Quivering Facehugger is All Geared Up
Originally published on hackaday.com by Donald Papp on 30 December 2023
Jason Winfield has created an engaging and entertaining project featuring a mounted Alien facehugger that quivers, lights up, and reacts to motion. Documented in a video, the project not only showcases a jump scare experience but also captures people’s reactions using a Raspberry Pi for control. The facehugger initially exhibits a subtle twitch upon motion detection, escalating into a more intense quiver accompanied by light and sound effects. The LED lighting, with a wave-like illumination reminiscent of rotating hazard beacons, adds an extra layer of visual appeal.
To efficiently move the facehugger’s legs, Winfield devised a clever solution using a single motor with a rotating cam arrangement, instead of employing a motor for each limb. The chosen surplus motor, while thin and high-torque, presented a challenge as it ran extremely fast. To achieve the desired creepy quivering motion over simple vibration, Winfield implemented a planetary gear assembly. This assembly drives a rotating ring and cam arrangement connected to the facehugger’s legs. Despite having only one motor, each leg’s motion appears independent, creating a lifelike effect. The entire slim assembly is neatly contained within the frame, showcasing Winfield’s innovative approach to achieving a captivating and interactive experience. You can find plenty of components for projects like this within our robotics, sensors and automatios sections.
In summary, Jason Winfield’s project combines creativity, technical ingenuity, and a touch of horror, offering a unique and visually striking result. The integration of motion detection, lighting effects, and a clever mechanical solution for the facehugger’s movement showcases Winfield’s skillful execution in creating an engaging and dynamic experience.

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