Lord of the Rings enthusiast and Imgur user Neular decided to build a wonderful tribute to one of the greatest series of all time. With artistic patience, DIY savvy skills, and a knowledge of electronics, Neular had built a voice-activated, automatic Door of Durin, which is the door into the Mines of Moria.
via Neular
Hidden Door That Illuminates At The Touch Of Your Hand
Shadow Box With LED Strip Inside
The shadow box is built out of 2â€x4†pieces and a sheet of plywood. The LED strips are super bright and they were purchased on Amazon. The strip was secured using liquid nails and weighted down with heavy objects so it could dry.
The shadow box is built out of 2â€x4†pieces and a sheet of plywood. The LED strips are super bright and they were purchased on Amazon. The strip was secured using liquid nails and weighted down with heavy objects so it could dry.
LED Test
The Design
Neular bought a large sheet of plexiglass and covered it in black vinyl to create the top of the shadow box.
Neular bought a large sheet of plexiglass and covered it in black vinyl to create the top of the shadow box.
Front View
Cutting Vinyl
Neular did not cut the vinyl by machine, instead opting to painstakingly carve the design by hand.
Neular did not cut the vinyl by machine, instead opting to painstakingly carve the design by hand.
Almost Done Cutting
The only and hardest part left was the Elven script around the top.
The only and hardest part left was the Elven script around the top.
Done The Cutting!
Installing Into The Doorframe
Adding Framing To The Stairs To Blend The Framing Around The Door
View Of Completed Stairway
Finished Product!
The door was painted over with house paint to match the stairway. The initial results were poor, the paint causing the design to be dimmer and distorted. Neular scraped out the design and then repainted. These results were much better and also gave the door a rough, rocky texture. Using an Arduino Uno board, the door was activated by touch using capacitive touch and an automatic door opener; the voice activation uses VR shield 2.0 which recognizes the speaker. The door can be activated only by Neular when he speaks the Elvish word for friend, “Mellonâ€.
The door was painted over with house paint to match the stairway. The initial results were poor, the paint causing the design to be dimmer and distorted. Neular scraped out the design and then repainted. These results were much better and also gave the door a rough, rocky texture. Using an Arduino Uno board, the door was activated by touch using capacitive touch and an automatic door opener; the voice activation uses VR shield 2.0 which recognizes the speaker. The door can be activated only by Neular when he speaks the Elvish word for friend, “Mellonâ€.