Premade Animatronics

[shtick]

Are there any places online that sell premade animatronic mechanisms with controls ready to use? Are there kits available that require assembly? For Eyelids, Moving Eyes and the like?

 

[Buck-Beaver]

There are some stadard kits you can buy, try looking at these. I believe their controllers are designed for playing back recorded movement, but can probably be modified so you can radio control them on the fly fairly easily.

Animal Makers can provide custom-built, ready to go mechs, but they're geared to the professional FX industry and can cost a few thousand dollars.

Most people build their mechs from scratch.

 

[SesameKermie]

Prebuilt Animatronics

Another way to go would be to "hack" an animatronic toy like "Furby" or those singing fish wall plaques. There are tutorials all over the net about it. However, unless you do some MAJOR electronics work you're going to be limited (in most cases) to the pre-recorded dialog/movements. You can still find new ways to activate it, but most of that stuff is "hard coded" in there.

Note: This also voids any warranty on said toy.

 

[rumtar_10165]

Dose any one know of a simple way to have blinking eyes?

 

[shtick]

How about animatronic parts? Just a basic thing that moves back and fourth under radio control?

Most of the stuff I find in RC catalogs are engines and wheels and stuff. I'm talking basic back and fourth movements.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Dose any one know of a simple way to have blinking eyes?

There are many, many threads on making simple blink mechs if you search the archives.

How about animatronic parts? Just a basic thing that moves back and fourth under radio control?

Most of the stuff I find in RC catalogs are engines and wheels and stuff. I'm talking basic back and fourth movements.

The kits I posted (or something similar) are pretty much as good as you're going to get.

Try browsing Chris Hillman's massive collection of animatronics links. There a few thousands links to just about everything available via the web.