@rgordon and @robotmaker - I am looking for the same thing. The chestplate to B9 needs to light up in unison with his speech. I plan on using acrylic rods and LEDs to make it look like the orginal (neon tubes). My first thought was to put an op-amp on the output of the MP-3 trigger and send it to the speaker and a set of LED's wired in parallel. But I was not sure if that would work. Trial and error for me as I do not know how to design a circuit.

thats very easy it needs a vu meter circuit using lm3914

here is the data sheet and has circuit on second page

LM3914 DATASHEET

rgordon i guess you meen lights go into the center like when a mouth opens and close 5 leds on each side,takes a chip like it but 5 leds and you use 2 chips ,will have to look it up,since i bought the parts to make one for my johnny five design

Hey bret check out this very simple circuit using a tip31 transistor, at about 3 min in the video you can see it working.

Will

Sound reactive LEDS

ok found the chip i have AN6884 YOU NEED 2 OF THEM,sound input goes to both chips ,very few parts needed mostly a pot for gain on input like 5 k and one cap for a filter on power supply

an6884 data sheet

chip cost $1.60 from futurlec.com ,about $.30 for a 5k pcb mounted pot,10 k will work too

fxrtst that circuit only flashes all leds to sound

the way bar graph or vu meter circuit works it has op amp used as a comparator for each led and a voltage string,when audio level is apply to the first string input turns on the led set by the threshold of the votage string and the level of aduio as it increases then next led is control by threshold of the next divider value and so on if you need them flashing it needs another simple circuit added to the chip also can be hook up in parallel too

on circuit that FXRST it will work for bret ,if he only needs one led or a string of leds to flash with audio just a simple transistor switch by sound,how it works audio it at the base of the transistor,(also should have a base resistor of 1 k to protect it) ,but as voltage is apply to the base it turns it off or on to sound ,one op amp is better but still will work also any npn transistor will work,that one is 40 watts too high not really needed 2N2222 will work up to 100 ma and more

Yes correct. Bret is working on the B9 robot. When he speaks the LEDS light up in his chest. But, you seemed to have mastered something better there.

This is quite generious to give your time like this. I have several projects, but one that might be able to use your LED circuit. I am making an android head.

The head will have up/down, left right movement and jaw movement, plus eyes will have complete movement. What I'd like to do, if you look at my design below, the area on the back of the head will have translucscent material. I'd like to have some LEDs in there that are either him thinking (random), or when he speaks they light up, kinda like his computer brain working.

Anyways its all going to be rapidprototyped and the skin will be silicone, very silimlar to Irobot. If any one is intereested I may make this into a "Kit" for people to add to their robots.

The design on the forehead will take ping radar and the wireless webcam, so you can have the head follow you around the room!

Will

The design is a quick sketch and will likely change, so its a WIP.

WILL, I HAVE THE VERY SAME DESIGN FOR MY HEAD ONLY USING 2 WEBCAMS on using sonar not really good for follow a person around the room,you need amn22111 PIR ,spot with analog output or they have the same in digital too

i design at home called freelancing for a company i work for ,plus sent on trips to repair my test qequipment i design and make,so i do have free time does take me longer to build a robot ,mostly test it out very well,so no mistakes or buy the wrong parts for it and like buying very high tech commerical robots,looking to get hansons robot for $46000,it one of the best designs you can buy android with his own flubber design skin,alot better then silicone

also on the head designing emotions,using servo's to push on the silicone,so it really looks like a person moving, talking,and showing all types of emotions including eyebrows

I work in the film industry as a make up artist and his Flubber, I bet does not come close to what I use to transform someone using silicone parts. People think of silicone like caulking, my silicone feels like real skin.

But, I not interested in crossing the uncanny valley with this guy, I want him to look more robot than human. Some of the youtube videos of human robots are creepy. I do think people respond to humanoid robots though.

What kinda of designs and equipment do you make? PC boards or other? Do you write code for robots?

Will

PS I was thinking the sonar in the head , for use if you installed the head on a mobile robot.

in-house test equpment ,very high precision,sensor sensor tester,plus pcb pins and nails tester for testing finished pcb's,,company makes all types of meters,A/C electrical depth devices and circuit tracers silicone is used alot mostly (adult toys) and real life feel baby toys and many other stuff that feels like real skin ,hanson is talks about silicone and fubber is based out of it but better hansonrobotics website

you can buy ALBERT EINSTEIN HUBO at robotshop.com for $46,000you need to really check it out i am buying it in about 6 months or less,right now buying a bigger house with land,have 2 rooms ,need 5

then went down in price $42,500.00

here is some info website has video and more RoboKind robots are your gateway to the next generation of research. The new "HANSON ROBOKIND" robots have been miniaturized and operate with a 2 foot body and 4 interchangeable heads. They walk, talk, sit, dance, pick up objects, avoid obstacles, jump and kick. There are 4 interchangeable heads (Einstein, Zeno, Alice and Geo), with motors that are as easy to change as a light bulb. The manufacturer has also created easy to use open source coding engine, and their own robot animation system in order to facilitate the development of advanced functions.

The Hanson Robokind bodies are built stronger and faster than any robot on the market. They feature the powerful dynamixel servos. For those models that walk, they use RX-64 servos in the legs, allowing quick movement and consistent performance. Models with gestural arms use RX-28 and RX-64 servos in the arms, allowing for strong movements, as well as fine precision. The bodies also contain an amazing sensor array, including an IMU with a 9 axis gyro/accelerometer/compass, temperature, torque, and touch sensors, and many other sensor options. It is all controlled by the on board computer.

also fubber info on it The Hanson Robokind robots are capable of the full range of human expressions. The key is skin, made of Robokind's patented FrubberT material. FrubberT is a biomimetic polymer that contracts and folds just like human skin. This allows the robots to achieve life-like expressions in a low power, robust package. Because of the skin, Robokind's knowledge of anatomy, and sophisticated robot engineering, RoboKind robots can accurately simulate the action of over 32 facial muscles.