Shooting Gallery

[PerfessorEvil]

Ok, I have an idea for my Killer Klowns/Evil Circus theme.

I'd like to do a shooting gallery with 4 or 5 severed heads on pneumatics, with a different scream for each one as it is triggered.  SteveO at the Garage of Evil keeps trying to tell me that a Prop-2 would be perfect for this, but I'm short on funds, and I already have 7 or 8 prop-1s.

I'm thinking that I can do this using a prop-1 to get the inputs from the targets, a DC-16 to control the pneumatics, and an AP-8 for the screams.  There will only be one "gun", so I don't have to worry about simultaneous triggering.

Is there any reason this wouldn't work?

I was thinking of using photoresistors and mounting a laser pointer in a toy gun, but someone else told me that infrared would be a much better way of doing this... less false firings.  Anyone have any ideas for infrared inputs for the prop-1?

Thanks!

[EricTheMannn]

what are you going to use to trigger the prop one's? a laser ?

I think a laser wound be more accurate then  IR and if you debounce the trigger input you should be fine, separate code for the separate prop-1s and you'll be fine.


Great idea!!  you should make multiple guns with lasers shouldn't hurt the wallet!

Post video when your up and running! :)

-Eric

[PerfessorEvil]

what are you going to use to trigger the prop one's? a laser ?

I think a laser wound be more accurate then  IR and if you debounce the trigger input you should be fine, separate code for the separate prop-1s and you'll be fine.

-Eric

I'm mostly concerned with the multitude of people who would either have flashlights that they are shining at the photoresitors, or their own laser pointers.   I was actually thinking maybe an old lasertag gun, assuming I can find one cheap.

[EricTheMannn]

I have some back at the house that I can take apart, I believe that they are IR receivers and transmitters that are focused with a cone of some sort  they had bad range, I ended up putting foil around the barrel to give it a little more range. You can probably wire something up

I found a few things at www.parallax.com that will suit this project well!

Infrared Receiver  Item code     350-00014: http://www.parallax.com/Store/Components/Optoelectronics/tabid/152/List/1/ProductID/177/Default.aspx?SortField=ISBN%2cISBN

IR Transmitter       Item code     350-00017: http://www.parallax.com/Store/Components/Optoelectronics/tabid/152/List/1/ProductID/178/Default.aspx?SortField=ISBN%2cISBN

The Infrared Decoding and Detection appnote zip file has a lot of info on the IR transmitter and IR Receiver (Even Circuit Schematics and sample code!) which is found under the Downloads & Resources: category to the right of the page

You wont have any need for buying laser tag guns!! :)

-Eric

[PerfessorEvil]

SWEET!  And in my price range.  :)  Now I'll just have to figure out how to use them.  Thanks!

[JonnyMac]

The IR receivers expect modulated IR "light" -- you can use a 555 timer circuit in the gun to do that for you -- or you can hack an old TV remote, though those send codes and you wouldn't get a clean hit, you'd get a series of pulses.

[PerfessorEvil]

Thanks Jon... can you give me any more detail on that?  I'm really electronically illiterate, so any details help.

[JonnyMac]

You'll find a schematic on this page: http://www.robotroom.com/Infrared555.html

Note, though, that you can run the 555 from a 9v battery so you may want to do that and adjust the current limiter for the LED to match the 9v as that will make your circuit easier.  Basically, your "trigger" becomes a power switch for this circuit.  When you press it the LED emits modulated IR that can be detected. 

On the detector side you have three pins: signal, +5v, and ground -- which means you can wire them to a TTL header (I do this using an extender cable).  The output of the IR detector is active low which means the pin will read as a "1" when there is no light and "0" when IR is detected.

Just a caution: the pin-out of the detector does not match WRB as on the header so you have to modify it.  What I do is remove the pins from one shell and re-insert them in the correct order.