An Arduino-Compatible Board That Brings Your Props to Life!

Whether you’re a cosplayer heading to Comic-Con or someone looking to add a little extra flair to their Halloween decorations, the Rabid Prototypes team has got just the piece of hardware for you. Now on Kickstarter, the Firecricket is a light, sound and motion controller designed for bringing replica props to life.

The Arduino-compatible board features a SAM D21 MCU at its core, a microSD slot for storing the audio effects, bitmaps and configuration files, a 2.5W audio amplifier, and an N-MOSFET with a flyback diode for driving high current inductive loads.

Use it to add lights and sounds to a toy car or space ship. Or, make a favorite stuffed animal talk and “purr” with a vibration motor. Or, place it in a chest with a limit switch on the lid and a high power LED and have it play the fanfare from the Legend of Zelda whenever it’s opened. The possibilities are endless!

Programming the Firecricket is super easy — simply download the Arduino IDE, install the configuration files through the board manager, select the Firecricket, plug it into your PC using a microUSB cable, compose your sketch, and hit the upload button in the IDE when you’re ready!

Want to give your toys and props some special effects? You can delve deper into the Firecricket’s specs and back it for yourself on Kickstarter now!