How to Make Self-moving Skeleton

In this tutorial, we are going to diy a self-moving skeleton by using some servo motors and a 5 Channel Servo Player and also at the same time associated with music playing function. The video linked above shows the final demonstration of the skeleton moving with everything done.

Before getting started, you will have to get these things prepared.

Materials that you need.

1. Unused cardboard

2. A4 paper

3. Tape

4. Wastepaper or unused newspaper

5. Iron wire

Tools that you need.

1. Hot glue gun. with hot glue sticks

2. Scissors

Steps to make a skull:

1. To make a skull, firstly you will need a skull template. This template is available online. You can get this template by kindly clicking on this to download the template and print it out.

2. Next, after printing out the template, one can start making the skull step-by-step by following the video here.

3. The outcome is shown above.

4. After that, one can glue unused newspaper or white wastepaper onto the skull to beautify it. The picture is shown above.

5. Next, try to separate the jaw from the skull in the way that the jaw is movable. You may use iron wire to establish this purpose. This is shown in the picture above.

Before you start constructing the frame, first of all get these tools and materials prepared.

Materials that you need:

1. PVC pipe

2. PVC tees x7

3. PVC 90ᵒ elbows x4

Tools that you need:

1. Hacksaw (or anything that is able to cut PVC pipe)

2. Meter ruler or Tape ruler

Steps to make a frame:

1. Measure the length desired and mark it on the PVC pipe.

2. Next, use hacksaw to cut the pipe through the mark on the pipe.

3. Cut the pipe and construct them as shown in the picture above.

Before starting to do any step, you will need to prepare all the tools and materials listed below.

Materials that you need:

1. Iron wire

2. Wastepaper or unused newspaper

Tools that you need:

1. Pliers or Wire cutter (Scissors is not recommended here since it might damage your scissors)

Steps to make a skeleton arm:

1. First, measure an appropriate arm length on the iron wire and fold it up to 5 or 6 times. The result is like the picture shown above.

2. Next, wrap the folded wire by using unused newspaper or wastepaper (A4 size) as shown in the picture above.

3. Later, use iron wire to wrap it tightly. The outcome is shown above.

4. Step 1 to 3 is repeated for another 3 times.

*Note: The purpose of using iron wire is due to its flexibility and at the same time to ensure that it is firm enough to withstand the weight of the skeleton hand.

Before starting any steps, you shall get all these tools and materials ready.

Materials that you need:

1. Cardboard or unused box

2. Wastepaper or unused newspaper

Tools that you need:

1. Hot glue gun with hot glue sticks

2. Scissors

3. Ruler

4. Pencil

Steps to make a skeleton hand:

1. One can start making the framework of the skeleton hand by following this link here. Remember to use hot glue gun to place where necessary.

At this stage, the things that are needed to prepare are:

Materials that you need:

1. Transparent tape

2. Iron wire

Steps:

1. Attach the skeleton hand to the skeleton arm by using iron wire and transparent tape. The picture is shown above.

Getting the materials prepared.

Materials that you need:

1. Wastepaper or unused newspaper

2. Glue

3. White paper masking tape

Steps to wrap the skeleton arm and hand:

1. Tear wastepaper or unused newspaper into portions and rolls them irregularly.

2. Then, put those paper portions into the empty space of the framework. Also, you can also use glue to stick those paper portions so that they can stay at the positions. The result is as shown in the picture above.

3. And also, you can glue some paper portions to the finger part to make it looks much more creepier.

4. Next, you can start the wrapping process of skeleton hand and skeleton arm by using white paper masking tape. You can kindly refer to the picture above to learn the way to do that. The result is shown in the picture above.

Before getting to this step, firstly get all these tools and materials prepared.

Materials that you need:

1. Tower Pro Micro Servo Motor 9g SG90 x1

2. Tower Pro Servo Motor MG995 (Metal Gear) x2

3. Servo Bracket (U Joint) x1

4. Servo Bracket (Servo Holder) x2

5. Aluminium Metal Round Servo Motor Holder Servo Disc MG995 x2

6. A small piece of polystyrene insulation

7. Iron wire

Tools that you need:

1. Hot glue gun with hot glue sticks

2. Screwdriver

3. Pliers or wire cutter

Step for installing motor for skull part:

1. Firstly, cut an approximate size of Micro Servo Motor at the polystyrene insulation block so that the motor can be fitted into it.

2. Next,cut any desired length of iron wire that is long enough in order to connect the micro servo motor and the jaw of the skull.

3. Use screwdriver to screw all the necessary parts.

4. After that, use hot glue gun to apply hot glue to the polystyrene insulation block and later place it inside the skull. This can be seen from the picture displayed above.

5. Then, attach a Aluminium Metal Round Servo Motor Holder Servo Disc to the inner side of Servo Bracket (U Joint) by screwing them together. This is shown in the picture above.

6. Screw Aluminium Metal Round Servo Motor Holder Servo Disc on the larger surface area side of Servo Bracket (Servo Holder). Later, insert Servo Motor into servo holder and the screw them together. This is shown in the picture above.

7. Attach the whole servo motor to the servo bracket (u joint) and later use screw them together. This can be seen from the picture above.

8. Now, attach another servo motor to another servo bracket (u joint) and then screw them.

9. Later, place these two servo motor together through the way displayed in the picture above.

10. Lastly, attach the motor to the frame and the skull to the motor. At this step, you can use hot glue in order to achieve this. You can also refer to the picture above for more details on how it is done.

