Journal of Engineering and Architecture

Utilizing Laser Cutting, 3D Printing and 3D Scanning to Create an Affordable Fully Interactive Prototype of a Full Size Animatronic Figure
Christopher W. LaMorte, Haowei Wang

Abstract
This paper offers a systematic approach to a low cost method to manufacture a fully interactive animatronic figure from readily available technology. A very low cost German shepherd animatronic figure prototype is manufactured in this research. The prototype is capable of neck, jaw and tail movements as well as sound. The jaw, neck, and tail movement mechanisms are powered by servo motors. Arduino programming is used to synchronize the movement of the various mechanisms, including moving the jaw to the audio source. The manufacturing techniques include laser cutting, additive manufacturing and 3D scanning. The electrical hardware includes a microcontroller and a power supply. A Spark Fun Inventor’s kit is used to combine the Arduino programs with the hardware. This helps to coordinate the audio and the overall animatronic figure movements. The goal of this research project is to introduce into the public domain low cost commercially available technology for manufacturing animatronic figures and to provide a cost efficient alternate manufacturing method to the entertainment industry.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jea.v3n1a1