Squid Game Doll

Abstract

Inspired by the Squid Game TV series in Netflix, the doll is chanting a spooky phrase.

Given the popularity of this Korean Horror TV Series, I am inspired to create the "Red Light, Green Light" doll that can turn it's head and also play the creepy song.

So I go on searching for existing work that might exist, but couldn't find any, so I just have to get creative and make one.

I am having some goosebump along the way because, it is just creepy. I hope you enjoy this build as much as I did.

In the concept art, I will be using Arduino as the brain to control the doll head as well as playing the song.

Electronics

- Arduino Uno or Nano

- DF Player Mini

- Speaker

- Servo controller

- Servo motor

After searching for sometime, I stumble across the paper craft doll from Canon, this is the base I used to make the Squid game doll with a grew modification.

I have attached the original kissing doll from Canon that I have used with modification.

The idea is to create a squid game doll that will play the creepy song, "무궁화 꼬찌 피엇 소리다" (Mugunghwa Kkoci Pieot Seumnida), then turn the head 180 degree and detect some motion, before turning it's head back again and start singing the song again.

Proof of concept

Using the paper craft doll from Canon, I made a small modification, adding the big eyes, and red lips to match the doll.

Cut the face and the hair, then glue as per the instruction. If you never made the papercraft before, this will be an extra exercise.

Apply glue in the (+) indicated and the back of (o) as indicated.

Once you get the face done, it is time to glue the back of the head. Then you will need to make a small adjustment to the hair to match the creepy squid game doll.

The final steps is to apply the ear. The result looks pretty good.

Scaling up the doll

My original plan is to use Ultrasonic sensor to detect some motion to mirror what happened in the movie, so I need to scale up the image to be able to cater for the Ultrasonic sensor to fit the eyes.

After small calculation I am blowing up the size to 1.2 from the original size. I have attached this pdf as well.

I also need to make the paper stronger so I used cardboard as a way to make it thick and strong than just using paper.

Once you are using cardboard, you no longer able to use glue, so here is when the hot glue gun comes in handy.

Follow the same process as before and glue the pieces together, I also attached the Ultrasonic sensor to the eye slot.

Don't forget the doll accessories to make it realistic, ears, pig tails and not to forget the Squid Game hair pin.

Attach the Servo

I am using a plastic as the base of the head. This is where the servo is attached to to make the head spin.

I am quite satisfied with this outcome. One thing that wasn't work so well is the attachment of the Ultrasonic sensor, the cables seems to be in the way of the moving head.

Circuitry

I have attached the connection drawn using Fritzig, based on this you can connect everything.

Once you have connected everything it is time to upload the software using arduino interface.

For the song, you can find a lot of them in youtube. But most of it needs a little bit of editing to make sure you get it right some of the song is 1 hour long in youtube on repeat. You can download these youtube song and cut it with audacity or some other audio tools. That is beyond the scope of this instructable. I will make a separate post on how to download the youtube video and rip the song and how to edit the song if there is enough demand for it. But for now, I have included the 4 songs that I have to make life easier.

Just a note on the song, this needs to be organised in the following folder structure in the sdcard:

\01\001.mp3
\01\002.mp3

and so on. I am using the 002.mp3 to play repeatedly again and again after the head turn.

If all goes well, the song should start playing and at the end the head will turned 180 degree before turning back to original position again.

I abandon the idea of detecting the motion because the cable that connects to the ultrasonic sensor always gets tangled up.

Finishing the Rest of the Doll

Now the next challenge is to find the right size of the body. The papercraft template's body is too small for the doll. So I opted in to find another way to do the body by recycling a plastic bottle.

Then I cut the cardboard to be used as the skirt. Using another cut out of the plastic bottle for the legs.

The top part of the bottle is used as the torso. The bottom part is used to host all the electronics and hidden behind the skirt.

Everything seems to fit perfectly well.

I didn't end up gluing the legs as they are not as sturdy as I though. It is time to do final test once everything is in. I am quite happy with this result.