16 -
Applications and Implications
What will it do?
My final project is a writing automation which can write personal handwriting chinese characters with a robotic arm.
Who's done what beforehand?
I am interested in writing automata when I saw an ancient automation "The Writer"design. The Writer has lots of gears in its body. When it was writing, the gears moved to push joints.
I like to see the words writen slowly by a machine. Computation mechanism of The Writer is analog, but I want to create an digital brain for my writing automata.
What materials and components will be required?
- Acrylic / Screw / Servo motor x 3
- resistor / LED / Switch / ATtiny chip
Where will they come from?
Acrylic and screw will be from local shop. Others are all in fab inventory.
How much dose it cost?
- Acrylic and MDF: 500 New Taiwan Dollar (NTD)
- Screw: 100 NTD
- Servo motors: 240 NTD
- resistor / potentiometer / LED / Swtich / ATtiny chip : 500 NTD
sum : 1340 NTD (45 USD)
What parts and systems will be made?
- hardware: a robot with arm.
1. a clip for holding the pen (pen holder)
2. a smooth arm
3. paper holder
- software:
1. Arm angle control
2. Chinese character database (Changjie input method).
3. Radical position generator
4. personal stroke database
5. word path generator
What processes will be used?
1. Design 3D model in sketchup, and use laser cutter for cutting acrylic or MDF, and assamble parts.
2. Electronics. ATtiny or ATmega will be used. The micoprocessor can control motions of servo motor and make the arm move.
3. Interface will be created in Processing, and so dose database.
4. 3d print technique. Design a pen holder with clip. This one might be optional because I can use laser cutting instead.
What tasks need to be completed?
1. designing parts in sketchup.
2. fab all parts, try and error.
3. preparing for components and material.
4. programing in Processing
5. programming the chip
What questions need to be answered?
1. I should define which part need to begin in the first step.
2. I am not fimilar with mechanical design, so I need to find some references and create a workable arm.
3. Path generator might be the most difficult part for me.
What is the schedule?
week 16 : build Chinese character database x 2 days / arm mechnical design study x 1 day / word path study x 2 days
week 17: fab parts (including arm and curcuit board) x 1 day / assemble parts x 1 day / mechinical test x 2 days / word generator x 1 day
week 18 : word generator x 2 days / documentation x 1 day
week 19 : final presentation
How will it be evaluated?
- draw something
- write my name (1 line)
- write a paragraph (multiple lines)
- workable word database
- workable word generator
:)