The Oscar Shh-tatue from SparkFun: A New video by SparkFun Electronics
The Oscar Shh-tatue from SparkFun
More Information: http://ift.tt/2kZTsjr
To build the circuit, you will need:
SparkFun RedBoard – Programmed with Arduino: http://ift.tt/1kEQApl
SparkFun MP3 Player Shield: http://ift.tt/1BxrlPQ
Arduino Stackable Header Kit – R3: http://ift.tt/MVZUY1
MicroSD Card with Adapter – 16GB (Class 10): http://ift.tt/1pjgvZh
Momentary Pushbutton Switch – 12mm Square: http://ift.tt/1hJA0zT
Battery Holder – 4xAA to Barrel Jack Connector: http://ift.tt/1Y2GL50
This Sunday is the Academy Awards, and it’s a pretty big deal. Some people watch because they love movies, some people watch for celebrity spectacle and fashion, and some people watch just to see who won the office pool.
Then, there are people like me. I watch the Oscars to witness those unpredictably awkward live-TV moments. One of my favorites is when an award winner who has just been given the professional honor of a lifetime starts giving a prolific and emotional speech, only for the producers to start the music and “play them off.” A swelling of music indicates that it’s time to “wrap it up,” cutting off the winner and forcing them to talk hurriedly and become flustered.
Playing someone off is a massively passive-aggressive move — and, as a person who is terrified of confrontation, I love it. It works beautifully in the awards context, so naturally I began to wonder how it could work IRL. Inspired by the spirit of the Oscars and Dave Chappelle’s ‘Wrap it up’ box, I made myself the “Oscar Shh-tatue” to bring the phenomena of playing someone off into everyday life.
The Oscar Shh-tatue is an Academy Award look-alike that is designed to sit on your desk. It looks innocuous from afar…but the up-close engraving message is a bit more aggressive.
Hidden on the bottom of the base is a small momentary push button.
Inside the box is a SparkFun RedBoard, SparkFun MP3 Player Shield with stackable headers, microSD card, AA battery pack and mini speaker.
The button on the bottom remains pressed while standing on a hard surface. Lift the trophy up, and the button releases, triggering the track to start playing after a short delay. Hand this to a friend who is talking too much, and after a few seconds the music will begin to play them off, indicating that your friend should stop talking. This saves you the discomfort of having to say to your friend’s face, “Hey, man, I’m busy; do you mind leaving me alone for a while?”
Making the Oscar Shh-tatue involves some electronic components as well as objects for fabrication.
Fabrication is where you get to be creative. I ordered an imitation Oscar trophy online and removed the trophy from the base. Then, I used the laser cutter and black acrylic to fabricate the new base and put the trophy on top of that. I made my base 4”x4”x4” to ensure that I had plenty of room inside for my electronics.