Things that are needed to be prepared:

Materials that you need:

1. Servo Bracket Interconnect x2

2. Aluminium Metal Round Servo Motor Holder Servo Disc MG995 x2

3. Servo Bracket (Servo Holder) x2

4. Tower Pro Servo Motor MG995 (Metal Gear) x2

5. Iron wire

Tools that you need:

1. Hot glue gun with hot glue sticks

2. Pliers or wire cutter

3. Screwdriver

Steps for installing motor for skeleton arm:

1. Attach a Servo Bracket Interconnect to the end of the skeleton arm by using iron wire. Then apply hot glue to the related area to achieve a firm connection between the skeleton arm and the servo bracket interconnect. You can refer from the picture above. Repeat this step for another skeleton arm.

2. Next, screw Aluminium Metal Round Servo Motor Holder Servo Disc MG995 to the other side of the servo bracket interconnect. The pictures is shown above. Once again, repeat this step for another skeleton arm.

3. Later, attach a Servo Bracket (Servo Holder) to your desired height of the frame and use iron wire to fix it at that certain position. Next, use hot glue to ensure that the servo holder is firmly attached to the frame. This can be referred to the picture above. Do this step in the same way for the other side of the frame. The result is shown above.

4. After that, place Tower Pro Servo Motor MG995 (Metal Gear) to the servo holder. Use two screws and nuts to fix the servo motor at the servo holder. Two pairs of screws and nuts are enough to firmly hold the servo motor at its position. This is shown in the picture above.

5. Then, attach the skeleton arm to the servo motor. This is shown in the picture above.

6. Finally, screw the skeleton arm and you can refer to the picture located above.

Firstly, get all these materials and tools ready.

Materials that you need:

1. Red light emitting LEDs x2

2. 220Ω resistors (or resistors of value more than 220Ω) x2

3. Multi-core red wire (1 meter) x1

4. Multi-core black wire (1 meter) x1

5. Soldering wire

6. White paper masking tape or tape

Tools that you need:

1. Soldering iron/gun

2. Desoldering pump

Steps to make the eyes:

1. First of all, get all the components arranged according to the schematic above.

2. Next, solder the components together.

3. After done soldering everything, install "the eyes" to the skull. You can use tape to assist in the "eyes" installation. Place the "eyes" somewhere in the centre of the empty space of eyeball. The result is shown above.

4. Then, the VCC and the RUN part shown in the schematic above is connected to the interface connector of the 5 Channel Servo Player.

Here we are going to install adjustable IR sensor.

1. To achieve this, the wire of adjustable IR sensor is being attached to the interface connector of the 5 Channel Servo Player. The interface connector is specially designed to interface with sensors or microcontrollers. This can be seen from the picture above.

2. After that, you will have to fix the position of the adjustable IR sensor at a certain height instead of letting it hanging in the air. Thus, by using available resources such as iron wire and so on, we tried to set the sensor at a certain height as shown in the picture attached above.

Now installing RF remote control.

1. And also, we are trying to trigger the activation of the 5 Channel Servo Player wirelessly. Hence, we are going to install RF remote control to the interface connector of the 5 Channel Servo Player. You may refer to the picture displayed above.

Finally, connecting the eyes, 5 Channel Servo Player and Mybotic MP3 Player together.

1. You can refer to the sample hardware installation above. It tells you the method of interfacing 5 Channel Servo Player and Mybotic MP3 Player together and also how to connect the eyes to the 5 Channel Servo Player.

1. Now, we are going to use a cardboard or anything that is rigid enough to hold the two controller boards, which are the 5 Channel Servo Player and the Mybotic MP3 Player. The two controller boards are then being placed onto the cardboard and small marks are being marked according to the position of the PCB stands. Then, the screws of the PCB stands are being screwed into PCB stands. You may refer to the pictures located above for better reference. Then, the piece of cardboard is fixed at the upper part of the frame by using iron wire or other wire-like materials to bond it together with the frame.

2. After getting everything ready, here is the last step: Use black cloth to cover the entire skeleton. This aims to cover all its internal parts and at the same time to achieve the decoration purpose too. The final result is shown in the picture above.

Steps to record movement into the 5 Channel Servo Player (RC servo controller):

1. To record movements or motions into the 5 Channel Servo Player, you can click here and you will be directed to the user manual of 5 Channel Servo Player (RC servo controller).

*Note: To understand better the ways of functioning this servo player, you can watch the videos linked here: 5 Channel Servo Player Overview, 5 Channel Servo Player - Interfacing with Sensor, Walking Robot with 5 Channel Servo Player, and Gripper with 5 Channel Servo Player.

Steps to set songs into the channel of Mybotic Mp3 Player:

1. To know the ways of setting specific audio file into specific channel of Mybotic MP3 Player, you can click here and you will be directed to the user manual of Mybotic MP3 Player.

*Note: To understand better the ways of functioning this MP3 Player, you can watch the videos linked here: Overview of Mybotic MP3 Player and Mybotic MP3 Player - Interfacing with Sensor.

Once everything is done, then you are ready to go! Have fun with your own self-moving skeleton!

The video above records the process of us recording movement into the 5 Channel Servo Player and also set specific audio files to one of the channel of the Mybotic MP3 Player.