Absolute Newbie

Hello everyone, I only learned about servos yesterday, but I feel like I want to pursue figuring how they work in order to make my project.

I've been watching youtube videos and articles on what a servo is and how they work. I've been trying to find videos on how to put something like this together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1k9p1P4s8I but to no luck. However, I learned how to make the tail part and I learned that I could just connect the ends of the wires to the tail to my limbs or waist for the tail to wiggle while I walk. But I want to make a Slenderman costume, and I want the tails/tentacles to move even while I stand still. Which is why I'm looking to figure out how servos work.

In regards to that video, I just need the servo to move left and right to pull the cords. Right now in my shopping cart I have a 133oz. servo, and a 4.8 volt NiHM battery for it to run. I believe I need something to program it with. Any suggestions? Also, am I missing anything? Even though I've looked up videos on what servos are I still feel like I'm going into this pretty blind. I'd really appricate it if someone helps me through this so I can pick up other projects after this using servos.

You should look at what chickenparmi has documented.

He has a site duino-robotics.com (?) and a youtube channel. I was going to suggest you consider a 555 timer circuit, but, A) I can’t tell you anything about them from my experience, and B) it might not move the servo slowly enough from left to right and back to actually give you a lifelike movement.

An arduino UNO and I would guess by default anything based on the ATmega(?) 328 can drive up to 12 servos (parroting info, no experience) and an arduino MEGA can drive up to 48. These chips/boards can do this all by themselves, however, you will require a suitable powersupply for all of those servos. You can probably figure at least an amp per servo. Bajdi has a hexapod or 3 that he designed a board to help facilitate a massive number of driven servos