It Breathes

I've continued work on the Deep Listening Device, which is now able to breathe with a set of bellows that I've constructed out of millboard and a wind-resistant fleece.


I constructed a motor-driven reel at the bottom of the device to pull the ropes through a pulley system which raises the bellows.


The motor currently installed in the device is not powerful enough to reel up the bellows, so I will need to find another suitable motor. In the meantime, the pulley system works well when the rope is pulled by hand.

I installed one solenoid to pull one of the accordion valves open to show how it can be controlled. The solenoid plunger is attached to the valve through a throttle cable, which seems to work well.





I have the solenoid attached to a BEAM head robot circuit, which activates the solenoid when the circuit reads a difference in light levels between its two light sensors.



Here is a video of the device in action:


The squealing heard in the video is caused by one of the support wheels. It adds nicely to the evil/creepy atmosphere of the device.

More Building

I've been busy working out a few things with the accordion and building a frame for the bellows. I am building a larger set of bellows to ensure that the accordion gets enough air for it to sound.

I experimented with a throttle-type cable to connect the solenoids to the accordion's valve levers. This will allow for easier placement of the solenoids.



I built a wood interface that will let me build onto the accordion's treble casing, using the same pin-and-socket joint that is used to attach the existing bellows to the accordion.



I've started building a frame around the accordion interface that will support the accordion and expand along with the bellows using a system of pulleys. If it works, it will allow the whole device to grow in size as the bellows breathe in, and sink with gravity as it breathes out. I still need to add parts to stabilize the bottom of the frame and attach the motor that will drive the bellows. Some small wheels will be used to give stability to the top of the bellow mechanism.



I'm also thinking about the sensors that my Evil Deep Listening Accordion will use to sense its environment and inform what notes it will play. The sensors may end up becoming independent little creatures that "sense" evil or appear to be evil/suspicious. They could send signals back to the accordion, telling it of approaching evil and/or other changes in its environment.