Talking Head: a Talking Hat
Introduction: Talking Head: a Talking Hat
Animatronics and puppets have been a part of the entertainment industry for a very long time. In 1961 <PERSON> and his "imagineers" started developing animatronics for the entertainment industry; their first project was a 9" tall dancing man figurine. As robotics advances more electronic actors can be seen in film. For example, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Jaws were both robotic creations.
While it may be expensive and complicated to enter into the world of advanced animatronics, it doesn't take much to fabricate a simple creation. Depending on what the outer shell is, a simple mouth can give the illusion of life to an inanimate object! Puppets are normally controlled with a person's hand, but they could just as easily be controlled with a cheap motor. 900
This project serves as an introduction to analyzing sounds and controlling a motor based on what sounds are playing through a talking hat! The hat used for this project is a top hat, but one could easily change what the exterior is with a bit of planning and forethought; the most difficult portion of this construction is the electronics and programming, and one of those is already done for you!
Supplies
Tools
* Hot Glue Gun/Glue
* Utility Knife
* Simple Soldering Kit
* Sewing Supplies
* Scissors
* Tape Measure
* Marker/Pen/Pencil
* Any Electrical Wiring Tools (Side cutters, wire strippers, needle nose pliers)
* 1" Width Masking Tape
Materials
* Felt Top Hat
* 1 Servo Motor
* Some cardboard (enough to cover 1 cross section of the hat interior)
* Zipper
* Adafruit 4 Ohm 3W Mono Speaker
* ESP32 Dev Board
* MP3 Player Board
* Class D Amp Board
* AUX Splitter
* AUX Cable
* 3x AA Battery Holder
* Half Size Breadboard and Wires
* Heat Shrink Tubing Set
* Micro USB Cable (For Programming the ESP32)
Step 1: Hat Construction
1.1 Cut out the mouth
* Mark a path approximately 1" from the top of the hat around 1/2 of the hate circumference. 1" tape can be used to help measure this.
* Use an exacto knife to make 3 cuts:
+ 2 will run from the top of the hat vertically downward 1", one on each side at the marks
+ 1 will follow the bottom line of the guide tape, connecting the previous 2
*Be mindful of where you are cutting; do not cut yourself!*
1.2 Cut inside lining of fold
* Fold the flap of the hat back and cut the inside lining of the fold. This allows the fold to be more flexible and allow the mouth to open easier.
1.3 Cardboard layer/mounting plate
* Use a piece of scratch paper to create a template for the electronics mount.
+ Placing the paper on top of the hat and creating a rough sketch of the hat shape is a good place to start.
* Cut that paper out and see how it fits inside the hat. The goal is to have the paper template rest close to the hole of the hat
+ If it is too small, get a new piece of paper and try again.
* Transfer the template to cardboard.
* Press the cardboard into the hat.
+ If the cardboard rests 7/8" to 1" under the bottom lip of the jaw, it is in the correct spot.
+ If the cardboard rests below the previously mentioned range, the template is too large.
o In this case remove the cardboard, cut where the cardboard is not seating nicely, and place it back in.
o Repeat until the cardboard rests in the proper position.
* If the cardboard rests above the previously mentioned range, the cardboard is too small and you will need to cut a new piece.
You can always take material off, but you cannot put material back on. It is generally better to cut it too large and remove material as opposed to cutting entirely new pieces.
1.4 Zipper/Back cut
* Make a cut similar to the cut for the mouth in the back of the hat for back access to the electronics.
+ This can be done in a similar way using tape as a guide to cut a straight line.
+ This cut should be at the top of the hat, but not all the way. Remember there is some material inside the hat to provide sturdiness; the cut needs to be made right below that material. A safe thickness is 1/4".
* Sew a zipper to this cut to help close/open the back access to the hat.
* Fold the flap back and cut the inside lining of the fold. 98