TRICK or TREAT Pumpkin

We are Enric and Ignasi, two third year students of industrial design engineering at ELISAVA. 

Halloween is approaching and this time we have been proposed to make a gadget related to the theme using Arduino IDE. Our idea has been this trick or treat pumpkin.

We all think of the trick or treat of a lifetime in which we are always the people who ask. Well, in this case we have created a pumpkin that thanks to arduino can ask for candy by itself! Read the following steps and you will see what it is all about.

Here is a list of some materials and tools that you need to build the pumpkin. We upload some images that can be useful for you to search for things.

MATERIALS NEEDED

x1 PUMPKIN

x4 LED HOLDERS

x4 ELASTIC RUBBER

1mm Ø STEEL WIRE (20 cm aprox.)

PAPER

x4 M3 SCREWS

x2 TOOTHPICKS

TOOLS

SILICONE GUN

TIN WELDER

ELECTRONICS

x1 Arduino UNO

x1 PROTOBOARD

JUMPERS (2 types- 4 female-male)

x4 LEDS (the color you want)

x1 SERVOMOTOR

x1 HC-SR04 sensor

x1 BATTERY (9V)

x1 battery cable

x1 Arduino-battery connector

x4 RESISTORS (220Ω)

Some 3D printed items (you have the files below)

• servo support
• hinge
• lighting box (right and left)
• piece for led holders

Before starting the physical part we must plan the circuit and the connections of all the components. Here you have the electrical schematic made with THINKERCAD software.

Being a portable object, a battery is necessary. In our case, we will use a 9v battery directly connected to the arduino. You will be able to see it later in the assembly guide.

Once we have the idea our project starts with planning the code. This is possible thanks to a flow diagram where we define in a schematic and clear way the functions of the code, of each component and when they are turned on or off. In short, it is a conceptual summary of the code.

Here is the Arduino IDE code file so that you can open it in the program and install it on your Arduino.

This document below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to build this pumpkin.

Here's everything you need to achieve the final result

To conclude with this project, we can say that we have been able to see applications of the arduino and as we can see in this example allows you to perform this type of exercises and automations in an ideal way. It has a community full of inspiration and concepts without limits.

Speaking of the technical part, being a fully customizable gadget has cost us to find some of the parts for assembly, but nowadays having the 3D printing method easily accessible is not a problem. As for the assembly of the arduino, if you have the basics of electronics is a fairly intuitive method.

We don't have much more to add, just.... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!