Ghoul Grabber

In this instructable I will be teaching you how to build:

A step sensor for less than a dollar (or even free!) (I was the first to post this!)

A delayer(to power your items for a given amount of time (the most simpe way possible)

And a ghoul grabber

That's right, you get 3 for the all low price a couple of dollars!

The step sensor is steps : 1-10

The delayer are steps: 10-15

The ghoul grabber is steps: 15-27

Trick-or-Treat!

Step 1: The step sensor

You can make a good, reliable sensor for less than a dollar! All you need is some aluminum foil and paper! This type of sensor is really just a giant momentary, normally on, switch.

Comments

[petew]

Thanks for posting your gag. I'm not very experienced in reading schematics, but your pictures are helpful. I'm guessing the jumpers and alligator clips are going to the switch (paper and foil). Also Where would one get a motor at short notice. I'd like to build one this weekend for Halloween. In answer to your video question, The video is there, I can play the video, but it is so dark I can't make anything out. p.s. I'll take your schematic into radio shack and see if they can help me understand how to put the electronic part together. :)

[guyfrom7up]

thanx! I got my motor out of an old printer, anything that's somewhat big and moves usually has a good motor. If you're having trouble reading the schematic I'll try and word it out to you. You have a 12volt power supply. The sensor acts as a momentary switch. When the switch is connected it charges the capacitors and turns on the relay. When you step off the switch the capacitors discharge into the coil of the relay for a predetermined time. You connect the motor to the common contact and the normally open contact on the relay. So now the motor turns on when the relay is on. Step on switch charges capacitors and turns on relay relay connects contacts and allows current to flow so that the motor turns. the capacitors charge the capacitor discharges into the relay the relay stays on for a couple of seconds the capacitors are totally discharged and the relay turns off.

[petew]

Thanks for your additional help. Also I did increase my screen brightness and was able to make out the video. Happy Halloween :)

[guyfrom7up]

oh and if you turn up the screen brightness to about 70 the video shows up fine.

[guyfrom7up]

Can everyone see the video? I can only see it when I log in

[frollard]

Great project - instead of just a plain motor, using one with a gear-reduction on it would be a really good idea so that it has some oomph when it comes to moving the arms. I'm in the process of building a pneumatic zombie right now. Will post later. I like the step switch, and the capacitor relay trick is quite sneaky.

[guyfrom7up]

thankyou! I was orginally going to try a gear reduction system but I always ran into problems, but it's a good idea if you can accomplish it

[Dorkfish92]

cool, can you put a video of it in action?

[guyfrom7up]

sure, but I must warn you that you can make one soooo much better than mine. I only had a weak motor. If you had a motor stronger than mine it would be like 10x better. I'll post a video later today

[Dorkfish92]

i've got lots of motors, i'm sure i can find one that'll work

[guyfrom7up]

I'll post that video tonight, have to wait for it to get dark outside