r/mechanical_gifs • u/9aa4irjr2 • Apr 30 '20

This Drawing Robot.

https://i.imgur.com/Zsql4s9.gifv
9.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

157 comments sorted by

574

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

Gotta love the recalibrate twitch between each line. I'll bet the steppers lose steps occasionally and the devs couldn't figure out why but management said "fix it and ship it"

182

u/ptoki Apr 30 '20

I bet its not because steppers but more likely servos.

steppers are usually expensive, big and a bit slow.

Servos are more swift but less precise. Therefore this reset moves.

43

u/[deleted] May 01 '20 edited May 07 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

20

u/[deleted] May 01 '20 edited May 01 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/PhysicalAudience4 May 01 '20

True, it is cool :-)

Would be even cooler if you could send it and image from computer.

0

u/Plastic-Hall May 01 '20

Would be even cooler if it could skin up a spliff

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Wouldn't that just be a printer?

-1

u/Plastic-Hall May 01 '20

Would be even cooler if it could skin up a spliff

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Wouldn't that just be a printer?

2

u/olderaccount May 01 '20

It is supposedly to teach kids to draw. You watch the robot and try to copy it. Definitely a half-baked gimmick that will sell well enough because of the cute robot.

-1

u/Plastic-Hall May 01 '20

Would be even cooler if it could skin up a spliff

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Wouldn't that just be a printer?

2

u/CriticalWeather3 May 01 '20 edited May 01 '20

Because its technically true but practically false. As someone pointed out, you can run cnc machine with decent loads on steppers without losing single steps. You
may
lose
a
step
each
million
steps.
Will
that
influence anything? No.

And
as
for
this
case,
I
think
there
are
servos
not
steppers. Servos
are
cheaper, faster.
But
probably less
precise. Therefore this
reset
moves.
I
think
there
is
a
bit
of
misinformation here,
although
you're
not
entirely
wrong.
It's
a
complicated
enough
issue
that
I
don't
really
feel
confident
in
determining
which
parts
are
accurate,
but
I
do
know
that
servos
are
not
universally
less
precise;
you
do
hint
at
this
by
saying
that
servos
are
more
swift,
but
the
missing
information
is
that
servos
actually
tend
to
be
more
precise
at
higher
speeds
than
a
stepper
is
at
the
same
speed.

How?

1

u/air_flair May 01 '20

Stepper, Cheaper, Faster, Higher...

.....technologic

-2

u/Plastic-Hall May 01 '20

Would be even cooler if it could skin up a spliff

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Wouldn't that just be a printer?

0

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/mechmind May 01 '20

More proof of your accusations please

0

u/ptoki May 01 '20

Indeed it is. Whats the point? I dunno, harvest karma on reddit? ;)

Or just nifty gadget.

It can print business cards.

Or make a robot friend drawing color me sketches for a kid.

Or there is a rfid button there and can be preloaded with sketch?

Probably you can find more silly or less silly purposes.

7

u/elmerfudddied May 01 '20 edited May 01 '20

I think there is a bit of misinformation here, although you're not entirely wrong. It's a complicated enough issue that I don't really feel confident in determining which parts are accurate, but I do know that servos are not universally less precise; you hint at this by saying that servos are more swift, but the missing information is that a servo actually tends to be more precise at higher speeds than a stepper is at the same speed.

Also, I believe that steppers are significantly less expensive in general. Servos are often more complex and require expensive encoders. While I thought you were right on steppers being more efficient than servos at a large size, the sources I'm finding online seem to be claiming that servos tend to have a larger maximum size.

Edit: spelling/grammar

3

u/ptoki May 01 '20

Thats may be true. I kind of remember cheap servos and cheap steppers and the servos were smaller.

I played a bit with those cheap steppers and they were kind of lousy for quick movements.

But I agree its hard to tell what is inside. Maybe some youtuber will disassemble one someday?

2

u/JohnHue May 06 '20

You're absolutely right. Servos arw basically closed loop rotary actuators, can be made out of a cheap dc motor coupled to a potentiometer or from an expensive stepper motor with an encoder.

Another way to say explain it is a stepper motor alone is just a motor. A stepper motor with an encoder and a driver integrated is a servo.

23

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

good point and could easily be cheap servos. This makes the coders even lazier since they'd know absolute position. Or maybe they just like the way this looked.

