Animatronic Singing Bass Fish

The complete project is a wall-mounted fish with a motor that flops the head around as music plays via a Bluetooth module through a set of speakers. The overall goal of this project was to utilize learned implementation abilities for C++ libraries and execute code that utilizes a microcontroller’s pulse-width modulation function to put on an animatronic performance in singing-fish form. This was successfully completed and displayed in a laboratory. A store-bought Billy Bass provides many of the essential components required to assemble a Bluetooth Billy Bass including the motor, speakers, and fish. The stock mono speaker was replaced with larger stereo speakers for increased volume. Components purchased separately include an Arduino Nano to deal with motor control, an amplifier module to adjust the volume of the output, a micro-USB connector paired with a 1000 microfarad capacitor to temper the input voltage, a Bluetooth module to communicate to a smart device, and an H-bridge to reverse the voltage/current at both ends of the connected output to drive the DC motor in either direction. C++ code is written that initiates three levels of motor movement based on intensity of the incoming audio wave and is uploaded to the Arduino Nano. These components allow the Billy Bass to play music via Bluetooth as well as swing its head when it senses a certain threshold of input signal. The amplifier is connected to the Bluetooth module via an auxiliary cable.