Laser-Cut Head Statue “Chartreuse” Follows You with Its Gaze

If your office or living room is missing something, but you’re not quite sure what, you might want to check out the Chartreuse demo in the video below. In it, a vaguely human (moai?) head statue rotates on a PVC shaft, following whoever — or whatever — crosses its path, then appears to be sad when its new companion leaves.

The bulk of this statue is made out of hardboard, which is cut out on a laser, then glued together in layers to form its figure. It sits on a rectangular base, made out of hardboard as well, housing electronics, including an Arduino Uno controller, and a bearing/stepper assembly to move its gaze across the room. Also partially hidden inside the base is an ultrasonic sensor, which moves along with the head on its own servo motor, detecting when someone is in or out of range.

When it does see someone, its eyes happy via a pair of addressable LEDs. When someone leaves, however, the eyes become a sad blue color, and the light emitted from them is partially obscured by an internal servo-powered eyelid structure. After a while it goes back to neutral, though, waiting for the next possible friend to approach!