Sounds great. Look forward to seeing it. Im working on a similar kinda project. I wont say too much but it is animatronic based bird. I too am looking at the best ways to cover the mechanics with a skin and then eventually feathers. Im going for a realistic look. At the moment im using shapelock to make internal parts like the skull etc. I have 5dof for the head alone! I might have to make a clay model, so i can cast a plaster mould, so then i can make a latex skin that will fit over the mechanics. The feathers can then be latexed to it. The other option i have is to hand craft body sections using shapelock or sintra. Iv also looked at vacuum forming.
Jonny,
5dof head! Awesome… 
I’ve used most of those ideas when making animated props for my Halloween Haunted House scenes… The technoque you use will depend a lot on how flexible your bird’s body is going to have to be. A slip latex cast body may not be flexible enough; foam latex does not last a long time. But since you also mention Sintra, you may not need the flexibility of hot foam latex. Besides, unless you have your own oven in your workshop, any significant other is not going to allow you to use hot foam latex, which leaves you with the cold foam option, which is less flexible.
This link on Instructables is similar to the method we are going to use for Peter’s body: Instructables: How to Design Hand Puppets. A search on YouTube for “foam puppet making” produces many tutorials on puppet making. There are a few references to foam latex puppets; this is an advanced technique used by professional make-up artists, special effects artists and puppeteers. You can get and learn about latex and foam latex from this link: Special Effect Supply: Hot vs Cold Foam Latex. This entire site has many great ideas.
Hello. I’ve just uploaded a new, longer vid of Peter, demonstrating some of the software work I have been concentrating on in the last month or two. His movements were generated by a script that used a new random move selection command.
The first improvement I made, the basic move definitions were tweaked using speed parameters to smooth out some of his movements.
Secondly, the scripting language I developed had some new commands added. I added a command to randomly pick an action from a selection, so that his moves did not have to be completely scripted. This command can take place in the main processing loop, or any process started by that loop. There is a main processing script that decides whether to move his body, his head or his eyes. Each of those decisions run another process (e.g. player) that randomly selects an appropriate motion for each of those areas. Some of these motions are simple moves; some are other scripts run by yet another process/player. I use 8 body moves, 11 eye moves and 21 head moves. Some of the head and eye moves are repeated, to control the probability of an individual move occurring.
Secondly, I added a similar command to randomly pause between moves, so that the motion was not as predictable.
Lastly, the software is in the process of being updated to control the animatronic penguin from an iPhone app. Some of the eye blinks in this video were commanded from an iPad in a proof-of-concept test.
dj
Looks cool…what are going to use for a body skin? I would think it would have to be fairly flexible or it will load up the servos.
I am working with a local puppeteer to make the body. It will be a thin foam skin and a fabric costume. The servo I am most concerned with loading is the bottom servo of the torso. If I run into problems, I plan on replacing it.
But, the body skin has been delayed for a while now. Originally, we intended on getting it ready for last years holiday season. But I have been having too much fun on the software side. And besides the iPhone app, there are a couple of other new ideas I have for the animatronic program. …starting and stopping players from the network …calling scripts in addition to playing them simultaneously. FreeBASIC SSC-32 Interpreter is the topic where I discuss the code in more detail.
Here are some static pictures of Peter. The picture from his side shows the basic construction; the one from the back shows additional detail, such as how I made wooden brackets for the servos… The back of the head shows details of the eye movements and attachment.
Next step is to make a dual joystick control, or a puppet hand control setup.
Right now we are working on controlling Peter via an iPhone. If we tilt it left or right, he will follow. Also, on the screen are controls for his eyes, mouth and head… Shake the iPhone and he dances 8) As a side effect of the software development for the iPhone network control of Peter, I am also considering a web page, with an attached web cam streaming video of what you command him to do.
I have been having too much fun with the software development, but hope to see if we can get Peter some skin soon. My son’s band jokes of using Peter in a video for their song “Lost” in reference to his current skeletal nature 
WiFi control from an iPhone 4 would be interesting! Do you already have an application to do this?
I have heard of one project over on the Surveyor Robot reflector, but I don’t know where they are at this point.
Alan KM6VV
Yes, we really are trying this 
My friend is a licensed iPhone app developer and we thought it would be fun to try.
Looking forward to hearing about your results!
I considered the project, but I’m not an iPhone developer.
Alan KM6VV
Here is a sneak preview of the screen for iPhone app to control Peter. There are three buttons which are used to select what part of Peter the app will control. For example, when the eyes are selected, tilting the iPhone will move the eyes left and right.
Quite interesting!
Alan KM6VV
Hey y’all…
My instructions on how I built Peter have been featured on instructables.com
instructables.com/id/Animatronic-Penguin-Torso/
instructables.com/id/Eyes/
Is anyone a member on Instructables.com?
Voting is open for the National Robotics Week Robot Contest and I am soliciting votes for Peter!
If you are not a member, it is easy to register for a free membership; PM me for details.
dj