Simple Animatronics (robotic hand)

Step 9 Bringing it to life

To add a more human touch, I glued some cell foam to the tips of the fingers and palm. This helps if you plan to use a glove for further realism.
On the other hand*, if the aim is a skeleton look, this might be redundant and you'd be better off with some spray paint. This is where your creativity should take over:)

Here's a quick video I made of another hand. I used my stiff MC glove so the movement doesn't really show on that one.



This is a low quality video I made during testing. I will replace it with a better one later!


Thanks for viewing my Instructable. Now, go and scare someone:)

Comments

[TimmyMiller]

how would you put a glove on it? p.s. can you turn a dial with this? i want to build a robot that will be able to turn a thermostat dial. it's for a friend. please respond with a private message, thanks.

[Stefhan Albayaty]

If you had 5 Servos you could, that would be around $75 if you got them from radio-shack or you could find some on eBay. And for a robot you wish to function as a robot i would suggest using a stronger material for the hand such as hinged metal or a hard plastic/

[admerritt4life]

where did you buy the tubing???? ps can i use this at an invention convention 4 my school???

[oneaze]

wire conduit, auto parts or hardware store.. or if you goto a junkyard there is tons under hood of almost any car from 82 present day.. newer cars, much more, and will have from 1/8"-1.5" pieces.. and typical junkyards just give it away..

[freeza36]

The tubing i bought has a cut going down the entire length. Is there a simple fix?

[Gunnar120]

hmm, seeming as it is already invented... I would think not. it is probably already copyrighted by somebody and you just might get sued

[jackjackattack]

hi

[jackjackattack99]

Hi

[djudkins]

Hi

[jmcconnell5]

Hi

[11rex11]

Ready For This?! I Made Mine Out Of Steel Tubing But With Some Hefty Springs And 100 Pound Wire Cable I Can Literally Crush Full Cans With It.

Oh Iv Already Started On Another This Time Way Stronger And Powered By A Hydraulic Cylinder Placed In The Upper Arm Part Of It. If You Were To Put It On, The Part That Pushes (or In My Case Pulls) Is Facing The Body So That It Pulls The Wires Iv Still Got To Work Out How To Make It Compact. (Do They Sell Powerful Mini Hydraulic Pumps?)

Ideas, Ideas Ideas, Maybe I Should Make Another With Some High End Servo Motors With Censors So If I Move My Arm It Moves The Arm. (Guess That Would Get Expensive Considering Id Have To Buy 7 Servos And Censors Just For The Fingers/Wrist)

[chosenangelx]

Iron Man much?
-R

[Traw]

Um, I'm sorry, but I just noticed... why are all your words capitalized?..... and that's awesome! Could you post some pictures or something so we could see it?

[11rex11]

Its funny you ask because i literally went like a week with this stupid thing on my computer that my friends put on they apparently thought it would be funny if they installed something that capitalized everything after the space bar was pressed i went a whole week Going Like This. It drove me nuts and i had to write an 3 page essay using the shift whenever i didnt want a capital letter i ended up just using capslock

[Traw]

Haha! Well, that's pretty funny, and that actually really sucks now that I think about it, haha. So, are you going to post some pictures of your hand?

[J-Ri]

You can't tell us that and not at least give a picture of it! A video crushing a can would be even better! Awesome job, I would love to see it!

[haakon.k]

Wow, love the quality of the motion versus the simplicity of the build! The next step might be to make the thumb pivot ninety degrees so it can oppose the fingers or lay alongside them. Hmmmm..... now I'm complicating your build!
Nicely done!

[jabujavi]

I wish see it wearing latex gloves...
Sorry my English.

[Niek67]

Dude this is really awersome, I'm just 15 years old, do you think i can build it ? I saw something like this at Mythbusters, Adam also build one. I hope I will make it. Thanks

[Plinko1]

I'm seven and i made it.

[aaaroniscool]

really, I'm ten but i said i was 13:)

[darkria 45]

dont worry, im 13 and i stick weld all the time. i think you can make a hand

[daltonjcw]

Adams was copper and brass and awesome. I will not disclose my age, but I'm younger than you and plan on making it. Have fun! Make stuff!

[metal slug 2]

The mythbusters mechanical hand was tank. It used a motorcycle chain for finger sections and linkages =) and yes, 15 years is plenty to be able to build something like this.

[aaaroniscool]

where do you get the tubing stuff

[aaaroniscool]

how long would it take to make?????

[maneshcs]

dude... this is simply awesome.. u rock.. :)

[Moxlonibus]

I can't tell you how many hours of sleep I've lost trying to think of an easy way to do this.

[aedwards4]

That is awesome. Thanks ... I cant wait to use this idea to make my movie props.

[dont_unplug_me]

cool! Hey Have you ever been to Craft's site? If so did you see the ghost busters chair replica thing? do you think it would be posible to use these as the arms on the chair? Furthermore is it possible to make these remote controled to really spook someone?

[JNMercer]

awesome!

[DehLeprechaun]

should i use thicker tubing to make a three fingered hand or just make two fingers spread apart

[Wesley666]

If you want something really sturdy (So you can grab someone from far away and start knocking the c$@p outta them) Try motorcycle chain in small sections. You need some good springs on the back to bring it back afterward otherwise it will stay clutched to whatever.

[pantalone]

This is awesome. Your pictures and instructions are fantastic. Great job!

[tanntraad]

Thank you!

[sonicfreak04]

thanks now I can make a realistic skeleton hand

[Mr. Shaggy135]

This Video was greatly helpful and I made one of my own, I made one completely following your instructions, then I made another one, but modified your instructions, instead of using tape on the string at the end of the fingers outside on step 4, I used a piece of plastic and hot glued it to the inside end, so it moved easier, and instead of taping the thumb pointing across the other fingers, i made it into a C-Shape (easier to hold things). In Step 7 I put a square Plastic piece instead of a trapezoid type, and connected each finger (string) into a individual tube, instead of one tube, and added tape around it so it could look like a arm instead, during step 8-9, i used a old glove and taped the string onto the fingers so i could hold it with one hand, then i put a huge square on the top of the knuckles and hot glued it on so it was boxed around the glove, seemed much easier to control it after the modifications.

[NytroDude]

Hey i just watched your video for simple animatronics its pretty cool. I was wondering if you could make a video on how to use it to have 2 extra arms? thanks sweet Instructable

[egriff]

I made something like this a couple days after halloween, I used dowels for the bones, and springs at the joints. I think I'll be either a gorrila monster or something steampunk.

[PackRat4448]

thats awsome im going to make a pair asap!!!