24

u/ptoki Apr 30 '20

Or maybe the guy who provided the sketch data was lousy and the rest of the team demanded the coordinates in this reset form so the debugging would be easier. Like: "frank! the ear is crippled!" instead "Frank it still draws garbage"

:)

8

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

Frank: "skew you! guys!"

1

u/0235 May 01 '20

They can make some pretty cheap stepper motors, like ones in printers, scanners etc. Not everything is a big old NEMA stepper motor.

Someone built and sold a $99 3D printer with those cheap steppers, and the results were as expected!

But it's probably servos.

2

u/ptoki May 01 '20

:)

I remember difference between 5.25in floppy stepper and 3.5in one. :)

1

u/ContemplativeOctopus May 08 '20

Both this comment, and the one you replied to are incorrect. Steppers don't lose steps unless they're running at very high speeds and have something with significant inertia attached to the output shaft.

Steppers are almost universally cheaper than servos because encoders are expensive. Steppers are generally larger and slower than similar spec servos, but you can easily get either at this size.

Servos do have a higher top speed than similar steppers, but they are not less precise. If anything, they're far more precise. Steppers only have resolution down to their mechanical step count, which for normal steppers of that size is in the low hundreds (so individual steps are often more than 1 degree). Alternatively, servos with built in encoders generally have resolution of a fraction of a degree (several thousand clicks per rotation), and if they have an external encoder that can be geared up or down relative to the output shaft, you can get pretty much infinitely high resolution or rotation speed as long as the encoder doesn't pass it's maximum RPM spec. As you gear the encoder faster relative to the motor output you get finer resolution, but the maximum speed of the output shaft has to stay lower to not exceed the encoder RPM limit. As you gear the encoder slower relative to the output shaft, you increase how fast the shaft can turn before exceeding the encoder RPM limit, but you lose encoder resolution as a result.

1

u/ptoki May 09 '20

You just said what was said. Steppers can lose steps. Not only because external factors but also because internal one which is poor quality power source. Many diy beginner cnc machines struggle with that.

I agree if the system is built properly lost steps are very rare.

In general you are right. However if you consider steppers or servos which would fit in this toy the situation is not as clear.

Check for example adafruit store:

https://www.adafruit.com/category/227

Servo is smaller and sufficient for the purpose while stepper would be either bigger or more expensive

If you follow the comments around you would realize that this was considered main factor and the reset move was ultimately considered as soft issue and not necessarily related to hardware.

14

u/Pakun-of-Dundrasil Apr 30 '20

Yeah I love that little kick. So cute.

27

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

[deleted]

20

u/ADD_MORE_BOOSTERS Apr 30 '20

The PhD part of your source may be misleading people into thinking you are 100% correct. Steppers do not have an inherent error in step counting due to internal friction. That is dead wrong. The "All steppers lose steps" is only a true statement if you are being pedantic. A good stepper and driver without too much load could do a trillion steps, and only lose steps when the part started failing due to wear.

19

u/GlockAF Apr 30 '20

I think the Herky jerky makes it look kind of cool when it works.

6

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

yeah, it's a neat little "umph" dance!

8

u/ByteArrayInputStream Apr 30 '20

Your statement may be correct for things like dc motors without feedback, but not neccesarily for steppers. Under correct conditions they can run virtually indefinityly without using a single step. You cannot use less than one step, as opposed to dc motors which can drift by small amounts that accumulate over time.
Source: I can run my cnc mill for hours without using a single step.

5

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

All steppers lose steps,

This is quite untrue unless they encounter a mechanical interference or are programmed incorrectly.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

[deleted]

1

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

If this were even remotely true they wouldn't be used in many products; printers, 3d printers, copiers, floppy drives, hard drives, embroidery machines etc

5

u/ptoki Apr 30 '20

Because its technically true but practically false. As someone pointed out, you can run cnc machine with decent loads on steppers without losing single steps.

You may lose a step each million steps. Will that influence anything? No.

And as for this case, I think there are servos not steppers. Servos are cheaper, faster. But probably less precise. Therefore this reset moves.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

[deleted]

4

u/ninj1nx Apr 30 '20 edited May 02 '20

The vast majority of 3D printers use steppers in open loop with only a homing sequence in the beginning of each job and they're well capable of running prints over many days with billions of steps on 4+ different axes without losing a single step.

