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Breathing Torso for Jersey Tunnels museum December 2011

In partnership with Gems Studio

Flickering electronic Oil-Lamp head for a Yinka Shonibare figure exhibited in Jerusalem March 2010

Yinka Shonibare is another 'artist' where others make 'his exhibits'.
His exhibition was of four figures representing the four elements. Fire was to have an Oil Lamp as a head, however for safety reasons it had to be electric, so I made a flickering LED array which simulated the various flickering modes of a real oil lamp. The figure itself was sculpted by Anthony Bennett of Sheffield and the clothes were made by a dressmaker from London.
Jim Whiting's Boxer Shorts Bingo at the Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) London October 2009

Setup, electronics and control software for Jim Whiting's Boxer Shorts Bingo machine show. The shorts, rotating on a carousel, were dropped at random onto a paddle which then catapulted them across the room while the players attempted to match the pattern of the shorts to those on their bingo-card. The Yarpies (the hanging nightdresses) got excited, bounced up and down and yelled at each throw. The Yarpies and catapult were pneumatic powered while the shorts carousel was electric.
Also the software for a pneumatic Winch game.
Control electronics for Lulu Guinness's Cuckoo Bag March 2009

via Adam Wright

Lulu Guinness, a fashion designer, for her 20th anniversary designed a one off bag containing a captivating animatronic bird was inspired by the traditional musical birdcage curiosities that use clockwork mechanisms to allow the birds to flutter sing and nod as if magically alive. The hand-bag was constructed by Adam Wright and contained an actual Victorian mechanical bird operated by electric RCservos rather than the original clockwork. The electronics designed and built by me recorded and played back both the sound of the bird singing and the bird's accompanying movements.


Sleeping sailor for the SS Great Britain September 2005

See an example video, above at Breathing Torso for Jersey Tunnels museum.
In partnership with
Gems Display Figures.
Figure in billowing cloth for an Inhaler Advert. August 2004

A specially sculpted mannequin for WPPs' german pharmaceutical client of a woman enjoying the benefits of a new asthma product.
The mannequin had to have the scarf billowing in a breeze, and has small electric fans fitted inside the body to blow the scarf backwards to enhance the display and copy the packaging image. The figure is the centrepiece of a major promotion at trade fairs across Europe.
The cloth was supported on an irregular frame and the four very quiet fans hidden in the figure supplied the wind.
In partnership with Gems Display Figures.
Animatronic Grasshopper caught in a web - Inatura, Museum of Natural History, Dornbirn, Austria March 2003

The grasshoppers antennae had to move spasmodically as if it was in its death throes.
with Anthony Bennett

TecRover mobile robot base for Milford Instruments May 2002
TecRover was a prototype mobile robot base, designed for Milford Instrument to take the TecArm or the Arm and TecGripper from Hextor. The drive was two SuperTec S04 quarter-scale servos modified for continuous rotation and the chassis had a compartment to take a standard 7.2v NiCad racing pack.


Computer controlled Pan and Tilt for Milford Instruments March 2002
Pan and Tilt - Manual

Cyclist figure for a Cycle Shop, Ireland March 2001
An articulated figure to sit on a motorised vintage bicycle
In partnership with Gems Display Figures.

Animatronic Statue of Pöppelmann, Matthaus Daniel, (1662-1736) September 2000
An animatronic figure of Pöppelmann a famous architect, which had to breathe and have moving eyes.

In partnership with Gems Display Figures.


The rising snake from the story The Speckled Band for the Sherlock Holmes museum, Baker St, London March 2000
The animatronic Speckled Band is a snake, triggered by an infra-red sensor, which rises as visitors approach.
Since the man is supposed to be dead I would have thought he should have been in a high backed armchair to support his head and arms, however the museum designers have the final say in these matters.
In partnership with Gems Display Figures.


Charles Dickens, prototype silicone-skin talking animatronic head May 1999
An animatronic talking Charles Dickens with moving eyes. In partnership with Gems Display Figures.

Hugo, prototype fibre-glass animatronic head November 1998

In partnership with Gems Display Figures.


Large working scales for an exhibition 1998

Made with Patrick Anwyl


Sleeping sailors for the SS Great Britain October 1997

In partnership with Gems Display Figures.



Prisoner in a barrel for Dungeons of Windsor museum May 1997
Medieval punishment of a man held in a barrel: his arms and head moved randomly.

The man had a Gaze-Control mechanism to give realistic movements to the head.
and had a similar controller for the arms.

In partnership with Gems Display Figures.


Dead Lady raising her head off a coffin for a European museum January 1997

In partnership with Gems Display Figures.



Moving eyes for a Berlin museum December 1996
In partnership with Gems Display Figures

Shadow educational pneumatics computer control interface October 1992

RS232 controlled Relay board for a PC July 1992
9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit;
24 volt relays, 16amp c/o
circuit jpg
Manual jpg


Flash Boxes June 1992

on camera trigger and flash-box receiver
A radio controlled set of 'Flash Boxes' with an on camera flash trigger.

A flying magpie for the Leeds Opera North production of 'The thieving Magpie' April 1992

Vibration Pulsers for the Jim Whiting show, Vienna February 1992

The large scale electronic components to go with the exhibition mobile phone Summer 1991

Flight Simulator concept
1991

The control electrics/electronics for a 'Lion v. Unicorn' animatronic sculpture
for Thomas Sholtz - sculptor, for a Carlisle museum.
March 1990

Suit winch controller for the Jim Whiting show 1989

Atari Disk-Interface converter for DS Enterprises ~1987