You can build your own model garage with a functioning automatic garage door powered by a Circuit Playground Express, servo motor, and pushrod mechanism created with a paperclip, cardboard, a dowel, and a straw!

You'll code the Circuit Playground Express using MakeCode so that it can open or close your garage door at the press of a button, and even build a light activation mode that will automatically open the door for you!

Parts & Materials

For materials, you'll need:

  • small, corrugated cardboard box
  • drinking straw
  • wooden dowel or bamboo skewer
  • paper clip.

The electronics you'll need are listed below.

1 x Circuit Playground Express
Incredibly awesome microcontroller board
1 x Standard servo
TowerPro SG-5010

Tools

Here are the tools you'll use to build the project:

  • Hobby knife
  • Metal ruler
  • Hot melt glue gun and hot melt glue -- either low or high temperature is fine
  • Pencil
  • Small pair of pliers for paper clip bending (optional, you can do it with your fingers too!)

This guide was first published on May 13, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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