halloween Enthusiasts
The film “The American Scream” explores the motivations and preparations of three extreme Halloween enthusiasts in Massachusetts, who go all-out decorating their yards and houses for Halloween. It looks pretty interesting.
A Peek Inside an Animatronic Display Workshop
If you’ve ever walked along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan during the holiday season, no doubt you’ve seen the incredible animatronic store displays in the windows of stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. In this excellent video, Cool Hunting interviews Lou Nasti, the animatronic mastermind behind many of these displays. Lou is the owner […]
DIY Magic Mirror kits
Al Linke’s DIY Magic Mirror first appeared on our radar back in 2008, when Al posted a classic Instructable describing the project, which went on to win the Tech Grand Prize in our 2008 DIY Halloween Contest. Al’s Magic Mirror features a Snow-White style floating, talking face in a gilt-framed mirror with an amazingly wide variety number of integrated and integratable functions–breathalyzer, weather forecast, stock tracking, X-10 lighting control, doorbell input with camera feed, Picasa-based slideshow, various themed personalities, etc., etc. He’s selling them, now and gets $219 for the kit.
Giant robotic spider invades Japan
Giant robotic spiders have struck again. First it was Liverpool, England, now it’s Yokohama, Japan. It’s painful to watch as terrified humans in white shirts and black slacks, stuck to the underbelly and carapace, struggle to free themselves. La Machine (the “theatrical engineers” who created this mechanical monstrosity) [via Laughing Squid] More: Photos of La […]