Final project: PLOT BOT V0.1
1. Concept
Mecanum wheeled pen plotter with infinite* plotting area: This project is a mobile pen plotter that uses Mecanum wheels and can draw on surfaces much larger than its own size (*currently limited by wires though). The robot uses Pi Pico to receive G-code via serial, parse it directly, and control stepper motors on 4 Mecanum wheels and a Z-axis servo, with end-stop for zeroing.
2. Potential use cases
This machine can create large-scale drawings without being constrained by the physical size of the device. Possible applications include drawing large calligraphy, drawing Nazca Lines, or perhaps for documenting as it goes (literally).
3. Background
The idea started from a simple curiosity: could a machine print or draw things bigger than itself? Traditional 3D printers are limited by their fixed frames. This machine moves freely in X and Y directions using omni-wheels, and could later add a Z-axis arm for height. In the future, it might even be able to climb onto its own printed objects and keep building—making truly large-scale 3D printing possible.
4. Technical overview
The robot interprets G-code and moves using four Mecanum wheels. A microcontroller (e.g., RP2040) directly runs motor control logic without standard firmware, allowing custom handling of omni-directional movement. Basic Z-axis control is handled by a servo. Future improvements include position tracking and wireless control.
Please also visit:
- 3. Hardware design
- 4. System and programming
- 6. Electronics design & production
- 7. BOM
- Assembly and testing
5. Next spirals
- Add relative/absolute tracking for position correction
- Enable wireless control and battery power
- Improve Z-axis design for 3D printing
- Incorporate 3D printing firmware
- Add filament feeding system and extruder
PrintBot © 2025 by Naoki Hayashi is licensed under CC BY 4.0