[Will] wanted to build some animatronic eyes that didn’t require high-precision 3D printing. He wound up with a forgiving design that uses an Arduino ... a prop or even a robot in place of ...

the Arduino was the chosen one. The robot's eyes and ears are provided by an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared sensor, both of which can probably be purchased from electronics hobby stores.

His eyes are wide, like ET’s or Johnny Five’s. His skin mimics the indestructible plastic found in LEGO. Even his name sounds like a beloved pet. Sparki may be a complex Arduino robot ...