Here are some of the interactive projects I have worked on. I often have the pleasure of working with some truly talented craftspeople, which makes the process a lot of fun and the end result more amazing.
Borderlands Tactical Vehicle
This was, by far, the largest and most complicated build to date. When talking with Lionsgate about what we could do, we really wanted to build a ClapTrap robot. Unfortunately, they already had a company doing that, but asked us if we could build a car. I believe words to the effect of “we don’t build cars” were said, but we did it and I loved the results.
In addition to converting a 2012 Suburban into a tactical vehicle, we used BrightSigns inside the car. One BrightSign ran a highly custom GPS and maps that were designed to fit the Borderlands aesthetic. We also used a second BrightSign that plugged into the OBDII port of the car to talk to the car’s computer. We were able to display all the data (speed, RPM, fuel, temp, etc.) on a Bluefin screen that sat in front of the car’s analog gauges.
What’s a tactical vehicle without a weapons system? On the passenger side, I made a custom button panel. Who doesn’t love a button panel?! When pressed or toggled, each button played or did something.
Ghostbusters Video Game in Times Square
To promote the film Ghostbusters Frozen Empire, we were tasked with coming up with some sort of interactive experience that could be shown on a two story LED wall at Regal Times Square.
We ended up building an HTML game where you try to shoot Slimer and the Librarian ghost. This ran on a BrightSign XC4055. We embedded an air mouse a 3D printed neutrona wand, and the receiver plugged into the BrightSign.
Animated Map of Norris Lake
This is a large, interactive map made for a museum. Inside are hundreds of fiber optic lights and LEDs. Pressing a button will start the audio presentation, and the lights will turn on and off based on the audio timecode.
The entire display is controlled by a BrightSign and a single Arduino, which communicate with each other via serial.
Captain Kirk Chair
Fanboy Expo asked a friend of mine to build a replica of Captain Kirk’s chair from the original Star Trek. He then approached me to help with making it interactive.
In the video above, you can see the electronics and their rough placement in the chair. Nothing has been mounted and there is no cable management yet. Cable management is very critical, in my opinion, to a successful build.
The chair is powered by a BrightSign and two Arduinos. They communicate with the BrightSign via serial. In addition to functioning buttons and lighting, I worked out a way to change the sound scheme for the chair using RFID. I 3D modeled and printed the “data cards” and embedded RFID chips inside of them. The RFID reader is mounted in the arm so it can read when a card has been inserted.
The video below was shot by my friend and gives a brief overview of how the chair will function for the people who sit in it.
Automatic Candy Machine
This was not a paid job, but rather a pet project. This was made in September of 2020, during COVID. I wanted a safe way for kids to get their candy at Halloween and I wanted to do more than set a bucket with candy at the end of the driveway.
I designed, built, decorated and programmed the candy dispenser. Inside is a small TV screen with a BrightSign built in. It connects to an Arduino that is connected to a couple of servos. One servo opens the door in front of the screen. The other servo controls the dispensing mechanism.
The mechanism consists of a hopper, an Archimedes Screw and a shroud. When the kids step on the pad in front of the machine, it triggers the door to open and one of twelve videos to play. Video timecode for each video triggers the Archimedes Screw to turn, pushing candy out the end and down the chute.