Gallery: 10 Cyborg Jack-o'-Lanterns for Terrifying the Neighborhood Kids
01Pumpkin Pi
Halloween is just around the corner, so it's no surprise that so many people's thoughts are turning to pumpkin carving. After all, at what other point during the year are knife skills so publicly applauded and carving so opening discussed? (Yes, yes, there's Thanksgiving if you *really* want to be pedantic about these things.) With a week left before you find yourself inundated with trick-or-treaters, there's still time to juice up your traditional jack-o'-lanterns into something a little bit more impressive for scaring all-comers, ensuring that you get to keep all that candy for yourself. Here are 10 different technologically-enhanced pumpkins, from remote-controlled rainbow light lanterns to fire-breathing squash, to act as inspiration for your own experiments in creating a Borg O'Lantern. __Above: Pumpkin Pi__ Anyone can have an old-school carved pumpkin powered by the antiquated light of a candle, but Brian Gillespie used the low cost [Raspberry Pi single board computer](http://www.raspberrypi.org/about) to create a Jack o' Lantern that would flicker on and off, as if possessed by a particularly flashy demon who's leaning on the light switch. (Gillespie goes into some detail about the programming and construction of the pumpkin [here](http://begillespie.github.io/Pumpkin_Pi/)).
02Color Changing
__Remote Control Color-Changing Pumpkin__ Of course, perhaps you'd prefer a more colorful jack-o'-lantern. Ian Lesnet made one that [glows in all the colors of the rainbow](http://dangerousprototypes.com/2009/10/29/remote-control-color-changing-pumpkin/), thanks to a color-changing LED controlled by a basic television remote and IR receiver. There's even a tenth "angry pumpkin" mode to offer strobe effect. Spooky *and* convenient.
03Cylon Pumpkin
__Cylon Pumpkin__ Jack-o'-lanterns were created by man. They evolved. They rebelled. There are many copies. And they have a plan. Okay, maybe not -- but this pumpkin that looks and sounds like a cylon from the original version of *Battlestar Galactica* (thanks in part to [relatively simple technology that allows the audio files to be played from a programmable single board computer](http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-wave-shield-audio-shield-for-arduino/overview)). It demonstrates that jack-o'-lanterns can definitely evolve, even if it's just into even geekier jack-o'-lanterns.
04Fog-o'-Lantern
__Fog-o'-Lantern__ What better way to suggest that there's something *not quite right* about your jack-o'-lantern than to have it spew forth spooky smoke from beyond? Or, because it's both easier to source and far cheaper to use, just add a smoke machine and a couple of tea LEDs -- both of which ideally programmable, so you can control how much demonic hellsmoke is belched into our realm -- to your pumpkin to ensure the appropriate 1980s horror movie vibe.
05Growling Pumpkin
__Growling Pumpkin__ The possibilities for mischief offered by a remote controlled jack-o'-lantern are, if not endless, then at least pretty sizable. Take, for example, Fabian Pegel's phone-controlled pumpkin that growls on demand, thanks to a single board computer, [downloadable programming scripts](http://fapeg.com/howto-halloween-pumpkin.php) that connect to a mobile app, [free audio files of threatening growling](http://free-loops.com/8235-monster-growl.html) and an external speaker. Who wouldn't want to surprise local neighborhood kids with that when they appear at your door demanding candy?
06Jaw O'Lantern
__Jaw-o'-Lantern__ Robert Brunner goes retro with his own remote controlled pumpkin, using an old-school radio control handset instead of any new-fangled computer or mobile app technology -- literally, at the flick of a switch, the motor opens up the pumpkin's "mouth." When you see the muppet-like motions of his jaw-o'-lantern, however, it's clear that sometimes, you don't need to go high-tech when there's the cheap thrills of a faux-hungry pumpkin on offer.
07Flame O'Lantern
__Flame-o'-Lantern__ Of course, sometimes you just need one big idea to make an impression with your jack-o'-lantern. (This is, like Jaw-o'-Lantern, the result of old-school radio remote control technology instead of any programmable computer -- and, of course, a miniature flame thrower). Say, for example, turning your jack-o'-lantern into a flame thrower. Surely no one needs to be told "Don't try this at home," right? I mean ... it's a *flame throwing jack-o'-lantern*, people. I'm pretty sure that's one of the dictionary definitions for "things you really shouldn't do at home."
08PlasmaCAM
__CNC Pumpkin Carving - PlasmaCAM__ Perhaps you'd just rather have a well-carved pumpkin that doesn't shoot flames, growl or try to devour visitors in a *Little Shop of Horrors*-style maneuver. Actually carving pumpkins is kind of tricky, though, so perhaps you should use [a computer-programmed cutting machine](http://www.plasmacam.com/indexfla.php) to ensure quality results. On the one hand, creating such a carving digitally may lack the homespun charm of doing it by hand, but on the other, there's more likelihood of it turning out as intended without any unfortunate cuts or blood spills. It's just like grandma used to make -- as long as your grandma worked for NASA, of course.
09Pumpkin Creeper
__Pumpkin Creeper__ Sure -- that's not a *real* pumpkin on top of Theo Enns' "Creeper 2." There's an easy fix for that. (Namely, create your own robotic hexapod from digital servos, controlled -- like Enns' -- via Axon micro controller and [appropriate software](http://sourceforge.net/projects/axonhexapod/), before putting a real pumpkin on top, instead of a plastic one.) But in the meantime, overlook that one small flaw and embrace the extreme creepiness of the idea of a pumpkin spider. Seriously, this thing will give nightmares to the arachnophobic amongst you (like me). Video credit: Theo Enns
10Ichabot Crane
__Ichabot Crane__ If the name of this particular jack- o'-lantern wasn't enough to convince you of its greatness, the video will quickly assure you of Ichabot's place on top of the All Hallows Eve pile. A motion-sensored pumpkin -- made out of a [Arduino](http://www.arduino.cc/) single-board computer, LEGO pieces and "some spare parts," according to its creators -- that actually stands up and dispenses candy when someone comes close? This, truly, is the future of Halloween pumpkin technology ... or, at least, it will be if we're lucky. Video credit: Robinson Robotics
