Recitation 4: Drawing Machines by Hangkai Qian

Recitation 4: Drawing Machines

Step 1: Build the circuit

Build the following circuit to control the stepper. You can use the stepper_oneRevolution(Arduino>File>Examples>Stepper>stepper_oneRevolution) example code to get your motor to make one revolution. If done correctly, your motor should rotate smoothly. Make sure you orient the IC in the correct position; this can be seen in the Components section at the bottom.

 

Step 2: Control rotation with a potentiometer

Add a potentiometer from your kit to the circuit in such a way as to allow you to read analog input. Then, upload the MotorKnob (Arduino>File>Examples>Stepper>MotorKnob) example  to control your motor. Please modify the number of steps within the code to 200, because the 42STH33-0404AC Stepper Motor is a 200 step motor. You can use the function “map()” in order to match the movement of the knob with the rotation of the motor.

 

Step 3: Build a Drawing Machine!

Once you have your motor moving via input from a potentiometer, find another person who has also completed Step 2 and pair up with them. Collect the materials needed for Step 3 and combine your parts into a mechanical arm that can hold a marker on paper, as seen in  the picture below. Use your potentiometers to make the motors turn and draw something.

  

Congratulations, I have just created a drawing machine AND DRAW!

Question 1:

What kind of machines would you be interested in building?Add a reflection about the use of actuators, the digital manipulation of art, and the creative process to your blog post.

I ‘d like to build a robot to deliver cheese , like ‘Rick and Marty’ did. With the actuators added, we can use that to carry the cheese from the table and with DC motor, we can keep the robot moving.

Question 2:

Choose an art installation mentioned in the reading ART + Science NOW, Stephen Wilson (Kinetics chapter). Post your thoughts about it and make a comparison with the work you did during this recitation. How do you think that the artist selected those specific actuators for his project?

I choose the Natalie Jeremijenko’s Feral Robot Dogs as an example. It is built to detect the pollutions of the environment. In this case, he used the actuators to make the dog move. I think it is a ordinary use of a actuator.

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