Whether you are a novice or a seasoned crafter, crafting is a great way to get creative and pass the time. It is even better when you can incorporate some electronics. So in this post, we will explore a motion-activated craft idea. Hopefully, this project is sure to be fun for all ages.
Now to an exciting way to combine electronics and craft. This Glowing LED Eyes project uses a cheap passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor to create an interactive plush toy – a Jawa Doll that lights up its eyes in response to human motion. Apparently, a lovely gift perfect for the ultimate Star Wars fan!
Jawa is one of my favorite Star Wars characters – the desert scavenger from the planet Tatooine who collect or steal droids and scrap metal to sell.
As can be seen in the schematic above, implementing this concept requires only a few common electronic components.
- MH-SR602 PIR Motion Sensor
- 2N7000 N-Channel MOSFET
- 1N4148 Silicon Diode
- 5mm Red/Amber LEDs
- 1MΩ ¼ W Resistor
- 10KΩ ¼ W Resistor
- 4.7KΩ ¼ W Resistor
- 10uF/25V Electrolytic Capacitor
- 6F22 9V Battery
The MH-SR602 is a mini digital passive infrared motion sensor ideal for detecting human movements up to a distance of 3.5 meters. It gives a logic-high level (3.3V) output that lasts for around 2.5 seconds in case of motion detection.
The 2N7000 is a N-Channel Enhancement-Mode Vertical DMOS FET.
The circuit is arranged in such a way that when the PIR sensor detects a movement the LEDs light up instantly. After a while, the LEDs gradually dim and eventually turn off completely. Thus the LEDs mimic toy eyes being startled from sleep and then slowly drifting back to sleep.
This circuit construction does not require a special circuit board, and since the number of components is less, you can go for the point-to-point wiring method.
It is easy to get cute dolls from most thrift stores. You can use such a toy for the body of your jawa doll with glowing eyes. Fitting the electronics in some of the cute toys is fairly straightforward, however, the final mounting of the PIR sensor and LEDs requires some skill and patience (and an artistic mind). I leave that up to you.
Well, here you can see some useful instructions and patterns to make your own jawa doll.
Note that you do not need a sewing machine. You can sew by hand, no matter if it will just take you longer to finish.
Needless to say, to get started, I breadboarded the electronics…
The MOSFET may be almost any current n-channel type that can work with logic-level signals. The popular 2N7000 is eminently suitable for the present application, and another great pick will be the NDS331N.
Finally, with just a few electronic components and some creative thinking, you can make your own interactive jawa doll. It is easy enough for beginners but still has plenty of scope for more experienced crafters and makers to get creative too.
Whether you are making the jawa doll for yourself or as a gift for someone else, it is sure to be a hit. And, the refinement possibilities are endless!
