Art Making Device for Individuals with Severe Physical Limitations
Team: McKay Gardner, Cole Young, Brandon Griffin, and Jessica Baker
Sponsor: Jump the Moon Foundation
Design Description
This art-making device uses the DOBOT Magician E6 which is a six-axis robot to grab paint brushes and make marks on a canvas. The arm is controlled with a GlassOuse headset that tracks the user's head movements this transfers the movments to the robot arm. Paint brushes are stored in rocket shaped paint buckets that have a funnel, forcing the brush back to the exact same location every time, this allows the robot to easily reference the location of the brushes. Paint colors are selected with portable switches that can be positioned in the best location for the user.
Performance Review
All of the performance tests were conducted hands on with the robot undergoing extensive testing to make sure all of the deliverables are met.
| Requirement/Constraint | Target | Threshold | Predicted Performance | Actual Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Device should be lightweight | 35 lb | Total weight ≤ 50 lb | Total weight: 38.3 lb | Total weight: 26.67 lb |
| Device should be safe to use | No pinch points, sharp edges. Include emergency shut off | Eliminate safety risks, implement safety devices if risks are present | Device is designed to pose no safety risks | Device poses no safety risks |
| Device makes art unique to the individual | Device tracks deliberate movement of individual | Device tracks deliberate movement and/or vital signs | Device tracks deliberate movement of individual | Device tracks deliberate movement of individual |
| Device should have a relatively short setup and take down time | Setup and take down in 5 minutes | Within 10 minutes | 7 min setup, 6 min takedown | 1 min setup, 3 min takedown |
| Device matches aesthetic of art studio | Device looks artful, has an aesthetically pleasing design, coloration, and entertaining sounds | Design is cohesive and not unattractive, makes some noise | Design is cohesive, can be made more attractive at later stages | Design is cohesive and attractive. Mounting base is custom painted to match desired aesthetic |
| Device should create in real time | Device has ≤ 1 sec lag | 0–3 sec lag | Device has ≤1 sec lag | Device has ≤1 sec lag |
Project Description
Art is an important part of the human experience and limited physical mobility can sometimes make it difficult to make your own art. This device aims to allow individuals who have limited to no movement in their extremities to make their own unique art in the form of acrylic paintings.
Conclusion
The device meets the goal of allowing individuals with limited motor function to create their own unique art.
Our team learned the importance of making decisions early and moving on with major design elements while still maintaining a flexible design that can accommodate the lastminute changes.
Since the Magician E6 has six degrees of freedom the robot is not limited to a flat canvas. In the future the robot could dip and store all its brushes on a horizontal surface and then switch to painting on a vertical surface. This could also be used to improve the reach of the robot and allow for larger canvases. In the future more paint buckets and options for color mediums could be added to allow the robot to create more unique and diverse art.