It’s really quite unfortunate that Hackaday/Supplyframe employees and their families are not allowed to place in the 2023 Halloween Hackfest, because our own [Tom Nardi] has thrown down a costume gauntlet with his kids’ proton pack conversion.
Starting with an inert off-the-shelf toy from 2021, [Tom] set out to make the thing more awesome in every way possible. For one thing, it’s blue, and outside of the short-lived animated series The Real Ghostbusters, who ever heard of a blue proton pack? So one major change was to paint it matte black and age it with the old silver rub ‘n buff technique. And of course, add all the necessary stickers.
[Tom] added plenty of blinkenlights, all running off of an Arduino Nano clone and a pair of 18650s. He got lucky with the whole power cell thing, because an 8 x 5050 RGB LED stick fits there perfectly and looks great behind a PETG diffusing lens. He also drilled out and lit up the cyclotron, because what’s a proton pack without that? There’s even a 7-segment LED voltmeter so Dad can check the power level throughout the night.
Finally, he had to do a bit of engineering to make the thing actually wearable by his daughter. A frame made of square aluminium tubing adds strength, and a new pair of padded straps make it comfortable. Be sure to check it out in action after the break.
What’s a Ghostbusters costume without a PKE meter?
You’re right I’m sorry.
Police and gun violence aren’t daily, widely documented occurrences.
I made must have made it all up in my drug addled brain because of the massive opioid addiction epidemic going on around here.
If only I lived in a place where such things never happen. Like America.
When has a kid ever gotten shot for wearing something like this on their back? You need to turn off your fake news for a good week or two. Let the sane people dress up and have some fun once a year.
INCREDIBLE, LOVE IT.
Great project, Tom! Now for next year, it needs some sound effects. And a wand with a really bright flashlight. :-)
As for the fear mongers; in a world of 8 billion people, I’m sure you can find that 1-in-a-billion chance of some child getting shot for wearing a consume that scared some adult. But the chances of it occurring are far less than the kid being hit by lightning, or a car. Please keep your “what-ifs” in perspective.
But, “what if” it opened a dimensional portal and through it Zol entered our dimension?
I would welcome Zuul with open tentacles !