Mr. Indecision – a small felt version of yourself that turns its head and looks at you using Arduino

This is a tutorial on how to use 123D Catch to get a 3D scan of your whole body. Once you have the scan or “catch” the tutorial will take you through a technique to clean it up and manipulate it ready for 123D Make. The tutorial will go through how to slice the model in Make and prep it for Laser cutting. The tutorial will briefly cover how lazer cutting and integrating the componentry and Arduino to make the head turn. The tutorial will wrap up with some example code of what worked for me during this project.

Mr. Indecision
Modern Day Puppet Master.

You will need:

-iPhone or iPad
-123D Catch from the app store (free)
-An assistant
-A Computer
-Meshmixer computer program (download for free here)
-123D Make (download for free here)
-Arduino Software (download for free here)

– Arduino UNO   $29.95
– 2 x Sharp IR proximity sensor  $14.95 each
– Standard Servo $12.00
– solid core wire  $2.50
– 9 VDC power adapter  $6.95
– pencil or chopstick
– hot glue gun & glue sticks
– patience & some Arduino experience are recommended for the 2nd half of this instructable.

Step 1: Preparing the Catch

For the catch of the your body you will need someone assist you.
There are two approaches to the catch, with an iphone/ipad or with a digital camera & computer. In my experience I have found the iphone/ipad method to be the fastest & most reliable so that is the method I will explain  If you would like to know the other method (which is actually very similar) visit:http://www.123dapp.com/catch/learnFor the iphone/ipad approach download the (free) 123D Catch app from the app store 123D Catch App. Then create an account & log in.

You (person being catched) should be sitting on a simple stool with enough room around them for the “assistant” (person assisting taking the catch) to walk around them taking photos keeping the catchee’s body within the frame.

The environment should be as evenly lit as possible but does not require studio quality backdrops or lights.

The catchee should sit as still as possible and stare directly forwards with eyes closed.

Step 2: Catching the body

Open 123D Catch and tap “New Capture” at the center bottom of the screen.

Taking a photo by taping the camera icon the assistant walks around  the catchee taking photos of the catchee from the chest  every  keeping the catchee’s body within the frame. The aim would be to get 10-15 photos for every lap around the person and to have 3 laps; one from the floor looking up , one at the waist-chest level looking strait on, and one above looking downwards.
Mr. Indecision Making
Once the catcher has completed the 3 laps and the image count is between 25-35 tap the “Review” button in the bottom right corner. Then tap Finish Capture button in the top right hand side.

Makerbot has some good tips on catching here. Tinkernut also has a very nice you tube clip of the whole process Weekend Hacker: Turn Photos Into 3D Models

Step 3: Catching the Head

Follow the Steps from the previous step but this time focus in on just the head. The details of the persons head is often lost in full body catches, so by doing an additional catch of just the head we can merge the two catches later to get the best result.

Major Components in Project
– Arduino UNO   $29.95
– 2 x Sharp IR proximity sensor  $14.95 each
– Standard Servo $12.00
– solid core wire  $2.50
– 9 VDC power adapter  $6.95

Solderless Breadboard (optional)
Clay or Bluetack

 

For more detail: Mr. Indecision – a small felt version of yourself that turns its head and looks at you using Arduino


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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