move a motor every minute or less.

school project to animate a canvas poster.....
a big, 4x5feet, canvas photo of ink looks static and really boring. i like to animate it by putting a motor behind the canvas. maybe something sticking out of the motor so when it spins, the stick will rub against the canvas...hence creating the illusion that the canvas is rippling waves.

please let me know what i need to achieve this. ideally, i just need a motor that spins about 10 revolutions per minute. OR have the Arduino provide an instant voltage to the motor, pause for 30 seconds, then spin again.

this would be such a cool project, pls help!

Post your drawings & code (so far) so we can help.
Perhaps a geared motor will help with lowering the speed and increasing the available torque. Look out for stretch/tyre marks on the canvas!

hello,
here is a very rough drawing from the side: https://i.imgur.com/Z6xPztZ.jpg
you can see the canvas is in yellow, it will be hung onto the wall. the motor will be small and resting on the wall as well.
i see a bunch of motors on ebay for 12Volts. guess i need to find something that's 5V so the Arduino can control. which Arduino model do i need?

The good news is that a 12V motor is fine, because you won’t be driving it directly from the Arduino.
To operate something that typically draws more current than the Arduino can supply, you’d use a transistor or driver between theboard aand the motor.
(dona bit of research). Read about MOSFETs and H-bridges.

It’s probaly a good time ro hang a piece of canvas, and using your hands, see what motion creates the desired effect. (The drawing really doesn’t tell us much)

You may want to determine the possible modes of excitation to get the best results... pushing, pulling, tugging, oscillating, and which axes to make those movements. Maybe even a small blower/blowers behind the canvas will work better than all the other ideas... ! Experimentation.

what is a blower? you mean like a fan?
i prefer something that makes as little noise as possible. in the future, i hope to program it so that the canvas will only ripple during the day when im home. or maybe have a motion detector so the electronics can rest when no one is around.

so which Arduino model do you suggest?

Yes, a blower is a type of fan... usually directed by ducting or other method.
Let’s define the problem and strategy before we choose the solution!

What do you have already?
Motion sensor
Canvas
????

Why 10 RPM?
You need to provide a lot more detail, and explain your expectations.
Then perhaps a meaningful sketch, or CAD drawing of the mechanicals - then we can suggest a control strategy.

i have:

i was thinking 10rpm or slower so that the wave generated wont be too fast, just enough to make the canvas move and not sit static. making the canvas ripple too fast will either make noise or look too distracting.

ok, to begin with, forget the motion sensor and anything like an arduino completely.

Now, use your fans or other motor, or devices to create the desired visual effect. To get a billowing effect with fans will require - low RPM, as you rightly point out - but also a large volume of airflow == big mutha fans!

For example, the motion may look best with two fans workings different speeds in different ways for different durations. Perhaps adding your ‘stick’ in some way to enhance the visual effect... (and more)

Once you know what the desired outcome is, we can work toward making it happen. Just throwing parts at the canvas without a preconceived expectation will create a bunch of parts and a piece of canvas.