DMX-512 Wireless (or DMXW) is the prototype remote control on-stage special effect electronics that we're now evolving into our polished Spark-fx ecosystem.
Below are various examples of hacked electronic stage effects developed by the STEAM-fx Collective, many of which have been under production booth control.
A STEAM-fx member typically teams up with a local venue's production team, mainly collaborating with the director and/or choreographer (to understand and negotiate the production's vision), set designer and construction lead (to integrate an electronic effect into the production as seamlessly and unobtrusively as possible, with a mind toward each department's desire to reuse materials), and with the lighting designer and properties lead (to meld an effect into the production's stage dynamics).
Remote controlled via Spark-fx Maestro
DMX-512 remote controlled via Spark-fx Maestro
Initial test of the fogging skull concept
Final skull artwork.
Handholdable mode or DMX-512 stage lighting control mode
Both DMX-512 remote controlled via Spark-fx Maestro
DMX-512 controlled micro fogger and LED fairy lights via Spark-fx Maestro.
DMX-512 controlled actuator via Spark-fx Maestro.
People powered bus with working head and tail lights (DMX-512 controlled via Spark-fx Maestro).
Mobile lantern (DMX-512 controlled via Spark-fx Maestro)
This was an 11th hour request for a high school play. Nailed it!
So here is George's McGyver hack...
- bought a dollar store clock, for the basic mechanism
- planned to use the time set knob on the back, and disable the internal escapement motor drive
- took out all the gears inside that I don't need
- took apart an old cheap RC car - some gears and screws were useful. RC was not.
- bought a 360 degree servo - 130 rpm (but could have modified and existing 180 one to be 360)
- 2 part plastic glued a small gear from the car onto the time set knob
- Modified a larger matching gear to fit on the servo
- tooth ratio? - shoulda, coulda, didn't... :)
- made a wood "stand" for the servo - hot glued then screwed it onto the clock back
- used a "proper" RC receiver and Tx (FrSky) from a model plane with a 4xAA battery pack to drive the servo
This Arduino-driven version is destined for the Art Wall
The servos that I had on-hand were, surprisingly, too weak to handle a slightly misaligned clock gear; and those servos were more than a little frustrating to convert from 180 degree service to 360 degree continuous service. Though the STEAMakers lab now has a few more hefty servos, at the time to my re-attempt all I had on-hand was a 12 volt DC motor and, as luck would have it, an unused 2 channel H-bridge motor driver. Yeh!