Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This video continues my previous tutorial series describing how to use an Arduino to create an animatronic controller that receives input from a radio control transmitter (such as designed for RC drones, planes, etc.), and applies logic to translate that input into movement via an array of servo motors.
In this video, I'll demonstrate a robot tentacle arm which I modified based on the design at thingiverse.com/thing:6986. It is comprised of a number of sections held between joints. Successive joints alternate between allowing the connected sections to rotate in either the y-axis or the x-axis, but not both. This creates flexibility of movement, while retaining rigidity for the entire arm to not simply collapse. The arm is 3D printed, but you could create a similar mechanism out of wood or many other materials based on the same design. One side of the arm is put under tension using rubber bands or springs, and a thin fishing line or wire is threaded down the opposite side and attached to a servo motor, which can pull or relax the string to move the arm in that axis.
See the first video in the series at youtu.be/B4sA7E0Byt0
Access the Arduino code and wiring diagrams on my GitHub account: github.com/playfultechnology/arduino-animatronic
See earlier videos in this series here: youtube.com/watch?v=B4sA7E0Byt0&list=PLogiUurtMYtR_7X77K_LTeUZcUgLBA3LU&index=1
Part of my Escape Room Tech Advent Calender for 2019!
For my Escape Room tech projects, see patreon.com/playfultech
This video continues my previous tutorial series describing how to use an Arduino to create an animatronic controller that receives input from a radio control transmitter (such as designed for RC drones, planes, etc.), and applies logic to translate that input into movement via an array of servo motors.
In this video, I'll demonstrate a robot tentacle arm which I modified based on the design at thingiverse.com/thing:6986. It is comprised of a number of sections held between joints. Successive joints alternate between allowing the connected sections to rotate in either the y-axis or the x-axis, but not both. This creates flexibility of movement, while retaining rigidity for the entire arm to not simply collapse. The arm is 3D printed, but you could create a similar mechanism out of wood or many other materials based on the same design. One side of the arm is put under tension using rubber bands or springs, and a thin fishing line or wire is threaded down the opposite side and attached to a servo motor, which can pull or relax the string to move the arm in that axis.
See the first video in the series at youtu.be/B4sA7E0Byt0
Access the Arduino code and wiring diagrams on my GitHub account: github.com/playfultechnology/arduino-animatronic
See earlier videos in this series here: youtube.com/watch?v=B4sA7E0Byt0&list=PLogiUurtMYtR_7X77K_LTeUZcUgLBA3LU&index=1
Part of my Escape Room Tech Advent Calender for 2019!
For my Escape Room tech projects, see patreon.com/playfultech
