Interactive Theatrical Puppet

What is a Theatrical Prop?

It is a theatrical property; an object used on stage or on screen by actors. A prop is considered anything movable or portable on a stage/set, distinct from actors, scenery, costumes and electrical equipment.

It is common for actors during a theatrical performance to use props in order to interact with the audience and inject life into the scene delivered. This is commonly done with objects found in everyday live based on the environment of the scene.

 

User-Interactive Theatrical Prop “Puppuino”

Our puppet, named Puppuino, has a very simple life. He gets sleepy, hungry, sad and happy. However, Puppuino cannot talk. He lets others know how he feels by changing the LEDs attached to him. A sock puppet which will give an output based on changes of hand gestures. When the puppeteer’s hand is at a certain angle, a specific LED turns on. When the angle changes, that LED turns off and another one turns on.

Objectives

Puppets are objects often resembling humans, animals or mythical figures. They are manipulated by the puppeteer. Uses movements of their hands, arms or control devices (eg rods/strings) to move the body, head or limbs of the puppet. Puppeteer wears sock on hand like a glove. Fingers form and control the puppet’s mouth.

Puppet with no voice

Usually, puppeteers speak on behalf of the puppets to tell a story. In this case, there is no speech at all.

This is done to enhance the sensation of the puppet’s moves and of the whole process of using the interactive element.

Puppuino as an example

Children get ‘shaped’ by the world around them from a young age. Hidden or indirect meanings can really mark their sub consciousness. It is important that technology is included as a stimulus in their fun activities. This will make it part of their lives; consequently they will enjoy it more, be better at it and know more about it.

 

 

Project Plan

 

Initial Planning Stage

• Brainstorming
• Research
• Idea Analyzing
• Low-Fi Prototype
• Storyboard
• Pseudo code

 

 

Final Planning Stage

• Decide on Components
• Order Component
• Resemble Component
• Test Component
• Basic Design Layout
• Further Design Layout
• Test code
• Hi-Fi prototype

Development

• Objective Interaction
• Real Prototype
• Further Programming
• Constructing Arduino Board Sample
• Software Testing
• Hardware Testing
• Theatrical Idea Relation
• Design Principle Relation

Documentation

• Design blog
• Project task list
• Maker manual

• Overview – Dalilah
• Tools and supplies – Michael & Karla
• Layout and circuit diagram – Michael
• Build – Michael & Karla
• Commented and well organised code – Michael
• Discussion of testing conducted and known shortcomings – Dalilah

• Presentation

• Project idea – all
• Evolution of project – Dalilah
• Design principles and choices – all
• Goals of the product and how we achieved or fell short of them – Dalilah and Michael

 

 

Maker Manual

 

            Overview:

In this project, we were assigned to create a ‘user-interactive theatrical prop’ for using on theatrical or cinematic purpose, such as a stage show, a screen play, etc.  Usually, a prop, also known as a (theatrical) property, will be something that an actor/actress uses to enhance the audience’s sensation to keep their interest with the story that is being told at that moment. So, we decided to make ‘interactive puppets’ that can react to some certain gestures while the story tellers move their hands. One puppet (in one hand) will be the sender that will be giving a command by tracking the hand gestures and movement angles via a 3-axis accelerometer module attached to the board, and then sending that information to a receiver puppet (in another board) so that it will react and output some actions according to how the first one is moving.

 

Apparatus:

– Arduino Duo Board x2

– Breadboard x2

– 9v Battery x2

– Power Cable Clip Connector 2.1mm DC Jack Plug x2

– GY-521 3 axis Accelerometer/Gyroscope Module x1

– HC-12 Wireless Communication Module x2

– 74HC595 Shift Register x1

– Red LEDs x2

– Green LEDs x2

– Blue LEDs x2

– Piezo Speaker x1

– 560 Ohms Resistor x6

– 8 Pin Header x1

– 5 Pin Header x2

– Jumper Wires (Male-Male, Male-Female, Female-Female)

– Vinyl Electrical Tape

 

Board Layout

 

• Sender Board
• Receiver Board

 

Build Section

First let’s take a closer look at all the essential components that are required from above. The main components apart from ones inside the Arduino Duo kits tools that we specifically added in project are: GY-521 – a 3 axis accelerometer/gyroscope module to keep track on the hand gestures, and HC-12 – a wireless communication module to make the communication between two circuits possible and works wirelessly.  Since we will be making two circuit boards, one as a ‘Sender’ and another one as a ‘Receiver’, we will separate the components into two groups:

• Sender Components: Arduino Board, Breadboard, Battery, Power cable, GY-521, HC-12, 8 Pin Header, and 5 Pin Header.
• Receiver Components: Arduino Board, Breadboard, Battery, Power cable, HC-12, 5 Pin Header, 74HC595 Shift Register, Red LEDs, Green LEDs, Blue LEDs, Piezo Speaker, and 560 Ohms Resistor.

After identifying which components for which board, we will now start to assemble them together. Some components like the HC-12 or GY-521, usually the modules will come without any pin attached to them or some parts were not fully connected right out of the package, this means we need to solder them in order to make them function properly. Otherwise, you can somehow use a solderless component only for testing or any other way of joint would cause the unsteadiness in electric flow, some unexpected hiccup, or the worst case would be electric spike occurs. So, soldering is a must in this case.

User-interactive Sock Puppet

A sock puppet which will give an output based on changes of hand gestures.

When the puppeteer’s hand is at a certain angle, a specific LED turns on. When the angle changes, that LED turns off and another one turns on.

The Story: Meet Puppuino

Our puppet, named Puppuino, has a very simple life. He gets sleepy, hungry, sad and happy. However, Puppuino cannot talk. He lets others know how he feels by changing the LEDs attached to him.