Enchanted Silhouette

A house that is not what it seems...

This project consists of an enchanted interactive house created from scratch with an Arduino Uno, some components (leds, a servo and a sensor) and cardboard.

At first sight it seems a normal and familiar house. However, once you are around, the Ultrasonic Distance Sensor detects it and the mansion turns to be enchanted. Spiders, devil eyes, a ghost, knives and bats appear. When you move away from the sensor, the house returns to normal. It can be totally customizable!

How the circuit has been connected and its schematic view can be seen in the photos. Furthermore, a short video of the project is also attached.

Supplies for the model:

1. Black cardboard

2. Paper

3. White foam board

4. Black foam board

5. Paper rolls

6. Transparent thread

Arduino and components:

7. Arduino Uno

8. Micro Servo Motor (SG90)

9. Distance Sensor (HC-SR04)

10. White Leds - x2

11. Red Leds - x2

12. Yellow Led

13. RGB Leds - x2

14. Cables

15. Circuit board (PCB)

Tools:

16. Scissors

17. Cuter

18. Silicone gun

19. Tin welder

20. Tin

21. Cable stripper

Draw the desired shape of the windows in black cardboard and cut them with a cuter.

Draw or print the desired silhouettes in black cardboard and cut them with the scissors. Make double silhouettes for the ones that are flying (back and front). Make holes for the silhouettes with led eyes.

If printed, an example of silhouettes is attached. (Print it in white paper, cut it and trace it to the black cardboard)

For the base and the walls, use white foam board and cut with the cutter the desired size. Use paper for the back walls. Keep in mind to leave space on the side walls for the scroll mechanism.

Use the silicone gun to join the silhouettes, the walls and the windows above the base. Be careful with the silicone gun since it burns a lot and don't injure yourselves like us :(. (If you're little ask for help to your parents).

Take paper rolls and join it together with the silicone gun until the desired length (a bit longer than the base). For each flying silhouette: cut some thread, place it in the middle of the silhouettes (one in front and the other one behind) and join it with the silicone gun. Then, join the threads to the rolls and the servo inside in one side. Finally, join the paper rolls to one side of the wall and an smaller roll to the other side, entering a small part inside the big roll.

Put a led to each silhouette with eyes: a red led for each kid and the yellow led for the cat. Put the rgb leds, one in each window, behind the white papers. Cover the cables with white tape and also cover the back of the silhouettes with leds so the light shows only in the eyes and not behind them.

For the lightning we will cut the shape of a lightning in a black cardboard and glue a white paper behind it so the light diffuses a bit. Weld the corresponding electronic components to some PCBs and attach it behind the lightning wall.

Make holes to the middle window to put the sensor on it.

Programe in Arduino all the functions. Connect the components to the Protoboard and test all works well.

The Arduino code is attached below. (If you have the company of a cute dog, better).

When all of the code and controls have been verified as working, use a cable stripper to cut the cables and weld them together until the needed length. In order to prevent bad contacts and short circuit, tape the welded cables to isolate them.

Join all the electronic components to the foam board, behind the back walls.

The following image is the flow diagram that shows in a visual way how the Arduino code works on our enchanted house.

This project was great to put in practice the first part of the course. Our objective was to design and implement a product for Halloween using the elements that we have learnt. We are proud to say that the results obtained are satisfactory and fulfills our expectations. Although it has took a lot of effort and time due to it is made from scratch, we enjoyed the process.