Oct 25, 2015 | By Benedict

Halloween is just around the corner, and many of you still can’t make head nor tail of your costume—even with Kira’s top 3D printed costumes and props! To inject some animal energy into proceedings, why not try making your own 3D printed animatronic tail? The accessory could provide the finishing touch to a fetching black cat, werewolf, or any other beastly outfit. Trust us, you don’t want to arrive at a Halloween party and have to leave with your tail between your legs because you’re the only one not dressed up!

So what does building your own animatronic accessory entail? Over at Adafruit, Phillip Burgess has provided detailed instructions for making a wagging animatronic tail using only a handful of components. Use your 3D printer to help you out: this animatronic tail utilises a 3D printed casing for its Arduino-powered electronics. We have summarised Phillip’s instructions below.

To make your own 3D printed Halloween tail, you will need the following items:

  • 5V Trinket microcontroller
  • Micro servo [Phillip’s 3D printed housing is designed for this kind]
  • Power source. Either:
  • 3x AAA battery holder w/switch
  • AAA batteries
  • JST connector
  • Extension cable
  • A tail of relatively low weight [due to the small servo]
  • 3D printer
  • #4-40 and #2-56 machine screws and nuts
  • Zip tie

Using batteries to power the tail is cost-effective and ensures a robust connection. Alkaline batteries are advised, as they will give the tail a more powerful wag than will other kinds. To connect the battery pack to the microcontroller requires soldering, so seek assistance if you are unfamiliar with the technique!

Wiring

Have your microcontroller, battery pack, and JST connector to hand. Start by “tinning” one of the JST pads on the back of the microcontroller. Heat the pad and apply solder to the entire surface. Hold the JST socket in place with tweezers and re-melt the solder, allowing the part to sink into the correct position. Repeat this procedure for the remaining pads, until the connector is fully connected to the microcontroller.

Cut the connector from the servo, leaving about 3 inches of cable attached, then strip and tin the ends of the wires. Solder the servo’s brown wire to GND of the microcontroller, the red wire to BAT+, and the orange wire to the pin marked #0.

3D Printing & Assembly

The 3D printed electronics enclosure is comprised of four parts, which are fastened together with the machine screws listed in the inventory. The 3D printable files can be downloaded here. Set your 3D printer to the following settings: 220c; 2 shells; 15% infill; 0.2 layer height; 40 speed. The total printing time should be around one and a half hours. Insert the clip.stl ledge into the bot.stl slit. Insert a #4-40 screw into the tab so it threads through both parts. Do not fully tighten the screw; fasten it only until the tip of the screw thread peeps through to the other side. Position the top part of the casing over the servo and align the cover standoffs with the holes in servo tabs. Insert two #4-40 machine screws into the top part. Insert the microcontroller into the box.stl part with the JST port facing the cut out. Screw two machine screws into the box.stl part.

Position the top.stl part over the box.stl part at the point where the lip goes into the frame. Press it down into place, before fastening a #4-40 machine screw into the mounting hole near the bottom center of the top.stl part. Place the bot.stl part over the box.stl part and push it into place. Fasten the screw until its head is flush with the part. Get the servo teeth in the centre with the orientation relative to the clips position, then press the attachment into the servo tooth. Fasten a #2-56 machine screw into the hole of the attachment to secure it to the servo. Find the center of the ziptie and gently fit it inside the slit of the servo horn. Enclose your tail within the ziptie and pull it tight.

Code

Once your Arduino IDE software has been configured to work with the Adafruit microcontroller, the relevant code can be found here. Adjust the tail length variable to the actual length of your tail, in meters.

Inspired? Have a go at building the animatronic tail—you’ll be done in two shake’s of a lamb’s tail if you really put your mind to it. Happy Halloween!

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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Kevin wrote at 10/26/2015 2:10:31 AM:

I predict "wearable appliances" will be big. and by that I mean tails, rabbit ears, possibly an extra tenticle from the shoulder. They'll start out as toys of course, just the ability to move and look pretty , but will develop more strenght and even be down right useful, eventually.



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