Arduino Drawbot: Unleash Your Creativity with Robotic Art

Contents hide

1 Step 1: Materials

2 Step 2: Step 1

3 Step 3: Step1 (Bread board)

4 Step 4: Step 3 (Arduino)

5 Step 5: Step 4 (Servos)

6 Step 6: Step 5 (Wheels)

7 Step 7: Step 6 (First Connection)

8 Step 8: Step 7 (Second Connection)

In some of my previous Arduino instructurables I have show to the Arduino beginers on how to control servos in different ways.
And in my last instructurable I have show the modification of a Parallax servo for a 360º rotation.
So in this one I will show Arduino beginers the use of those 360º rotation servos.
With that in mind we will make our first ROBOT. It will be a simple bot called The DrawBot
For the some of the materials just look around the house and recycle it for the DrawBot to be made
NOTE: The code and the idea was taken from around the internet. And again there are tutorials showing you this simple DrawBot or the 5 Minute Drawbot but they’re not clear enough for the beginner. All the electronics were bought @ RADIOSHACK.

Step 1: Materials

The following will be divided in categories and in no particular order:

Tools:
1. Drill with a drill bit (size depends on the diameter of the marker)
2. Screwdriver to attach the wheels to the servos.

Hardware:
1. (X2) spray paint can caps.
2. (X2) small screws
3. (X3) rubber bands
4. Piece of wood ( size, shape and thickness could be any to fit all the parts)
5. Arduino UNO Rev3
6. Breadboard
7. (9V) battery
8. (9V) connection harness to provide power to the Arduino.
9. (X4) wires for all the connections.
10. A marker ( any color)
11. (X2) Parallax Servos with the 360º MOD
12. 12 pin connector
13. USB cable to prgram the Arduino.
14. Something to add traction to the wheels ( I have use from lego, two rubber tires, but you can use any electrical tape also).

Software:
Arduino software (to upload the code)

Step 2: Step 1

Cut a piece of wood. Mine is 8 inches long. Then drill a hole in one of the sides ( I was drilling and measuring with the marker so it could fit in the hole. But the key is not to make the hole too big so the marker would’nt be loose as you see on the picture. If is loose in the hole the just add a piece of tape around it to make the marker more thick for the hole).
The piece of wood I am using is a 2” wide by 1/4” of thickness.
You can use whatever you got (plastic, metal or even a good piece of cardboard)

Step 3: Step1 (Bread board)

Use the rubberband to hold the breadboard in place as you see on the picture.

Step 4: Step 3 (Arduino)

And again use the rubberband for the Arduino as well.

Step 5: Step 4 (Servos)

Attach the two servos to the base (wood piece).
Also it is a good practice to write in the back of the base the letters L and R to make the final connections of the servos easy. 😉

Step 6: Step 5 (Wheels)

Attach the caps to the servo arm with two screws. And the one in the middle attach it to the servo.
You don’t need to drill a hole here, the plastic is thin for the screws to go through.
Then add the traction to the caps, it could be electrical tape. ( I have use rubber tires from a lego)

Step 7: Step 6 (First Connection)

The following connection is to provide power to the servos.
Notice that I have use a 12 pin connector to connect the servosto the breadboard.
ORANGE = 5V
YELLOW = GND

Step 8: Step 7 (Second Connection)

First: Connect the 5V connection from the Arduino to the breadboard.
Second: Connect the GND connection from the Arduino to the breadboard.
NOTE: (BreadBoard Basics)
When you make a connection from the Arduino to the breadboard it will provide either power or a Pin function connection to the whole row.

For more detail: Arduino Drawbot

About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

Follow Us:
LinkedinTwitter