What would you do with this?

[Jeff]

We had an old power recliner given to us a couple years ago, but the chair was pretty sad. It went to the junk but I saved the  mechanism, and now am looking for an excuse not to throw it out. Ideas?  Its not all that stout.plenty for what it was for. I never stalled it out.

[aigheadish]

Make one of those DAARPA dogs! It has a similar creepy vibe to it. I watched the video before hearing it. We are on the same roboty page!

This seems like something I'd keep around too and maybe just harvest the motor off of at some point.

Also, I'd love to see this thread become a repository for all the weird junk we all have, so the design committee can come up with ideas. I'll have to remember... I have an interesting fan I should share, though that idea seems pretty self explanatory. 

[SwampDonkey]

Maybe a clever fella with an idea for a robotic dog or reindeer with wooden parts, maybe plywood with painted details, that lays down and stands up. On display by a big window on Halloween or Christmas. Have a timer on it to stand up or lay down every 20 minutes or something. 

[Resonator]

I was thinking more along the lines of using it in a retractable window sun shade, or one of those pop-up TV's in an entertainment center. Sorry, don't have any roboty ideas.

[Jeff]

I also saw the hidden tv possibilities, but it would need to be small. I come up with more ideas when I start dissecting it a bit.  The action is a screw.

[Ljohnsaw]

Halloween decorations. A zombie rising out of a hiding place or a vampire rising out of a coffin?