I am way too stupid and lazy to ever try this, but the way you explain everything is brilliant. The skeletons are also really cool. You have earned the updoots for the KZread algorithm.

As someone who makes puppets, gotta say you are probably going to get a lot of puppet makers interested in this channel! You explain things in a way that makes it easy and as someone with no experience in animatronics I appreciate telling us exactly what parts you used. I'm trying to get an idea of how to make moving eyebrows & blinking eyes and your videos are really helping me wrap my head around how it works. Good job! Keep it up!

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!! It’s great to hear that from a fellow puppet maker :) and I’m glad I could help!

3 years ago i was in a rough spot. 3 years ago i was searching for something to make me sane. 3 years ago i found this video. Today im working on going to school to work on animatronics. Thabk you so much for this tutorial and inspiration.

LOL the little tiny hand on the super special box got me. Thanks for this, I'm looking for ideas and this seems much simpler than some of the others!

There are a few other friendly folks showing how to do basic, diy animatronics, but your vids are by far the easiest to follow, most precise, and informative. So thanks. This is all appreciated so much!

Your little hand is magical. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and setup.

I've made several of these. Works great Catherine!

Woah. I love this stuff. Like animatronics and robots. Right now I’m taking STEM class on this stuff and we’re about to start projects on this stuff. I always loved the Chuck E. Cheese animatronics which are powered by air with air cylinders and valves. I’m a complete beginner to this stuff going as far as circuit boards and stuff like that. I’m always watching KZread videos about animatronic stuff like that. I’m looking to build animatronics and robots as my career when I grow up. This video really helps because now I kinda know the function of servomechanisms a little bit.

@ilya8132

3 жыл бұрын

Same here! I wish you luck - maybe we can create together on a team in the future!

@belleeden

3 жыл бұрын

Same Im new to this and really want to make an animatronic

@gabrielgalapon4466

3 жыл бұрын

Me too I'm literally new here

@gabrielgalapon4466

3 жыл бұрын

I can program an animatronic thought I'm just 12 years old, the real problem here for me is where the hell am I going to get the parts lmao

@ilya8132

3 жыл бұрын

@@gabrielgalapon4466 See if you can google "local RC Store". They're a good place to start. If that doesn't work out, there's also online ordering if you have access to that.

Yes, yes, yes! Finally, thank you so much. I have been looking for a great start tutorial for this. Can't wait to scare the kids this year! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

This is fantastic! FULL of simple, high quality information! I was just wondering about how I'm going to run a number of pieces off of one mini Maestro board! Question answered! Thank you Kat!

Great video. Very inspiring to bring my Halloween to the next level. Also you are a great communicator. It’s fun to watch you explain your passion. Keep it up!

I love your videos! So helpful and very interesting, love seeing creators that clearly love what they’re doing

Awesome job! A creative and different approach to animating skeletons, love it!

Just got everything you have shared here, im excited to see it come together. I will share how it goes, thank you for making these videos, thank you for being you!

Thanks Cat, I built my first character for this Halloween and it was a lot of fun

EXCELLENT introductory video, very well made. Catherine is a natural "explainer" with a great personality and is very much at ease in front of the camera.

Great video! The skeletons look amazing, very natural movement!

You are so talented and so incredibly smart, I subbed! :) Tons of Love! (Ekrcoaster sent me)

Thank you so much for uploading this video!. I am in the process of ordering all the required parts to make my own skeletons. Keep up the amazing work and looking forward to seeing other projects.

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and how exciting! Good luck with your skeletons!

wow, i love your videos, giving new ideas for my Halloween props., lots easier than others I've seen, thanks a lot, keeps up the good work, keep making awesome videos., my kids love your videos too.

this is nice i have some vex motors left over from my highschool day and was looking for a halloween use for them but all the props i have seen use this large white prop motor so it is refreshing to see a use for the small servos

Nice job. Nice tutorial. Very complete and easy to understand.

4:40 I have the HS-55 for the mouth mechanism for one of my skeletons, it's very loud which is only worsened by the fact that it's inside his skull and gets amplified lol

Wow, wow, WOW! Amazing! I couldn't subscribe fast enough! Thank you for posting this and your other videos!

Question: is there a way to add a feature so that the plastic skeleton can move its hands for example like playing the piano?

