Stargate helmet with gyroscope animatronic

E

Effecta

New Member
Hi all,

I'm working since 2013 to the Anubis' costume from Stargate, the 1994 movie.
My goal is to make a perfect replica of the helmet and the other props, based on a huge quantity of photos and reference I collect in these years.
Moreover the helmet is animatronic, and controlled by three gyroscopes so the head of the helmet follows with precision the movement of my head.
The first version was completed in October 2014, made from foam and with movement controlled via a bluetooth remote embedded in the Ma'Tok:
https://vimeo.com/111237359
But this helmet is imprecise, wrong in dimension, shape and with random details.
Two year ago I started to make a more precise model in plasticine, planning to made a silicone rubber mold:

Schermata 2018-06-05 alle 22.41.19.png

I made also a good quality head, and I made a mold:

Schermata 2018-06-05 alle 22.38.31.png
But when I start to replicate the Horus' head in resin, I discover that the result was heavy and fragile. Compared with my current helmet, the new one made in resin will be too heavy and fragile. So I decide to destroy the plasticine helmet even if it was almost complete.
The new project was to build a new helmet in high quality EVA foam but with detail having the same quality of a resin cast.
I started to design from scratch a new helmet, the first test were the "fins" of the helmet: flat, fine details, a lot of reference photos, easy to buid.
The result, using EVA foam, hot engraved, was fine:
01AFC69D-BDDC-4B02-8874-E31BA68636E7.jpg
Next step will be to make the whole helmet with the same tech. I will post my progress in this topic.
 
Last edited:
Fantastic. Would you consider scanning the patterns you create so things could be assembled and modeled in Fusion 360 and complete by 3D printing?
 
I considered 3D print, but I excluded it for the same problem of the resin: too heavy and too fragile. Anyway I printed in 3D some of the mechanics prototype, even if the final mechanism will be in molded carbon resin.
Probably the final helmet will be in EVA machined with laser and CNC mill
 
If you print in carbon fiber PETG one can have very light and resilient parts. In fact almost unbreakable (they only bend). Would be perfect for the mechanisms particularly. Ninja Tek Cheetah is another posibility, for the panels very tough but flexible.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, but 3D print is out of my scope…

This is the electronics I develop for the Stargate helmets: a tiny circuit that includes a 3 axis gyroscope, 3 axis accelerometer, WiFi, webserver, flash storage and controls up to 8 servos.
The first test of the circuit, with just the gyroscope, was this:
In this video I use the gyroscopes and accelerometer to get the position and orientation of the sensor in the space, and to send the data to my PC that displays an "head" moving according to the sensor.
https://vimeo.com/154195442


In the next video, three servos are connected to the board, they are the servos that move the head left-right, up-down and rotate on the axis:
https://vimeo.com/161349027

Last one show how to connect a smartphone to the helmet via WiFi, and use it as a remote controller. You can use two types of controls: in manual, you have a sort of virtual joystick in the touchscreen. In tilt mode, you can use the accelerometer and gyroscope of your phone (if any) to control the head movement.

https://vimeo.com/273643104

Obviously, even the "fins" servos can be attached to the same board, and the fins will move according to the head movement. I plan to add more complete controls by phone, like eyes' shining, pupil focusing (for Horus), and the capability to perform a sort of programming.

In the smartphone there is no app installed, the board itself acts as a website showing the control page requested.

Finally, I wish to add a sort of calibration, just to adapt this board to mechanism with different span and behaviour .

The final result is an helmet with a very realistic movement, not as clumsy or random as a blas… ehm… a model's remote controller

Do you like it?
 
Last edited:
Looking good. Is this based on an BNO055 board and Arduino pro mini?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Empiricus said:
Why custom? And how do you handle the servos?
Click to expand...
Custom, because the ESP8266 needs some external components to work correctly, and I built a board to accomodate all components, include the gyroscope, to accomodate all.
The servos are driven with the Servo library for ESP8266. For the movements, I read the three axis position in the space and then I compute the servos' angle.
 
Wouldn't Adafruit feathers with ESP8266 and wifi plus stackable DC motor and stepper feather wing add-on work? Powerboost 1000 and a Lipo should be enough to drive all.
 
