Video: WaterColorBot paints its way to existence Robot Gadget Master

Video: WaterColorBot paints its way to existence Robot Gadget Master

2013/07/26

Robots, eh? They may one day enslave us humans with their tireless and indefatigable strength and logic (hurling cinder blocks at us when angry), but they will never capture the essence of our existence and create art. Will they?

Enter the “Water colour Robot”. They are not the colour of water, they paint water colours! Actually, it’s a rather neat educational robotic kit that paints pleasing vector-based images.

Some self-assembly is required but major components – such as the chassis, carriage, and motor controller board – come pre-assembled, reports GeekyGadgets.com. Based on two motors, it uses the same X-Y-co-ordinate controlling mechanism as Etch-a-Sketch. You can use with a Mac, Windows, or Linux (Ubuntu) computer, and it can also follow along as you sketch in real time.

You can import artwork in the SVG file format and the team say you can use Inkscape to convert file formats – such as PDF and Illustrator – into SVG.

If you really like the gadget, you can buy the company. At least, you can contribute to its funding on KickStarter. The project has already raised $68,422 busting it’s $50,000 goal with 19 days to go, at time of writing.

The team writes:

The WaterColorBot works with standard watercolor paints and paper, so that you never need to purchase specialized or expensive supplies. It is made in the USA with a tough and sturdy wooden frame to last for years of use.

While a robotic painting “printer” can be an incredibly fun thing on its own, the WaterColorBot is also a genuine (if simple and friendly) computer-automated, numerically controlled (CNC) machine– and that lets you do some amazing things.

Specifically, you get:

• The WaterColorBot Chassis (already built)
• The lower deck (“spoilboard”) of the WaterColorBot
• The WaterColorBot Carriage (already built) with integrated brush holder, brush-lift servo motor, and cable guide
• Two precision stepper motors
• The EiBotBoard 2.0 USB motor controller (readymade)
• USB Cable
• Universal input plug-in power supply (with US-style plug)
• A set of Crayola water colours with brush
• Five sheets of 9×12″ watercolor paper
• Three polypropylene water dishes
• Winches, cord, and the X and Y guide rods
• Hex wrench and fasteners
• A quick start guide

Once it ships, say the people behind it, the WaterColorBot will be a fully open-source project (hardware, firmware, and software) to be extended and repurposed as the world sees fit. Good for them!

Will there be an API published for making new WaterColorBot Apps? Yes, they write in the project’s FAQ:

Our RoboPaint software includes a RESTful API that can be used to interface with the WaterColorBot. For example, we are currently working towards an iPad app that can control the WaterColorBot in real time, in collaboration with Erin “RobotGrrl” Kennedy ( http://robotgrrl.com ). You can also start with any of our example apps (based in Python, Java/Processing, or Javascript), or directly from the EiBotBoard documentation, using any software that can communicate with a USB serial port.

See Super Awesome Sylvia’s WaterColorBot »

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