How is it possible that a robot can sketch both better and worse than I can at the same time, and yet turn out an incredible work of art? Has 3D-scanning really come so far that a simple camera and motorized jig can have insane resolution? These are the kinds of questions that were running through my mind, and being answered by the creators of these brilliant machines, at Maker Faire Rome.

There was a high concentration of robots creating art and 3D printing on display and the Faire, so I saved the best examples just for this article. But you’ll also find hacks from a few groups of clever students, and hardware that made me realize industrial controllers can be anything but boring. Let’s take a look!

The Art of Robotics

Can robots be artists too? This project is a compelling argument that it’s possible. Patrick Tresset was exhibiting his Human Study #1, 5RNP at the Faire. It’s a set of old wooden drawing tables with robot arms made of multiple servos and a webcam on a stick. Over about twenty minutes the robot will sketch a person’s portrait, but instead of typical CNC precision, the brilliance here is in the random scribbles that turn into spectacular images. Everything is being driven by recycled laptops running Linux which command the servo motors via a USB to Serial cable.

Although it’s not shown in this video, one of the greatest delights about this art installation is that the webcam has servo motors as well so that it can move its gaze between the person that’s the subject of the portrait and the paper. It’s purely theatrical, but the anthropomorphic effect is captivating.

Simply a Pen on a String

On the other end of the spectrum is the precision that vector-based machines can accomplish. We’re all familiar with string plotters but this one itself is a work of art. Of note is the pulley system that moves everything down to …read more

Source:: Hackaday