littleBits Puppet

This puppet was put together because it was fun. Really it was put together to show how creative and interesting technology can be. There have been significant advances in easy to use electronics and programming. It is easier than it has ever been to be make simple robotic objects. This puppet was put together in collaboration with two students from the John Monash Science School on work experience The Puppet was create using the same method as the Jim Henderson Puppets (Muppets and Sesame Street). The movement was created utilising littleBits and mecanno. The hand is tracked using a leap motion controller and the arduino littleBit is connected to a number of servo motors that respond to a persons hand.

littlebits are magnet together circuits that you can combine with power, input, output and controls. By moving your hand over the leap motion controller the puppet can follow three fingers. The puppet also has its eyes light up and a buzzer go off if you press the nose and the ears flap if you press the top of the head.

A video of the puppet in action is available on youTube