@reactory3719

4 жыл бұрын

@Cas Reniers Yes, something like that. Though I'm thinking of making a parody of Johnny rotten from the Sex pistols or sid vicious

@kevinmosteller5600

3 жыл бұрын

Can u make one of these pirates for me plsssss

@reactory3719

3 жыл бұрын

Kevin Mosteller nope, sorry cannot

@katierohwer1740

3 жыл бұрын

I think?

Very generous of you to share your knowledge friend!

(EDIT 7/3/2021: Watch the stream here! kzread.info/dash/bejne/nqyVstKbZ6i6fto.html) LIVE STREAM: Hey everyone! I'm working on several live streams covering the full process of how to make and program a skeleton like this one! The first stream will be held on ** Saturday, June 26th 2021 at 3pm ET ** In that stream I will go over the full parts list and answer any questions you may have. All of the streams will be held here on this KZread channel, so subscribe to stay updated on those. See you there!!! --------------------------------------------------------------- Parts List: www.patreon.com/posts/full-parts-list-52299892 -------------

dude you are my new hero!

Love this video! I spend soo much money on Halloween and I feel guilty just buying stuff, not super good in terms of the electronic parts but great with wood and metal work so I’m gonna start learning!

Thank you young lady! You're very helpful and educational. It's helping me take baby steps in a new world. It's something I've always wanted to do and I'm exploring! Thank you!

I just found your channel. Super cool work! I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your videos. My own animatronic/parade float is stuck in drivetrain hell right now. I'm waiting for a new lathe chuck so I can machine some critical parts. But I'm looking forward to experimenting with linear actuators and electronic controls later. I have previous experience in industrial automation, but that was all pneumatic systems and PLCs 20 years ago.

It’s amazing that even women can build animatronics, which I like more power to them. I’m making a small Animatronic his name’s Helpy he’s from Freddy Fazbear’s pizzeria simulator

Wow! Love your style. So cool.

Super informative! Thanks for the video!

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I’m glad you like it!

Looks like I'll be digging into this for the future. Love the motion of the head that is created by the 2 servos on the back. Great tutorial! I think the problem I'm going to run into is finding software for a mac that can do the same thing. I'll probably stick to using audio controlled boards, but being able to program how the head moves is a game changer.

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I have a mac too. I have to use a Virtual Machine to run Windows to run the software. It’s a struggle sometimes :/

Thanks so much for this; I've just completed my own skeleton based on this design. It's amazing how expressive the head is using only the two servos on the back. I'm using Ableton Live to control mine.

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! And it is pretty neat to get such interesting movements from such a simple design.

@carlapanim4692

3 жыл бұрын

Would you mind telling me how do you power your ssc32u?

Talented and inspiring young person.

THIS IS SO COOL!!!

Thank you! I wanted to make my own version of Fnaf and I found this! :D

8/5/20 FIX: In the video, I connected the power to VL but that will not drive your servos on the SSC32u. You need to connect power to VS1 instead of VL. VL is meant to power the logic (processor) not the servos. More info about the board can be found here: www.lynxmotion.com/images/data/lynxmotion_ssc-32u_usb_user_guide.pdf

@cadilovr

3 жыл бұрын

what is VL and VS1? insert port? Sorry new to this.

@CatsMenagerie

3 жыл бұрын

@@cadilovr At 8:41 mark in the video, it’s the screw terminals on the left (green blocks with the 6 screws on top) where you hook-up the power. The board on the left is the old SSC32 where I have it incorrectly hooked up to VL. The board on the right is the current SSC32u board. The two screw terminals at the bottom labelled VS1 are where power should be connected instead of the VL terminals in the middle. VL (L for "Logic") is where you could separately provide power for the “brain” of the chip, but that's usually not needed. VS1 and/or VS2 (S for "Servo") are what power the servos.

@chrism6270

3 жыл бұрын

Hey cat! I actually am proud i noticed that! (been readin the SSC32u manual all day) What gauge wire (the red and black) did you use into the VS1? I'm super nervous about the power side of things as I'm just getting started. I got a 6v power supply and the little adapter part, wires are the last piece, I can just use breadboard wire right? Great channel and your tutorial will be my very first animatronics project!

this is awesome!

