Simple Mechanics: The phantom clock, by Stuart Altman, Cindy Bayley, Naya Loumou and Ben Sun

Description
For this week's lab, we created our version of the “Cuckoo Clock”. We modified the typical version of the clock so that our "trap door" was implemented by two curtains that were pulled to the side and our "bird" was a phantom-looked mechanism that leaped forward and backward. The curtain mechanics operated through the use of two pulleys that draw the curtains to the side. The phantom mechanism used a linkage system to propel the phantom forward and backward. Each group member contributed holistically to the system as a whole but initially, Stuart and Naya worked on the curtain mechanics and Cindy and Ben worked on the phantom mechanics. 
You can see our simple mechanic version of the phantom clock here:
http://youtu.be/SubIye6hvaQ
For Wednesday's showcase, however, we've added two servo motors to control the curtain and the phantom.
Components
1 Arduino Uno
1 Breadboard
2 Servomotors
Posterboard
Wood sticks
2 Plastic Pulleys
 Plastic Sticks
Thread
Paperclips
Tape (Scotch and Duct)
Cloth
Plastic Bags
Metal Weights (nickels)
Flashlight

Code
/*
 * Code for the phantom clock
 * Created 29 October 2013
 * adapted from "http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Labs/Servo"
 */

int servoPin1 = 7;      // Control pin for 1st servo motor
int servoPin2 = 8;      // Control pin for 2nd servo motor

int pulseWidth = 0;    // Amount to pulse the servo
long lastPulse = 0;    // the time in millisecs of the last pulse
int refreshTime = 20;  // the time in millisecs needed in between pulses
int val;               // variable used to store data from serial port

int minPulse = 500;   // minimum pulse width
int maxPulse = 2250;  // maximum pulse width

void setup() {
  pinMode(servoPin1, OUTPUT);  // Set servo pin as an output pin
  pinMode(servoPin2, OUTPUT);  // Set servo pin as an output pin
  pulseWidth = minPulse;      // Set the motor position to the minimum
  Serial.begin(9600);         // connect to the serial port
  Serial.println("Servo control program ready");
}

void loop() {
  val = Serial.read();      // read the serial port
  if (val >= '1' && val <= '9' ) {
    val = val - '0';        // convert val from character variable to number variable
    val = val - 1;          // make val go from 0-8
    pulseWidth = (val * (maxPulse-minPulse) / 8) + minPulse;  // convert val to microseconds
    Serial.print("Moving servo to position ");
    Serial.println(pulseWidth,DEC);
  }
  updateServo1();   // update servo position
  updateServo2();
}

// called every loop().
// uses global variables servoPi, pulsewidth, lastPulse, & refreshTime
void updateServo1() {
  // pulse the servo again if rhe refresh time (20 ms) have passed:
  if (millis() - lastPulse >= refreshTime) {
    digitalWrite(servoPin1, HIGH);   // Turn the motor on
    delayMicroseconds(pulseWidth);  // Length of the pulse sets the motor position
    digitalWrite(servoPin1, LOW);    // Turn the motor off  
    lastPulse = millis(); 
    // save the time of the last pulse
  }
}
void updateServo2() {
  // pulse the servo again if rhe refresh time (20 ms) have passed:
  if (millis() - lastPulse >= refreshTime) {
    digitalWrite(servoPin2, HIGH);   // Turn the motor on
    delayMicroseconds(pulseWidth);  // Length of the pulse sets the motor position
    digitalWrite(servoPin2, LOW);    // Turn the motor off  
    lastPulse = millis(); 
    // save the time of the last pulse
  } 
}