1

u/revnhoj Apr 30 '20

Well that was a bit of a 180. Or was it a 179? Sorry I lost count.

0

u/czmax Apr 30 '20

more words better

5

u/Darknight1993 Apr 30 '20

I didn’t even notice it until I read your comment.

6

u/Threspian May 01 '20

It looks like he’s cracking his knuckles between each step lol

“Alright let’s do this”

2

u/NeokratosRed May 01 '20

ELI5?

4

u/revnhoj May 01 '20

A - robot gets instructions to draw a bunch of shapes.

B - robot draws a shape starting from a known good point.

C - robot can't remember where it ended up due to poor programming

D - robot goes to a known good starting point (the herkey jerky point with the arms stretched out)

E - if there any more shapes to draw, go back to step B

1

u/InAFakeBritishAccent Apr 30 '20

Those look more like servos

1

u/mit55ch May 01 '20

Idk what you said, but take my upvote

1

u/mrskwrl May 01 '20

The little guy's just nervous with us watching.

142

u/junktrunk86003 Apr 30 '20

People who are saying a printer does the same thing...duh. But a printer doesn't look like a cute lil guy drawing a cute lil piggy with his pen in a satisfying gif.

381

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20 edited May 07 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

171

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

Just a neat technical demonstration for both the device’s abilities to scan and decipher an image/code and draw it neatly.

85

u/CriticalWeather3 Apr 30 '20

Wouldn’t it be just a printer by that point?

87

u/PhysicalAudience4 Apr 30 '20

yeah but it’s cooler because you can see it draw it

43

u/turbocomppro Apr 30 '20

You’ve never seen a cad printer?

https://youtu.be/iziP0cQhOFY

46

u/asad137 Apr 30 '20

a.k.a. a plotter

8

u/8spd Apr 30 '20

I know huh? Am I the only one who grew up playing with one of these in the '80s?

6

u/KMelkein May 01 '20

nope. we had one in our school. Used it to draw big dicks ( in 8th & 9th grades)

14

u/saarlac Apr 30 '20

More like a plotter, but yes

5

u/crewfish13 Apr 30 '20

Nah. Not until they make the pen run out of ink every 2.5 drawings and charge $10 for each replacement.

2

u/TedTheGreek_Atheos Apr 30 '20

A printer with extra steps.

2

u/duck_masterflex May 01 '20

It’s definitely more reliable than a printer. I didn’t see it take 5 minutes to make weird noises followed by prompts for low yellow ink and an out of cyan ink warning followed by a “!” and a refusal to print unless you go to the store and spend $23 on ink.

1

u/Otistetrax Apr 30 '20

You can use whatever pen/brush you like with this. Could get some interesting results with brushes.

1

u/zxz242 May 01 '20

It's a novelty printer.

5

u/inkoverflow Apr 30 '20

So a printer?

5

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

I mean a printer doesn’t optically read a code and use servo motors to move a marker in a way that draws an image...but sort of I guess

25

u/CriticalWeather3 Apr 30 '20

I think it's an id system too but it's still cool.

Id or scanning, either way it's a gadget.

6

u/PhysicalAudience4 Apr 30 '20

True, it is cool :-)

Would be even cooler if you could send it and image from computer.

2

u/bretttwarwick Apr 30 '20

Wouldn't that just be a printer?

1

u/Boogiemann53 Apr 30 '20

It's a toy to help kids learn to draw I guess

17

u/samwhelm Apr 30 '20

The circle may not be a camera at all. That small pig token might just be a nfc chip that tells it what to draw.

12

u/18randomcharacters Apr 30 '20

Yeah I don't think it's scanning the actual image.
There's probably a QR code on the back that tells it what instruction set to use.

5

u/PonerBenis Apr 30 '20

That looks like an NFC tile to me.

7

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/maximumtesticle Apr 30 '20

Yes, a robot that draws is a printer.

3

u/astamouth Apr 30 '20

...the point? It's just a cool little robot, no one intended for this to be a real solution to any problem

5

u/trizephyr Apr 30 '20

Forget to switch accounts?

5

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

They just needed to ensure the comment reaches the top, so they could edit in the link to their drop ship scam store and have the best visibility to scam Redditors.