Amazing! Subscribed!!

The way you control the animatronic by joystick is similar to the 1977 Chuck E Cheese Pizza Time Theater dual control stick animatronic puppeteering.

Wow! FANTASTIC video with in depth video! I am looking to make a dragon head animated, opening mouth, red leds in eyes, nose, and mouth, with smoke coming out of the nose. I was researching to see how I want to do this because I have never done anyth like this before. So it will be a lot of fun and I am going to try and use the stuff you did. Thank you very much for sharing! 😁

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! And that sounds like an awesome project :) Have fun!

Ughhh I adore you!!

So inspiring girl! You rock!

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Aww, thank you so much!

Can you make a tutorial on how to set everything up because im TOTALLY lost now that i have everything to make one

Impressive stuff, I want to learn to do animatronics too, I already do some programming, and have set up things with arduino and raspberry pi's. I use the PCA9685 board rather than the one you use (scc32), they allow for up to 1024 servos (which I admit is entirely overkill xD), but with the Raspberry pi you can run it off a battery, no long cables needed :P

Great video for your first! I am noting everything has been updated on servocity after discontinuations odf the ones you used and/or currently unavailable on Amazon! If you would mind making a video about what is now best to use and where to get it from that would also be awesome?? TIA from Australia

Hello Cat! First of all thanks for making these videos. Second, I plan on using Hitec 805bb servos in my 12ft skeleton. Will the same boards, joystick, and software in your video work with these motors?

Can you make a video on how to install the servos please

Cat, thanks so much for this video. I purchased the hardware you recommend for the jaw mechanism, but I think I might be missing something. How do you connect the ball link mechanism together? It looks like there is a threaded rod I'm missing. Do you use a separate turnbuckle? Or are all the parts included and I need to use them differently?

Cat - this is really awesome btw. My kids and I have built our first puppet and now have the TrackSkull 2.0 software operating and controlling the servos via Lynxmotion SSC32u controller using send/receive boards over ethernet. We are having trouble setting the servo start points. There's chatter and the connection points to the skull seem off. Do you have any more details about your initial servo setup, tests, and adjustments? Given that TrackSkull is a 1 axis = 1 servo program, to raise the puppet's head, are you moving the joystick diagonally? Is there a way to program the software defaults to match the joystick up down motion?

You are amazing and make it sound so easy. you should teach classes.

I went down a post Halloween rabbit hole and am really interested in making something similar, any idea how I should go about figuring out how to learn about all this stuff?

Great video! I just can't find a receiving board that is in stock.

Love it

I love your channel and everything you do, but you didn’t have to go so hard with that pointer 😂😂

Hey cat, can you show or make a video of the servo build for his head

Help, it seems the sending and receiving boards are out of stock or unavailable everywhere. Are there alternates to get or other suggestions? Please advise, thank you!

I love this design!! I plan on using it with a DMX servo controller!! You should try using 3D printing; that's what I plan on doing! If you see on my channel I also use pneumatics for some of my larger characters! I think it would be a really cool topic to cover on your channel. Still I never thought using servos this way and I can't wait to design skeletons like this for my upcoming 2020 halloween show!!! THIS IS REALLY AMAZING!! Good Work!!! -Ava

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I’ve seen your animatronic shows before and they are incredible!!! :) I’ve been wanting to get a 3D printer for a while now (it would make my life so much easier) but it’s going to be a big investment for me. Also, I just got some pneumatic parts and I can’t wait to try them out! Just have to wait until quarantine is over so I get my hands on an air compressor :P

@avasworkshop6812

4 жыл бұрын

@@CatsMenagerie I have an Ender 3 Pro! It's about $260 and I use it with Fusion 360 to produce mechanisms for servos and other robotic parts. Definitely an amazing investment and the print quality and stability is amazing!! I would recommend getting a very large compressor(like 30 gallons or so.) I originally bought a 10 gallon compressor and It couldn't keep up when I would run my shows. I then invested in a 30 gallon Husky air compressor. It certainly seem like alot but is really important when running more then few small air cylinders. I keep mine in my basement and then run a 100 ft air hose outside for my shows!!!

