Learning to build lighter after watching many robotics videos
After seeing some videos on animatronics, I realized my first crow was way too heavy to move properly. Version 2 focuses on just the head and neck with 3 servos—and it actually works. Instead of trying to animate a full bird, this version is just head and neck. Three servo motors give me enough range for expressive movement: tilt, rotate, and neck extension.
I built a simple controller pad to move the head around manualy. The plan is to add AI voice control later, but for now it’s fun to puppeteer it directly.
Coding the servos was easy. Glueing feathers with super glue? Absolute nightmare. Hairs, feathers, and super glue means you’ll have feather hands for days. No getting around it,just accept your fate.
Used Fusion360 to make an assembly and test all the rotation axes before actually printing anything. This saved me from reprinting motor holders multiple times.
Main takeaway: keep everything light. The feathers and fur add weight anyways, so the structure needs to be minimal. Light and breezy wins over rigid and heavy.