Reading Time: 15 minutes

Inspired by the movie “The Fifth Element”

This article summarizes my efforts to create a set of interactive elemental stone replicas based on the iconic props from the movie “The Fifth Element.” I may have been a bit too ambitious, but I wanted the stones to have an authentic look, be relatively cheap, and have some level of interactivity. This project was a great learning opportunity and I’m very please with the final outcome.

My initial efforts began with hours of scouring the Internet for quality screenshots from the movie. In the process I stumbled upon a variety of like-minded souls which had previously made their own set of elemental stones. There were concrete stones, wooden stones, 3d printed stones, the assortment is nearly endless. There’s even an Instructable. I chose to build my stones from carved rigid styrofoam. This material had a variety of benefits as well as detractors. It was cheap, lightweight and generally easy to work with. The main drawback was its fragility and inability to hold fine carving details. Through trial and error I feel I was able to still make it work.

Supplies

Mod Podge Smoothfoam Sheet Crafts Foam for Modeling, 1 by 12 by 36-Inch, White FloraCraft Foam Block 1.8 Inch x 11.8 Inch x 17.8 Inch White eBoot 6 Pack LM2596 DC to DC Buck Converter 3.0-40V to 1.5-35V Power Supply Step Down Module eBoot 6 Pack LM2596 DC to DC Buck Converter 3.0-40V to 1.5-35V Power Supply Step Down Module Plastic 9V Batter Clip Double Sided Prototype PCB Set Double Sided Prototype PCB 8pin IC Sockets DIP IC Sockets Adaptor Solder Type Socket ATMEL ATTINY85 (Closeup) Multiple Arduino Nanos 10-Wire Ribbon Cable Plastic 9V Batter Clip 22-Gauge Wire Kit (Six Colors) 22-Gauge Wire Kit (Six Colors) 3-Pin Vertical Slide Switches 8mm WS2812B RGB LED – Through-Hole (PTH) Diffused Metal Ball Tilt Switch Sensor Metal Ball Tilt Switch Sensor Rosin Core Solder Wire

Tools

Hack Saw

Dremel with assorted bits

Soldering Iron with solder

Assorted clamps

Paint and paint brushes

Multimeter

AVR Programmer or Arduino

Large Solderless Breadboard

Hack Saw

C-Clamps

DREMEL MultiPro Model 395 Set with various accessories

DREMEL MultiPro Model 395

HyperTOUGH 208-Piece Rotary Tool Accessories

Dremel Bit – Large Disc Cutter

Dremel Bit – Small Disc Cutter with replacement discs

Dremel Bit – Small Conical Sander

Dremel Bit – Small Coarse Drum Sander

Dremel Bit – Small Coarse Sander

Dremel Bit – Small Circular Cutter

Dremel Bit – Medium Conical Sander

RadioShack 60-Watt Digital Soldering Station

RadioShack 60-Watt Digital Soldering Station

Rosin Core Solder Wire

Solder Flux

Multimeter

Large Solderless Breadboard

Best Laid Plans

Atmel ATTINY85 DIP

My initial plans included an Arduino Nano for the brains, three multi-colored LEDs, and three moving flanges driven by a single miniature servo. I was quickly forced to revise my plans because of two big issues. The first issue arose when I realized that I had underestimated the interior space required for all of the planned components. There just simply wasn’t going the be enough space for an Arduino Nano, a servo (plus linkage), the LEDs and a 9V battery. The second issue involved the non-durable nature of styrofoam. To reduce the space requirements, I decided to eliminate the miniature servo, permanently fix the flanges, and use a custom board with an ATTiny85 as the brains. This freed up a good bit of interior space and eliminated the potential wear and tear on the flanges.

Liked it? Take a second to support Justin on Patreon!

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Reddit

More

Pocket

Tumblr



Telegram

WhatsApp



Email

Print





Like this: Like Loading...