Good on you moving to the ESP boards..

much more power and memory than your 'standard' UNO/Nano/Pro-Mini Arduino boards...

plus you can get them for like $2-3.00 USD of ebay!!

I love these boards..

They make great standalone 'interfaces' for your projects...

can broadcast its own SSID (for any wifi enabled device to connect to)

Can be configured as a web server (so it can host its own 'web page/content').. and you can use that as an interface to control your connected components/sensors..etc

Hugely under-rated/utilized in our prop scene..
 
I will be following this project closely as I have just started my own horus guard head and will most likely pick your brain for the animatronics once my helmet is assembled. This is pretty damned good work and I look forwards to seeing the smooth movements.

One suggestion, could you not fit the accelerator into the ring control gauntlet the Jaffa wear? You could then use one of your fingers/thumb to control the head instead of needing to control via the phone? Just a thought

Great work
 
Ozymandias said:
One suggestion, could you not fit the accelerator into the ring control gauntlet the Jaffa wear?
Click to expand...
Nice idea, I can embed a sort of WiFi remote in the gauntlet, just to perform additional effect I can't activate with just my head movement (i.e. eye shining, fins extending…)
Maybe a second accelerometer can be a wonderful improvement… Stay tuned! ;)

Uh, in this video my gauntlet (4000 small copper ring tied together) and the cosplay of another movie character :lol
(p.s.: the fingers are made of leather, no cat was harmed in this video… I use these fingers in cosplay environment just for safety, but I have also the real copper ones)

https://vimeo.com/273967594
 
This is my "old" helmet, with the costume partially renewed.
This helmet uses the electronics you can find in the first movie of this thread, the Arduino Pro Mini with the accelerometer.
The new and good part in this photo are:
– gauntlet (copper rings, moulded resin parts)
– skirt (cotton fabric, moulded resin parts)
– vest (cotton knitting)
– lower part of the Ma'Tok (moulded resin)
I plan to renew all remaining parts.
All parts of the costume was made by myself, but the vest knitted by my cousin)
Anubis_Dookil.jpg
 
At this point my "plan" is to sculpt from pepakura and the helmet for a resin version. I'm looking make the chain armour version from TV series but with real chainmaille as I dislike knitmaille with a passion.

Will see where I get to hopefully I get at least close to your level.
 
You could throw in a bluetooth module from the gauntlet to the head (simepl HC-05 master BT module is only like $2.00!)

You'd need one one the receiver end though as well....

I couldnt do any of the sculpting/molding stuff....

but the electronics part seems like a fun project! (that,.. I 'can' do!) LOL
 
Ozymandias said:
At this point my "plan" is to sculpt from pepakura
Click to expand...
My "old" helmet was made from the pepakura you can find in theRPF too. Pepakura is a really good start, but this is wrong for some shape and proportion.
My current project is totally redrawn, taking the real measure from a cast of the original helmet.
Please note: Lauchu is really tall, so the original helmet for a "normal"people is very huge. I had to scale the one in my photos to achieve the right proportion with my body.
Try to build a cardboard test from pepakura, then rescale in necessary.
About the resin, I don't like it: it's heavy, fragile and uncomfortable if you plan to wear it. My current helmet weight is 2Kg (about 4 pounds) and the next will be even lighter.
 
xl97 said:
You could throw in a bluetooth module …
Click to expand...
I already done in the very first version: an HC-05 configured as slave in the helmet, while the master and a PS1 joystick was embedded in the Ma'Tok handle.
But the movements was not enough natural. This is because I started this new project :)
Now the movements quality I reached is better even of the original movie… :devil
 
This thread is more than 5 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

2
3Demon Stargate Horus helmet inquiry
Replies
2
Views
585
Too Much Garlic
Too Much Garlic
S
Chucky TV Series Cable Telemetry Animatronic
Replies
2
Views
246
SlasherCrafter
S
TazMan2000
Space 1999 Helmet
2
Replies
35
Views
1,782
joberg
joberg
M
Rocketeer Helmet finishing questions.
Replies
1
Views
225
chibobber
C
Sean
Help with Pistol Lanyard Ring.
Replies
8
Views
455
Sean
Sean
Back
Top