PUMPKINATOR
A motion-triggered light & sound haunt, hand-built by the students of FIRST Robotics Team 6882, hiding inside a real pumpkin near you this Halloween.
Three scares, one very spooked trick-or-treater.
Motion Detected
A hidden PIR sensor senses you creeping closer.
Sound Triggers
A speaker tucked inside plays a spooky sound effect.
Lights Ignite
RGB LEDs flash and pulse, glowing up through the lid.
We think you'll want one on your porch too.
Six parts, zero magic (okay, maybe a little).
Arduino Nano
The brain. Reads the sensor, cues the sound, and drives the light show.
PIR Motion Sensor
The lookout. Senses body heat moving in from about a foot away.
JQ6500 Sound Module
The voice. Plays a pre-loaded spooky sound effect through the speaker.
WS2812B RGB LEDs
The glow. Two or three LEDs flash and pulse up through the pumpkin lid.
3W Speaker
The howl. Faces downward so sound bounces around inside the pumpkin.
4×AA Battery Cradle
The fuel. A 3D-printed cradle with spring contacts, good for 15–20+ hours.
Already have a kit? Want to build your own? Check out our guides.
Every kit is handed out for a suggested donation to the team, fully assembled but delicate. Whichever situation you're in, here's where to go next.
Something's not lighting up
Troubleshoot your kit: most fixes take under a minute, no tools required.
Troubleshooting Guide →Want to build your own?
Step-by-step preparation and assembly instructions with every wiring connection, so you can make one from scratch.
Build Guide →Want the deep technical write-up too? Read the full project overview →
Fahrenheit Robotics Team 6882
We're a FIRST Robotics team based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, formed in 2017. We welcome public, private, and homeschool high school students (and ambitious 8th graders) from Fredericksburg and the surrounding area. We meet all year, learning not just how to build a competition robot, but how to manage and run a successful team.
The Pumpkinator is one of our student-led fundraisers. Every kit given out helps cover travel, parts, and competition fees for the season ahead.