Today in devices that use stepper motors to make beautiful music we present to you this Arduino-powered, Raspberry-Pi containing music box that uses simple stepper motors to grind out merry tunes and a pair of servos to supply a percussion backup.
The box, created by Jeremy Weatherford, is surprisingly simple. The Raspberry Pi contains the music and activates the stepper motors at the right time. The motors vibrate at different frequencies and for different durations, making music. It’s a bit of ridiculous overkill but it’s fun. Writes Weatherford:
The fun part for me was putting it all in a wooden box, and trying out panel-mount components for the first time. There’s a power-switch where the LED lights up when a power source is connected, so I don’t leave a LiPo in it. There’s a play/stop button, and a barrel jack on the back for wall power. I even used the normal pin on the jack to disconnect the battery connector when a wall source is connected, so I can’t accidentally blow up a LiPo.
The box is definitely a cute hack and, best of all, it’s playing “Sweet Child Of Mine.” Ohhhhh, sweet love o mine-uh.