4.7 Next Steps

Here are a couple of other ideas to elevate this project to the next level:

• Replace the dog barking samples with a booming klaxon, a piercing alarm bell, or science fiction self-destruct sound effects. Swap out the fake dog snout attached to the servo arm with a laser pen light that sweeps the entryway. Imagine your front doorway looking like something out of a science fiction thriller!

• Add an ultrasonic rangefinder and alter the reaction of sound and motion based on the proximity of the movement being captured. As a intruder comes closer to the sensor, have the volume get louder and the servo move more erratically. The closer one gets to the sensor, the more agitated the Electric Guard Dog becomes.

• Upscale your Guard Dog into a super-sized, weatherized garden scarecrow. Use more powerful stepper motors connected to a higher voltage external power source. Make a life-size replica of yourself in old coveralls and use PVC tubing connected to the stepper motors and wire akin to the strings of a marionette to control the excited motions of the scarecrow’s arms and legs.

• Reuse your Electric Guard Dog rig on Halloween. Cover in a “ghost” sheet or configure a mask with hinged jaws attached to servos that greets visitors with a spooky voice and ethereal movements.

• Combine the Electric Guard Dog with other projects from the book to turn on lights, send an email, or lock/unlock the door when motion is detected.