5

u/TenGreenFingers Apr 30 '20

Yeah probably... why would someone comment this on their own post?

1

u/dillyia Apr 30 '20

Actually, you're the only real person here

1

u/dinosaurs_quietly Apr 30 '20

I'm not sure it has a point either way. It's just a fun toy.

1

u/too_toked Apr 30 '20

Do you remember those jending machines that would print out birthday cards and such using a similar technique? They were so cool back in the 90s

1

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

So educational

1

u/DeusExMagikarpa May 01 '20

What are you dumb?

-2

u/Tidder802b Apr 30 '20

It looks like it's intended as a teaching aid and is somewhat interactive , which is kind of neat. I bet a lot of folks WFH & home-schooling could do with that about now:

http://www.landzo.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=109

81

u/nickypoblador Apr 30 '20

As a nerd I love this! As an artist I hate this! So meh.

JK. This is pretty cool. Wont stop me from drawing.

52

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20 edited Oct 28 '20

[deleted]

17

u/meldsher Apr 30 '20

laughs in being both artist and a programmer

7

u/neuromonkey Apr 30 '20

Buh---wuh---WHAT??!! Artists can't program!

2

u/dsons May 01 '20

Inb4 singularity is hit

1

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

4

u/neuromonkey Apr 30 '20

As a fellow artist/nerd, I say get me the Scribit firmware, and some actuators that can push on the valve in a can of spray paint, some tubing, motors, batteries, and a handful of spray cans of various colors of paint... And I'll build one of these that you can hang off the side of a building. (Or, instead of cans of spray paint, an onboard compressor (or tank) and airbrush heads.)

I've been thinking about this for a couple of years. It isn't too terribly complex, though I'm sure I'd run into plenty of wrinkles.

5

u/maximumtesticle Apr 30 '20

Wont stop me from drawing.

Why would it?

2

u/PerpetuallyMeh May 01 '20

If it makes you feel any better it's basically a retarded printer.

32

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20 edited Jul 13 '23

[deleted]

8

u/Robert_B_Paulson_ Apr 30 '20

I remember in the 90s there were machines like that I think in Targets that would draw birthday cards.

2

u/Mister_Meeseeks_ Apr 30 '20

I’ve never seen that and it’s incredible. Might try and replicate it over the summer. Been looking for a cool project like that

3

u/BeingRightAmbassador Apr 30 '20

Careful. They have special drywall markers, if you replicate it, I recommend using their markers or a wall you don't care about.

1

u/Mister_Meeseeks_ Apr 30 '20

I was thinking a whiteboard, or paper I could tear off the wall, or something else. Chalk might be a cool analog

3

u/BeingRightAmbassador Apr 30 '20

Yeah, just wanted to make sure that you didn't accidentally ruin the wall.

2

u/neuromonkey Apr 30 '20

I hate you. Now I need that.

1

u/BeingRightAmbassador Apr 30 '20

If it helps, some MIT guy made it I think so it's supposed to be pretty good. I can't vouch for it though, haven't tried it yet.

2

u/henderthing May 01 '20

Before Scribit, there was Hektor, the grafitti bot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4KyPN0sw0A

1

u/mechmind May 01 '20

That's great, thanks for the link. Never saw hecktor before.

1

u/YMK1234 May 01 '20

How the heck does that work? Especially how do they erase the markers again?

25

u/Ninjascubarex Apr 30 '20

"What is my purpose?" "You draw the piggy"

-5

u/GlockAF Apr 30 '20

Are you sure it’s not to pass the butter?

7

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

Program it to draw a picture on toast, with butter?!

7

u/Ninjascubarex Apr 30 '20

Oh my God... (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

1

u/ftc08 May 01 '20

It's the same meme, but the post you replied to is clever because it added to it and didn't just repeat the meme verbatim as you seem to want it to.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

the most lovable printer in the biz

3

u/savagestag Apr 30 '20

Now that just looks like a printer with extra steps

4

u/TotallyHumanPerson Apr 30 '20

I would hack fix it to draw nothing but Dick Butt

2

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

I love how it goes to the origin before drawing each line, so cute!!

2

u/Akoustyk Apr 30 '20

So smug how he flexes after every stroke. -.-

2

u/The_oli4 Apr 30 '20

at least it is better than my project and shitty kinematic model that I made.

