Moogle Machine

This product has been made as a result, for a school assignment, for the HKU.

In this Instructable, you'll learn how to create your own, Moogle. It will be the Moogle from Final Fantasy XIV.

We'll make use of three Servo Motors, an LED light, and a HC-SR04 distance sensor.

When people/object get close, the Moogle will respond by flapping it's wings, and waving it's arm. The globe on it's head will also get lit.

For This Project you will need:

• 1 x Arduino UNO
• 1 x Arduino UNO - Protoshield - Leonardo
• 1 x HC-SR04 distance sensor
• 3 x Servo Motor

• 2 x Clay
• EVA Foam - High Density 2mm
• EVA Foam - High Density 5mm
• Crafting Paper
• 1x Ping Pong Ball

• Plasti-Dip - Black
• Gesso
• Glassex
• Spray paint - White
• Spray paint - Black
• Spray paint - Red
• Paint (In color's by choice)

• Drill
• Quick Seal/Dremel
• Contact Cement
• Utility knife
• Paint brushes
• Aluminium Foil
• Duct-Tape
• Double Coated Tape
• Painting Tape
• An object with a round surface (Tiny bowl, or a tea-cup handle, etc.)

Step 1: Creating the Model

Grab your clay, and start shaping the clay into the Moogle. The head, and the body need to be seperate pieces. This is so that it’ll be easier to work with, when you’re using foam later on. In this phase, you can already decide which pose to take on, and the size of your Moogle. Make sure that at least 3 Servo motors fit in the mold of the body. And that the Arduino UNO, with the shield, also fit into the mold of the bag. Let it dry overnight.

Step 2: Drawing on the Patterns

Once everything has fully dried up, use aluminium foil to wrap up the clay models.

Then, cover all the pieces with Duct-Tape. Make sure that there are no folds and bumps when you're wrapping up the models.

Next, you can use a marker or a pen, to draw on patterns, onto the models.

For this I recommend you to create patterns, that have simple shapes. Label all of your patterns in a logical, and easy to recognizable way. That will help you with distinguishing the individual pieces, later on.

Step 3: Cutting Out Your Patterns

Once you're done with all the patterns. Cut them out using an Utility knife. Make sure that you're not harming the clay model while doing this. So that you can reuse the model, if you're not happy with your patterns.

When you're done with cutting out all the patterns, place them onto the crafting foam. Then, you can trace the shapes of the patterns, onto the crafting foam. This will make sure that it'll be easier, to draw on the patterns onto the actual Eva Foam Later on.

When you have all of the patterns on the crafting foam. Use these to cut out the pieces from the EVA Foam.

For the Moogle, use the 2MM foam. This will make it easier to shape the Moogle. It will also make sure, that the parts, that will be moving, won't be too heavy for the Servo Motors.

For the bag (the case for the Arduino Uno) use the 5MM foam. It will make sure, that the Arduino, is safely protected from harm.

Step 4: Creating the Model

Using a Hairdryer/Heat Gun, and an object with a round surface, shape each individual piece to follow the curves of your original clay model. Then, you can glue the sides together with contact cement. Make sure that you wait for at least ten minutes, when you've coated the edges with glue. Contact cement is a very powerful glue, but it needs to solidify, before it will stick together.

During this step: Attach the three Servo motor's onto each other with Duct-Tape. and already place them into the body of the Moogle, while you're making that. Later on, you wont be able to put in the Servo Motor's anymore.

This will also be the time, to mark, and drill the holes, for the wings of the servo motor to come out.

When you're done creating the head, cut a hole in the bottom of the head, and the top of the body, for the wires from the LED to go through. You also have to cut, two holes in the bottom of the foam body (the feet), for the wires to go through.

When all of the individual pieces of the Moogle are done, and the Servo Motors are in place, glue them together.

(Except for the wings and the arm that will be moving.)

Then, drill two big holes in the bag (the case of the Arduino Uno), for the HC-SR04 distance sensors, to come out.

Lastly, pull the two wires for the LED through the body and head. Create a tiny hole in the top of the head, for the two wires to come out. Take a piece of Iron wire, and shape it in the curve of the Moogle's antenna. Tape these together with tape.

Step 5: Soften Your Model

Now that your foam model is done, you may see that there are some hard edges to be seen. You can soften these edges by using a Dremel.

If you do not have one, you can also use Quick Seal, to fill in the edges. Make sure that you remove any excess Quick Seal when you're using this method, or the bumps and cracks will show in the final piece.

Step 6: Priming the Foam Models

Use painting tape to cover up all of the wires, wings, and holes from your Moogle.

Then, start coating the model with Plasti-Dip. Not only will this protect create a good base for your paint. It will also harden the foam, and protect it from water.

You will be using several coats of Plasti-Dip, before all of the pieces are completely covered. Aim for a smooth finish.

Note: Read the instructions on the can, to get a perfect result.

Step 7: Painting the Foam Models

When everything has dried up, use Glassex on a microfiber towel, to degrease the model. This will make sure that you're paint actually sticks to the models.

Use the white spray paint as the base color for your Moogle. Use black spray paint, as the base for the wings, and use the red spray paint as the base for the Bag.

When all of the base colors are set, and have dried up, you can use normal paint, to paint the details.

Make sure that you use Glassex again, before painting on the details.

Step 8: Finishing Up

Now that your models are done and fully painted, you can place them on a standard. Use 5MM EVA foam, for the base. If you want to cover up the wires, cut out a piece of 2MM EVA foam, that covers all of the wires. (You can attach the wires that jump up, to the base with Duct tape. In this phase, you can also use some spare EVA Foam, to create little decorations onto the base. In my case I used little envelopes.

For the base, and the part that covers the wires, you can choose to prime these with Plasti-Dip as well. In that case, cover the separate pieces in Plasti-Dip, before you glue everything together. If you cannot be bothered, just use Gesso before you start with painting. And make sure to use a steady hand.

Lastly, attach the LED to the male to female wires that are sticking out of the top of your Moogle, and cover it with the Ping Pong ball.

And you're done!

Step 9: Code and Setup

Make sure that you use long wires, and extensions, for the wires to travel from the case to the Moogle.