Create a 3D Printed Drawing Robot with Arduino!

Everyone likes to doodle, but few of us can draw well. Straight lines, in particular, can be difficult to master. Technical drawings and designs usually require a ruler and protractor, as well as a set square. 

Rather than struggle with these tools – or bother trying to drag a straight line around your monitor with a mouse – why not employ a robot to draw for you? Several DIY robot kits (such as those from Lego and littleBits) offer programmable droids that can wield a pen and draw pre-designed glyphs.

But what if you wanted to build your own, without the expense of a new Lego kit?

DIYer Antonio Mancuso has the answer: an Arduino, some motor components, PCBs, a 3D printed chassis, and a pen.

The result is a home-built, programmable drawing robot that can be constructed relatively simply (certainly easier than a 601-piece kit like the Lego 31313 Mindstorms EV3). While this robot cannot deal with complex (or accurate drawings), it is a great proof of concept that anyone can copy. As Antonio says:

“...the main goal is not to draw but to build and understand how the Drawing Bot works from mechanical, electrical and software point of view.”

Mancuso has thought of everything: he’s even provided a 3D printing STL file to download from GitHub, which not only produces the chassis but the wheels and pen holder.

You’ll find detailed instructions, including a full list of components, detailed photos, and Fritzing diagrams, on Antonio Mancuso’s blog.