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

@@avasworkshop6812 Thanks for all the info!! I'll keep it in mind :)

If you keep your controller/computer only a couple of feet away from the skeleton, do you still need the signal boosters? How far can you run a servo cable before you'd require a signal booster? (Also, any advice on how to replace the skeleton's neck joint so that it'll turn and move up and down? My skeleton doesn't have a universal joint in its neck and can only rotate left and right)

Love your stuff. I'm wanting to create a scene consisting of three witches that talk and move to a set repeating program. Can you give me any advice?

great video! wondering if youve done anything that just lifts up and down a skeletons half body and if theres a possibility that it can be submerged? 💀😅

I've wanted to do this to one of my skeletons. I wanted the jaw to chatter rapidly. Have you used a small dc motor with a crankshaft to stiff wire on a bell crank? Also thinking of Arduino and ultrasonic sensors to track/pan movement with the skeleton head.

Can u do a tutorial on using a wii remote to control one?

Do you have more specifics on the power supply? Most power supplies I find are 5v, but it sounds like I probably want 6v to get the most torque out of my servos? I'd much rather use a wall plug than a battery. Will a 5v power supply be good enough for the SSC-32U and a bunch of servos? What amperage should I be looking for?

Wow! Do u sell any of your props?

Hi! I really like your video, but i have one question, Is it possible to program those to move on their own?

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! And yes, here's a video about recording and playing back the movements so that they don't have to be puppeteered live: kzread.info/dash/bejne/l5xr0cRyk7TTlrg.html

Hi Cat! I love your work and video instructions, very clear and easy to understand. I received a (nerd) gift certificate to servo city for my birthday. I plan to build my version of your pirate display and servo city is out of stock of the "CAT6 Receiving Board (boosted)". My question is will the NON BOOSTED version work the same?

@kiektumgoaan7188

3 жыл бұрын

I have the same question

Excellent! Thank you so much!!!

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching! :)

You... have no idea how essential these videos are. Thank you so much for offering all this info for free! Are there any other consise guides like this for advanced lighting rigs? What was that advanced head rig you were talking about? Animatronics have always been a passion of mine, but up until recently, I was convinced it would be too difficult to program most of the advanced shows I wanted. I'm working on a 3D printed Glados lamp which originally called for use of an arduino and a bunch of other... quite frankly time consuming barrier projects I was unable to commit myself to. This rig is justtttt enough hardware for me to want to try it. Programming in code is my kryptonite :( Looking foward to more videos like these. As an ameteur filmaker, maybe it would be nice for you to make videos targeting young KZread producers. So many guides out there for how to shoot video, what lights to buy, how to grow audiences.... Very, VERY few covering how to make smart stuff.

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the compliments!! As for the lighting, I’m not sure I know a good tutorial for what your talking about. TrackSkull can record and replay color-changes for DMX lights using a Board of Chucky (controller board like the SSC-32 mentioned in the video.) But DMX lights are big and you’re probably looking for LED tutorials. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for this. The head rig I mentioned is a NaturalPoint TrackIR 5 (www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/trackir5/) camera that can track head movements. And, with TrackSkull, you can use this camera to make an animatronic mirror your head movements. Here’s a video of it in action: lifeape.com/2018/02/13/trackskull-part-3-head-motion/ And about the programming, don’t get discouraged!! It took me a while to learn how to work with an Arduino and even now it can still be a challenge. Start small, keep practicing, and I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it! Good luck with the Glados lamp! It sounds really cool!! :)

Genius!!

Hi cat i hope you see this comment i love your videos but the receiving board is no longer available is there a different board i can use please let me know as soon as possible hopefully you make more videos

This is great! Question: How do you link this up to a battery operated mechanism so that you don't have to manually work it?

@pandaspopz4351

2 жыл бұрын

depending on what you wanted to do you'd have to buy a type of prop remote I recommend a picoboo from frightprops you can even use a sensor she shows from another video and record your animation so whenever it is activated it doesn't need you to do it manually or buy a program to run it for you and connect to a computer or servo controller

This is a fantastic project! Am I wrong to assume the servos get their power over the Ethernet cable, too? Is the power supply going into the sending board?

@Sparky5

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, four conductor for signal and two for power split in parallel.

@willb.383

2 жыл бұрын

@@Sparky5 awesome. I’m super new to this kind of tech. Been doing props for years but never dabbled into computer animatronics. I was thrown when I didn’t see power supplied to each individual animatronic separate from the main control board.

