Project Description

The original idea was to make a robotic hand that could draw on paper using ink. In the first prototype, the finger lengths were too different and only one finger would draw. Then we decided to make a flat platform where length wouldn’t matter. We added 8 arms controlled by 4 different servo motors and laser-cut decoration.

Verb

Rotate

Medium

Markers

Mechanism

Tentacles

Our drawing machine was designed for the verb rotate and uses color markers as the drawing medium.

The mechanism in our drawing machine was collapsible tentacles

Sketch

We wanted to create a robotic drawing device that has multiple arms.

Each arm could be connected to a motor to open and close while creating lines.

Octopus = Good

Version 1.0

What we learned from the hand

The fingers where the cotton painted was at weird angles with the paper so one was too high and the other was too low. We wanted to fix this problem by having everything on the same level.

Improvements for the hand

Version 2.0

What we learned about the first step octopus

There wasn't enough tentacles and the tentacles that we did have didn't return to their original placement once the motor stopped pulling. We decided to add a string on the opposite side so the tentacles would go back and we added more motors and arms.

Version 3.0