Light Up Skull With Proximity Sensors

I modified a plastic light up skull and installed LED strip lights to create a customizable, light up Halloween decoration! The build also uses a proximity sensor to detect when people are nearby, allowing for changing colors as people get closer or a fun, light up jumpscare! You can also shake the skull to change between 3 different modes.

1. Plastic Halloween Skull Decoration. Theoretically, any hallow plastic skull will work, but I used the "Light Up Color Changing Medium Skull Halloween Decorative Prop" from Target (link below).
2. https://www.target.com/p/light-up-color-changing-medium-skull-halloween-decorative-prop-hyde-38-eek-boutique-8482/-/A-83940832#lnk=sametab
3. Note: All dimensions for this project will be based on that skull, but it could easily be scaled to fit any model.
4. Circuit Playground Bluefruit microcontroller outfitted with the most recent CircuitPython release.
5. Instructions on how to set up CircuitPython can be found at https://circuitpython.org/
6. 1/8in Baltic Birchwood (This skull calls for 118 square inches)
7. Adafruit VL53L1X Time of Flight Distance Sensor w/ Stemma QT Connector
8. Battery Pack
9. Small, portable speaker
10. Adafruit NeoPixel LED Dots Strand (20 LEDs)
11. Alligator Clips
12. Laser Cutting Machine
13. Wood Glue
14. Krazy Glue
15. Masking Tape

This includes the code file for the Circuit Playground Bluefruit and the wav music file

1. Using https://en.makercase.com/#/, create a "Basic Box" svg file with dimensions corresponding to the skull of choice. This build calls for dimensions of 5x7x2 inches and finger edge joints (see below for file)
2. Upload the svg file to Adobe Illustrator to convert laser printing format. In addition, 3 holes must be added...
3. On the lower, middle of the front facing edge piece, cut a 0.8x0.5in hole for the Time of flight sensor.
4. On the back facing edge piece, cut another 0.8x0.5in hole for power input
5. On the backside of the top piece (corresponding to the back of the skull base) cut a circular hole with radius 0.5in to run the strand lights through
6. Add any engravings for decoration (I put "Happy Halloween" on the front above the sensor hole)
7. Upload and cut the design onto the 1/8in birchwood with the laser cutting machine. Glue the box together using the corresponding finger edge joints, but DO NOT glue the top piece on.
8. Let dry for 24 hours, and the box is good to go!

Speaker: Audio and Ground

Light Strand: Screwed into Ground, VOUT (Power) and A1 (Signal)

TOF Distance Sensor: STEMMA QT connection: 3.3V (Power), SCL (Clock), SDA (Data), Ground

1. Using a knife or some other cutting device, carve a hole in the back rear of the skull. This hole does not need to be a specific size, only large enough that the strand lights can be threaded through it out of the box.
2. Place the Bluefruit and all of it's auxiliary connections in the box.
3. Using masking tape, tape the TOF Distance sensor so that the sensor faces out of the front hole of the box.
4. Connect the battery to the Bluefruit from outside of the box, threading the power cord through the rear window.
5. Place the top on and thread all of the strand lights out of the top of the box.
6. Thread the strand lights up through the hole in the bottom of the skull and place the skull on to of the box.
7. Once everything appears to be working properly, the skull can be krazy glued to the top of the box to hold it in place

By turning on the speaker and the power supply, your skull will begin tracking and work immediately. Congratulations!