Newbe, what size of clothing are you using on your skeletons? Plus how are keeping the tie rods from catching on the clothing?

Hello I was checking checking with you to see if you can help with my Servos I can get the program to work and having to hook up things to other things and your video helps but I keep getting no where.

Awsum tutorial. Just bummed because I can’t find the CAT 605103. Out of stock everywhere I’ve looked. Do you have a source that might have them? Thanks

With this equipment can you make them follow a program from the computer or do you have to manually controll them from the remote? thanks for sharing!

@CatsMenagerie

4 жыл бұрын

I can make them follow a program. A software called TrackSkull lets me record his movements using the joystick and then I use VSA to play those recordings back and set it to music, etc. to create a full animatronic show. You can see more here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/l5xr0cRyk7TTlrg.html

Wonder if there is a way to quiet the servo motors. Or is that just a certain type of servo ?

Hi Kat, can you use a raspberry Pi to control the servos? I am looking to make a skeleton move and fake walk for a stage prop. Cheers Phil

Would you sell one of these complete?

is there a way to prgram the movement and audio to play when a push button is pressed like a decoration from spirit halloween?

I noticed you are using 3 servos per skeleton, but I’m seeing 4 pins being connected on your sending board/SSC-32. What is the (green dot) wire being used for? Thanks. LOVE your videos. I’ve made 4 of these guys now! 💀

@CatsMenagerie

3 жыл бұрын

That’s a good question! I don’t currently use that green dotted wire for the skeletons, but I reuse that box for different projects throughout the year. Those projects might require that I have that last pin connected, so it’s convenient just to go ahead and have them all connected and available.

Do you have any videos or instructions for moving a skeleton arm and fingers to grab?

Hell yeah

Hi Cat... the HS-65HB is rather noisy... are there quieter ones you would suggest?

Great video. How well do these servos hold up in the weather? Should I look into waterproof servos?

@CatsMenagerie

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That's a good question. I haven't had any issue with weather and these servos, but although I use them a lot throughout the year for videos, testing, and programming, I only have the skeletons outside for one night of the year. However, it does get very humid and oftentimes dew will collect on everything that night, but that never has caused any issues with the servos. The only servos I have ever had to replace are the jaw ones due to burnout or binding (my own fault). All six of the shoulder servos on the skeletons are like 7 years old now and I've never had any issues with them. But if you do want to go with a waterproof option, most waterproof servos you find will be digital servos, meaning that they are much stronger (can lift heavier objects and are usually more robust as well) but they draw more current and will need to have their own power supply, which is not to hard to do. There are a lot of these servos available on Amazon for good prices. I have used the LD-27mg and LD-20MG before and they have worked well in my projects, although I can't really say anything about their waterproof-ness.

@justinwest440

2 жыл бұрын

@@CatsMenagerie Thank you!

The CAT 605103 (boost) receiving board is discontinued. Is there an acceptable alternative? I a boost board that important?

Are the shows uploaded onto the 32 board? Or does it need to be connected to the PC at all times?

Great tutorial. Where do you get the parts you are working with?

@leoventocilla

4 жыл бұрын

LOL...OMG...the listing is here..LOL..sorry ignore my question....LOL..

Hey Cat, thanks for your sharing ! Question : which spacer did you use on the servos to fix the rods, do you have a reference on the Web ?

@leachsquad4881

3 жыл бұрын

The receiver is no longer available where did you get yours

I mean do you think u might sell any props? Thanks

This is fantastic! Don you think you would ever sell one? Thanks

You are terrific! I have 3 skeletons that are dressed as the Beatles, the 4th is already a talking skeleton. I want to make the 3 talk (sing) with a microphone. The skeletons I have are Digi eye skeletons so I don't need moving eyes. I need help making the jaw move to music. (singing) My skill level is low but my husband has built some wiper motor props but we have never worked with servo motors. Any help, ideas, and guidance is appreciated!

Does anyone have a estimate on how much it will cost to build this animatronic?

We're do you get HS-425BB

The sending and receiving bird plate discontinued. The alternative for both is referring. To the same thing. I’m confused

Can you tell me the name of the servos you use