Hi All,
I would like to introduce you to my summer project- a joystick controlled animatronic griffin using pneumatics and servos as actuators. It will be a multi-stage process, and at the moment, I am modeling and designing it using Autodesk Inventor. The griffin has several moving mechanisms, including both flapping and expand/contract mechanisms for the wings. Additionally, the tail has both horizontal and vertical movement capabilities, and the neck has horizontal pivoting and two joints for it to bend. These mechanisms will all be using pneumatic cylinders to operate, which you can see in the photos. The head and facial movements operate predominantly with servos. As of now, the eyes will move, and the beak will open and close. With regards to the electronics, it uses an Arduino mega, which I chose for the simplicity and effectiveness that Arduino offers. The frame is built of square steel tubing, and is welded together. I am leaving for a week-long vacation, but I will order the parts beforehand, and will start the build immediately when I get back.
Until then,
Mathew Simon
