EYEMECH: 3D-PRINTED ANIMATRONIC EYES THAT WATCH YOU
Six micro-servos, a print-in-place mechanism, and a newer version that tracks your face with a camera — Will Cogley's iconic robot eyes.
Animatronics3D-printing
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend or two
- license
- CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE18 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend or two · CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0 · 18 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
Will Cogley's EyeMech is the animatronic build people fall in love with — a compact mechanism of six micro-servos that moves a pair of realistic eyes and four eyelids with unsettlingly lifelike motion. It's superbly documented: ready-to-print .3mf plates, an assembly PDF, MicroPython firmware and a wiring table, with a near-no-assembly print-in-place variant and a newer version that tracks your face with a camera. A couple of honest notes: the repo ships .3mf plate files rather than raw STL/STEP, and you'll buy the realistic eyes, servos and a controller (or substitute a Pico), with prices on the creator's shop. The license is non-commercial. As a first proper animatronics project, it's hard to beat.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —Ships ready-to-print .3mf plate files (not raw STL/STEP), plus an assembly PDF and MicroPython firmware with a wiring table
- —You buy the eyes, micro-servos and a controller board (or substitute a Raspberry Pi Pico) — the BOM/prices are on the creator's shop
- —There's a near-no-assembly print-in-place variant, and a newer version with on-board face tracking
- —Licensed CC BY-NC-SA (non-commercial)
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
EyeMech ε3.2 Assembly
The creator's assembly walkthrough, linked from the README.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Watch the assembly (the full walkthrough)
- 2.Get the print files + guide (.3mf plates + assembly PDF)
- 3.Get the parts (eyes, servos, controller board)
- 4.Flash the firmware (MicroPython on a Pico + wiring table)
- 5.Join the Discord (community help)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The repo ships .3mf plate files (for Bambu printers), not raw STL/STEP
- You buy the realistic eyes, servos and controller — the BOM/prices are on the creator's shop, not the repo
- Licensed CC BY-NC-SA — non-commercial only (commercial use via the creator)
How does it move so realistically?
Six micro-servos drive two gaze axes plus four eyelids, and the firmware coordinates them into lifelike looks and blinks. It's the detail of that motion that sells it.
Can it track my face?
The newer ε3.4 version adds on-board face tracking with a camera. The ε3.2 is the classic controller-driven mechanism.
Is it hard to assemble?
There's a print-in-place variant that's nearly assembly-free, plus a full assembly PDF and video for the standard build. It's a great first animatronics project.
What does it cost?
Band $$ — the eyes, servos and controller are the main costs. The creator's shop has current prices.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The newer version of Will Cogley's EyeMech tracks your face with a camera. Where would you actually put a pair of eyes that watch you — desk companion, Halloween prop, something else?
Will Cogley (NM Robotics)
A well-known animatronics maker who open-sourced his iconic eye mechanism with print-in-place options, MicroPython firmware and kits — and a newer version that tracks your face.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo ago
The bit that surprised us: there's a print-in-place variant that comes off the bed nearly assembled — no fiddly linkage assembly at all. One thing we'd flag before you order parts: the repo ships .3mf plate files rather than raw STL or STEP, and the license is non-commercial. Has anyone remixed the mechanism for a larger prop?