I built a dual axis laser pointer setup to play with my cat but she looks at the servo's too often because they're so noisy. I was wondering if I could use memory wire to control the laser pointer since it would be quieter.
Now I'm wondering if these stepper motors might be a better alternative, maybe a third one against some sort of a spring loaded harness.
Either way very cool, would be interesting to see if a third motor might have helped rather than relying on gravity and good behavior of the chalk pen.
I am doing similar drawings with Sandy Noble's Polargraph (http://www.polargraph.co.uk). How do you keep the liquid chalk flowing? Common liquid chalk pens need pumping over time.
Historical note on the evolution of drawbots: Nike's Chalkbot was a direct and uncredited steal of IAA's Graffiti Writer robot project/ Streetwriter truck: from political dissent to branded drivel in one smooth move.
The OP's Chalkbot however announces itself as being inspired by Jurg Lehni's HEKTOR (2002). Scholars (HT @Sandy Noble of Polargraph) will note HEKTOR's twin-cord design from 2.30m in this deeply awesome MIT MediaLab/ SIGGRAPH video from 1988. Made of Lego! Programmed in LOGO!
Presume there are antecedents (pendulographs, anyone?) for this too. AFAICS, Lehni does not acknowledge the MIT crew anywhere... tsk tsk.
I wonder what this would look like if they could speed up the motors and smooth out the motion with some more taught string. Maybe they could recreate more hand-like motions.
Now I'm wondering if these stepper motors might be a better alternative, maybe a third one against some sort of a spring loaded harness.
Either way very cool, would be interesting to see if a third motor might have helped rather than relying on gravity and good behavior of the chalk pen.