P-Casso : The horizontal drawing robot

Abstract: To define art is no easy task. Quotes such as ”Art is the elimination of the unnecessary” and ”A picture is worth a thousand words”, implies that art has something to do with conveying information. This is compatible with the fact that instructions are often conveyed in the form of images instead of text. Regardless of the definition and purpose of art, the interest of creating is with us from a young age. The idea behind this project was to broaden the limits of creation by evaluating possible ways of creating a robot able to paint a large flat horizontal surface, with primary focus on mobility, color application and position regulation. The project proved to be design-heavy since the system utilizes many components which demand synergy. All components were created and assembled in Solid Edge before additive manufacturing was used to produce them. The code was developed and tested successively in modules that were later meshed and executed between three separate Arduino microcontrollers in order to reduce delay. In the end mecanum wheels were used to achieve a movement pattern resembling that of a so called inkjet printer, allowing the robot to paint an image through parallel lines. The robot’s position is regulated using color sensors placed on the bottom side of the chassis and a spray can apply liquid chalk using a servo motor. The prototype is able to paint and follow a solid monochromatic line, but due to integration problems the images produced are non coherent. During continuous tests the chassis has been worn down which has lead to cracks and decreased stiffness, due to the choice of material.