Inexperienced and need help with project

[kyrga]

I've always loved taking things apart and putting them back together, but I've never tried to build any kind of electronic device from scratch. I'm putting together something for an art project, and would really like it to have eyes with blinking eyelids.

Some of the specifications to work with are:
1. The parts that move the eyelids need to be small (major components minus wires need to fit in a space no bigger than a baseball)
2. It has to run off some sort of battery, as it will not be able to be plugged in.
3. It needs to be lightweight (no more than 1-2 lbs)
4. Time isn't much of an issue, but money is, so I need a cost-effective solution.

Is this feasible? I'd appreciate any kind of advice you have to share. I've been flipping through books and looking around online, but I just can't figure out where to start.

Thanks for your time!

[Mech_Engineer]

Depending on how big these blinking eyes need to be, I might try and steal the eyes out of a doll or Furby that already has working blinking eyes.

[Nick M]

I agree. And even if you don't like those particular eyes, you can see a working system in action - and perhaps harvest the parts to use in your setup.

[kyrga]

That was my initial idea, but my local toy store was surprisingly devoid of any blinking-eye toys... guess I'll have to do some more searching.

Thanks for the swift replies!

[mgb_phys]

The usual gadget is a remote control car type servo, these move an arm through 90-180 deg, lots of torque, cheap, and easy to control

http://www.societyofrobots.com/actuators_servos.shtml

[kyrga]

The usual gadget is a remote control car type servo, these move an arm through 90-180 deg, lots of torque, cheap, and easy to control

http://www.societyofrobots.com/actuators_servos.shtml

Awesome! The information on that site looks to be extremely helpful! Thanks!

[Topher925]

Iv got a JR DS581 I think it is just sitting around if your interested. It was a throttle servo in my heli but it was a bit to slow.