Here is a timely project for an electronic halloween pumpkin. With a bit of hacking a $1 plastic pumpkin is upgraded: a sensor embedded in the nose detects when people get close and will randomly play scary sounds and animate the LEDs on its face. The sounds are stored on an SD card so its easy to change and customize what the pumpkin says/screams, while the code is written for an Arduino so its easy to modify the behavior. I’m going to have this pumpkin outside my door to freak out the little kids who go to daycare nearby. Boo!

This is a modified version of the project that is a little ‘accelerated’ for easy videoing: normally it only makes sound every couple of minutes

You will need:

• Arduino – $34
• Wave Shield + any size SD card – $27
• Small (approx 3″) 8 ohm speaker, can be recycled from a broken gadget – $4
• Distance sensor – Sonar Maxbotics EZ1 is suggested – $25
• A bunch of diffused red or orange LEDs + resistors – $1
• Hollow plastic pumpkin (or other) + plastic bowl – $2
• Wire – 22 gauge or ribbon cable is fine – $1
• Various tools, adhesives, etc.

This isn’t a particularly tough project, but you’ll need to know basic Arduino/Microcontroller programming and soldering

• Here is the sketch that does it all!

Check out the detailed step-by-step over on the project page…