Looking to create something extra creepy this Halloween? Look no further! Halloween always brings out some of the best Raspberry Pi projects. Maker Caleb Lemoine has created a spooky Raspberry Pi-powered jack-o-lantern project that detects people and turns around to watch them as they walk by.
This project was inspired by a similar project created by Ryder Damen, another Pi project guru who we’ve had the honor of featuring on our website before. Ryder’s setup involves a moving mannequin head but Lemoine has opted for a more traditional pumpkin-based design.
The jack-o-lantern is built on top of a Raspberry Pi 3 B and uses a Pimoroni pan-and-tilt hat. Two PIR Motion sensors are fitted inside 3D-printed enclosures and used to determine when people are nearby as well as where they are in relation to the pumpkin.
An MG90s servo is used to pivot the pumpkin around to face the detected person. Everything is housed inside of an acrylic display case with a couple of 5V fans for cooling and mounted on top of a black, plaster pedestal.
Software-wise, it needs both Go version 1.17 and Docker. Lemoine was kind enough to share all of the details on GitHub for anyone interested in creating their own creepy pumpkin. Visit the project page for more information including a wiring diagram showing exactly how the components connect to the Pi.
If you want to see this pumpkin in action, check out Caleb Lemoine’s official YouTube channel and be sure to follow him for any updates as well as future Raspberry Pi creations.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
