# Uncanny eyes



## 69-cat (Jan 18, 2014)

Has anyone here had luck building the electronic eyes that is listed in the Adafruit web site? I have had error messages that will not compile the Arduino sketch using the Tessey board. I have had some response with helping me get through some of the errors using the blog but after a few failed attempts and the error code now down to what look like a single issue, looks like my luck has run out. Any input would be great because I would really love to use them this year.
Dave


----------



## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Do you mean Teensy board? I haven't built the eyes, but have slugged my way through many a compiling error on Arduino. What is the remaining issue with the error codes?


----------



## 69-cat (Jan 18, 2014)

Yes, the Teensy board... I will post the error code later today. That would be great if you could help, at this point any help will be great. I was hoping to be able to use the Uno board but reading through the sketch it states it will not work on the Uno.

Dave


----------



## Batbuddy (Sep 3, 2014)

I found the project on Adafruit and wow what a cool idea. I want to help you trouble shoot this. First, just checking that you didn't miss any of the "precode loading steps" (Listed in the following paragraphs, from adafruit)"
* Software *

by  Phillip Burgess 

Before diving too deep into the software, there are *some gotchas* to be aware of&#8230;


 *Do not* install the Adafruit_GFX, Adafruit_SSD1351 or Adafruit_ST7735 libraries offered by the Teensyduino installer! *Use the Arduino Library Manager* or *install these manually* from Github code. The Teensyduino-installed libraries sometimes diverge from the latest Adafruit code and _might prevent this project from compiling. (emphasis added)
_
When first building this project, please test initially with the canonical "Uncanny Eyes" sketch linked later in this guide, not anyone's derivative code. This will help with any troubleshooting/support. Once the default code works, _then_ you can try out variants that may be out there.

Teensy uses the Arduino environment for programming, so it's pretty familiar and simple to work with, but it does require a little extra setup first&#8230;
If you're not using a recent version of the Arduino IDE (1.6.5 or newer), this would be a good time to upgrade. Once you have that software installed and working, download and run the Teensyduino installer, which adds support for the full line of Teensy microcontroller boards in the Arduino IDE (but remember, _don't_ install the display/graphics libraries there&#8230;use the Arduino Library Manager instead).
From the *Tools* menu, select *Board→Teensy 3.2* and *CPU Speed→72 MHz* (and whatever optimization settings you'd like)*.* Confirm that you can compile and upload the classic "blink" sketch to the Teensy board. Don't use the 96 MHz setting; the code actually performs a bit better at 72 MHz (due to SPI settings)."


----------



## 69-cat (Jan 18, 2014)

Got it to work....working with Arduino is a little different than Picaxe....
Dave


----------



## Batbuddy (Sep 3, 2014)

Good deal. Thanks for bringing this project to my attention, I will have to try it one of these days.


----------



## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Just curious, what was the issue in case anyone else has the same problem?


----------



## 69-cat (Jan 18, 2014)

Well, from what i can see I had a folder setup for the TFT and the graphic driver but the sketch was in a different folder. I placed a copy of the sketch into the same folder and that was when it started working. Still learning the ins and outs of Arduino.
Dave


----------



## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Thanks for the update!


----------



## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

Good to hear you got it working. I use these in all my Animatronic characters now. 
The tutorial is well done but the soldering takes a steady hand. These parts are small!
One of the reasons I wanted my own 3D printer was to be able to make the enclosures. Now I don't need to order them made by Shapeways although they do nice work.
Here is a video showing a couple of mine -


----------



## xronos (Sep 25, 2013)

Love those eyes. I'm currently integrating them into another project, but trying something new this time: dmx control. I'm using a pwm-to-analog board that will take the servo pwm output off the dmx board and convert it to an analog voltage that will simulate a joystick for input on the Teensy. So the end result is the eye movement would emulate physical servos and theoretically even be able to use existing sequences intended for physical eye servos. The built-in random eye movement is great for most things, but in this one project I really need to control them precisely. I'm also incorporating a pwm digital switch to control the eye blink in much the same way. The Teensy Eyes really are a great platform that is awesome in auto mode but also flexible enough to expand upon if need be.


----------



## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Seems like a neat project! Am I reading everything correctly, though.... about $50 for a pair of LCD eyes and ~$100 for OLED screens? Somewhat surprised that Teensy board seems so expensive... even at Adafruit, which seems to be about the cheapest price. One of these days I'll have to read the specs and see what makes it so magic! Guess the project can't run on a cheap arduino?


----------



## xronos (Sep 25, 2013)

Yep correct; has to be on a Teensy, because it relies on features specific to the board. The OLED screens I just bought were around $34 each, so even the more expensive option for basic setup is around $100 all-in. (Assuming you have a 3d printer to print the housings or don't need them in your build).


----------



## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

This thread is a year old but going to give it a shot anyway.... How complicated is this for someone who has never done it before? I was going to have a prop blink on/off with lights but now that I have a little time before Halloween, I was looking at doing something a bit cooler.


----------



## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

Daphne said:


> This thread is a year old but going to give it a shot anyway.... How complicated is this for someone who has never done it before? I was going to have a prop blink on/off with lights but now that I have a little time before Halloween, I was looking at doing something a bit cooler.


The project is even easier now with the release of their Monster M4sk - https://www.adafruit.com/product/4343


----------



## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

First off, thanks for responding Halstaff. Second off, your stuff is incredible, don't think I've ever mentioned it but its very impressive! Wow!

I've spent some time since last night trying to learn about the adafruit product and it is super cool even though I am clueless in this area. The eyes would replace a Dougie in a prop so I would likely have to break the Monster M4sk apart at the nose since the Dougie has a big head.

I can't find answers to a couple questions on their forums and wondered if I might bother you if you know. It appears that you can set it up using a Mac which is good but do you just plug it into your computer via USB, set it up, unplug it from the machine, plug the battery in and turn it on? It doesn't appear that plugging into a wall wart is an option which is ok. It would be for an animatronic so it wouldn't be walking around. They mention Arduino and I thought that was a board/software so do I need something else or do they mean Arduino code on the mask already? The only thing I would customize, if possible, would be the eyelid color. The Hazel default eyes are fine but if the eyelids were a dark green to match that would be great, if not, I could get over it.

Thanks in advance. If you don't have time or know the answer that is totally fine. Its been an educational journey on this and clearly I'm not finished learning yet. I'm really excited about this product though.

Someone is apparently working on a hack to have it follow you which is also sweet although it may have to have the nose attached to work, haven't figured that out yet. https://learn.adafruit.com/monster-m4sk-is-watching-you/overview

Thanks again!


----------

