Robot dogs usually look like the kind of gadget you’d see trotting across a trade show floor. Two propmakers looked at one and saw something else. They saw a raccoon with bad intentions. Their creation, a mechanical critter named CH1PP13, is now prowling a haunted attraction near Pittsburgh, and it’s every bit as creepy as it sounds.
- Propmakers Jaimie and Jay of Wicked Makers rebuilt a quadruped robot dog into a vicious-looking animatronic raccoon called CH1PP13.
- The raccoon made its debut at Hundred Acres Manor, a haunted attraction in Bethel Park near Pittsburgh.
- CH1PP13 can roam the grounds, and fans can meet it for free.
Meet CH1PP13, the Raccoon Nobody Asked For
Raccoons already have a bit of a reputation. They raid trash cans, they show up at night, and their masked faces make them look like tiny burglars. So it makes sense that someone would eventually decide a raccoon should be the face of a Halloween scare.
That someone turned out to be Jaimie and Jay, the duo behind Wicked Makers. They’re huge Halloween fans and they make props, so a project like this fits right in their wheelhouse. They started with a four-legged robot built in a friendly dog form. Then they gave it a full raccoon makeover with a look that’s far more menacing than cuddly.
The name is a nice touch too. CH1PP13 swaps letters for numbers, so it reads a bit like a cute pet name while still sounding like a machine. That mix of adorable and unsettling is exactly what makes it work.
From Friendly Robot to Haunted House Menace
The pair didn’t keep the process a secret. They filmed the whole build, from fabrication to finishing to the raccoon’s big entrance at the haunted attraction. The video’s title promises a nightmare animatronic, and honestly, that’s a fair description.
That kind of behind-the-scenes look is a treat for anyone who loves props, cosplay, or Halloween decorating. You get to see the robot go from a clean, techy machine to something you’d never want to bump into in a dark hallway. Wicked Makers also runs a Patreon, so fans who want more of this kind of work have a place to follow along.
Oh, and the creature has glowing eyes. Picture that in a dim haunted house, and you get why the word “nightmare” keeps coming up.
Why a Roaming Scare Hits Different
Most haunted house scares stay put. A prop sits in a corner, or an actor hides behind a door and waits for the next group to pass. CH1PP13 doesn’t have to wait. It can roam the grounds of Hundred Acres Manor, so guests can’t count on it staying in one spot.
That changes the whole experience. When you know a scare is fixed in place, you can brace for it. But a four-legged robot raccoon that might wander around the next corner? That’s harder to plan for. And since the robot started life as a quadruped dog, it already moves on four legs like a real animal, which probably makes it even more unsettling when it shows up looking like a raccoon.
Hundred Acres Manor sits in Bethel Park, just outside Pittsburgh, and the raccoon’s arrival caught the eye of local news outlets in early October 2026. It’s a fun peek at where haunted attractions could be heading. Robots that once seemed like pure tech demos are starting to show up as characters with personalities, costumes, and a real talent for making people jump.
Keep an Eye Out for Glowing Eyes This October
CH1PP13 shows what happens when Halloween fans get their hands on modern tech. Jaimie and Jay took a robot that was built to look friendly and turned it into a masked menace that wanders a haunted house near Pittsburgh. It’s clever, a little ridiculous, and genuinely creepy all at once.
If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and you like your scares with a side of robotics, it might be worth a trip to Bethel Park. Hundred Acres Manor is offering a free chance to meet the raccoon, so check the attraction’s website for current details before you go. And if you can’t make it in person, the build video is the next best thing. Just maybe don’t watch it right before you take the trash out tonight.
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