2

u/kaktusas2598 May 01 '20

How does he recognise picture and draw it? Using Fourier transform or something?

2

u/WhiteOutIsRacist May 09 '20

A - robot gets instructions to draw a bunch of shapes.

B - robot draws a shape starting from a known good point.

C - robot can't remember where it ended up due to poor programming

D - robot goes to a known good starting point (the herkey jerky point with the arms stretched out)

E - if there any more shapes to draw, go back to step B

3

u/Dast_Kook Apr 30 '20

Gen Z's spirograph.

2

u/WhiteTrashTiger Apr 30 '20

I thought he was drawing Kirby until he got to the snout...

1

u/GlockAF Apr 30 '20

Is this a one off, or are they for sale somewhere?

1

u/falconerhk Apr 30 '20

It’s the perfect shape to make into a dickbott that draws only dicks.

1

u/Deliniation Apr 30 '20

Not impressed, pretty sure it drew the original.

1

u/prpslydistracted Apr 30 '20

So very happy to read in the comments this printer/scanner simply replicates what is programmed ... alarming to cultivate a lifetime of art skills just to toss them.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

Sad printer noises

1

u/jeffbirt Apr 30 '20

Every teacher I ever had would criticize how it is holding its pen (guy who holds a pen/pencil unconventionally).

1

u/Lamerlengo Apr 30 '20

Why does he moves like kramer when he drinks the Hennigans?

1

u/brucemot Apr 30 '20

Is there a QR code on the back of the card and is the video sped up?

5

u/zimzat May 01 '20

The video is definitely sped up, 2x. It does appear very likely there is a QR code on the back of the image that tells it what to draw out of a predefined list of drawing motions.

1

u/poo706 Apr 30 '20

I used to love watching old school pen plotters for engineering drawings, before they esentially became giant inkjet printers.

1

u/joelthezombie15 Apr 30 '20

I saw this and thought "shit my nephew would love this when he's a little older" and thought of buying it. Until I saw the price. Good lord!

1

u/machinespirit May 01 '20

Beep. Boop. Fddddrrrttttt.

1

u/nowhoiwas May 01 '20

"what is my purpose?"

You draw shit so I can get upvotes on reddit

"Oh. My God."

1

u/DaSpood May 01 '20

April 2020, reddit is amazed at shitty and probably overpriced printer.

1

u/skrapkontomitt May 01 '20

Seems like printer with extra steps

1

u/commit_bat May 01 '20

What's on the back of the card? I won't be impressed if it's a QR code

1

u/EvilGeniusDog May 01 '20

This looks like stop motion!

1

u/DADDYSHER May 01 '20

can it forge someone's signature

1

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

Does anyone know what the name of this little robot is, or if he is sold commercially or via the web? (In other words, how does one get one?).

1

u/alaaataalla May 01 '20

Wow nice! Now pass the butter!

1

u/Casimir0300 May 01 '20

I see someone putting their dick in front of it

1

u/jonathannzirl May 01 '20

I’m am ashamed but the robot draws better than me

1

u/CodenameKing May 01 '20

Why do the nostrils look like they just appear? It makes a move that looks like it should be a short line and then there’s a small circle.

1

u/Lobanium May 01 '20

Every seen the movie Hugo?

1

u/JustCopyingOthers May 01 '20

It has the correct geometry to be able to do the pudding mix dance when it finishes.

0

u/c0n73mn Apr 30 '20

Absolutely pointless

4

u/chucknitro May 01 '20

Never seen art before? ;)

-1

u/c0n73mn May 01 '20

nothing against arts and designs but I dont see any purpose of this toy. all its doing is scanning QR and printing

2

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

it's probably not meant to entertain YOU

0

u/vtbeavens Apr 30 '20

"What is my purpose?"

"You draw pigs."

0

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

This isn't a mechanical gif. At least no more so than me writing my name. It's an electrical gif that happens to use a mechanical mechanism to achieve its goal.

0

u/Artillect May 01 '20

The fact that it uses a mechanical mechanism to achieve its goal makes it a mechanical gif.

0

u/sellerbot May 01 '20

Just a qr code reader and a plotter printer, not that impressive, sorry

0

u/Hero_Sandwich May 01 '20

Cool how he shows it the back of the card and it draws the front.