Halloween projects

[dougal]

I recently posted some build notes for a Mad Scientist Pumpkin that I made for my daughter's 3rd grade Fall Festival:

http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2013/10/22/mad-scientist-pumpkin-build/

We're thinking about building another one for home. In the next version, I'm thinking about putting a Digispark in to control the lights, perhaps with some motion sensing, and maybe with sound (probably via some external noise maker, triggered by a Digispark output pin).

[MichaelMeissner]

It might be overkill, particularly since you already have the eyes lighted, but you might think about getting two Adafruit neopixel rings and putting them outside of the eyes: http://www.adafruit.com/products/1463.

Here is one of their tutorials that shows the Adafruit Trinket (same basic processor as digispark) running kaleidoscope eyes: http://learn.adafruit.com/kaleidoscope-eyes-neopixel-led-goggles-trinket-gemma

[dougal]

Yeah, I've got a couple of the rings, one of the 8-pixel strips, and some standard flexible 1-meter strips. For this particular project, the rings probably are overkill.

For the pumpkin I made for our daughter's class (which will be raffled off, and we won't get back), using those pre-made "dumb" flashing lights was fine. For my next iteration, I might trim a couple of LEDs off of a strip, and use one controllable RGB pixel for each eye. Then I can do fun effects like fading colors and intensity.

For extra fun, I'm going to keep my eye out for one of those cheap keychain sound effects toys, and trigger that along with the lights.

[MichaelMeissner]

Or get an ISD1820, which allows you to record and playback 10 seconds of sound.  This one is rated for 5v, so it should work on the Digispark: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ISD1820-Voice-Recording-Module-10S-/380690760162?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a2f001e2.

I bought this version, which is rated at 3v, but I haven't used it much.  It might be they are the same unit, and it handles both voltages.  I've bought from both ebay sellers before: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ISD1820-voice-module-voice-board-sound-recording-module-on-board-microphone-/321120092882?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac43fc2d2