I finished the RoboAngus EAS (Etch-a-Sketch) side project this weekend. I got the idea from Jeff Epler and Chris Radek’s website and figured that it would be easy to adapt the controller and software from my Wood Turtle project to make my own version of the EAS CNC…it was…it only took me two hours for the complete build. It runs using TurboCNC software and two stepper motors.
My innovations to this project were:
- the removable rubber cups that attach the motors to the knobs on the EAS using only friction. Use of these rubber cups for the attachment allows you to remove the Etch-A-Sketch easily without tools…just pull. I just drilled a 1/4″ hole in the middle of a standard rubber chair leg end bought from Home Depot. I then pushed a 1/4″ by 2.5″ bolt through the hole and used a nut to tighten it on. Then I used a 1″ length of automotive vacuum line to attach them both to the stepper-motor axis. Works great and pulls off in a second.
- the use of a stuffed monkey as the operator (wink)
The above photo shows my son’s name “Mason” drawn by the RoboAngus EAS. You can see the device is really only stepper motors mounted in plywood and attached with the bolts and rubber cups.
The photo below shows the rubber chair end mounting device described above.
Like this:
Like Loading...
About mattsanf
Matt Sanfilippo is the Chief Partnership Officer (CPO) for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Co-Director of its Engineering Research Accelerator. In this role, Matt coordinates and enables strategic and sponsored research opportunities across the college, and stewards the development of proposals for major research opportunities along strategic themes. Additionally, he enables collaboration among the college's research institute/center executive directors, and industrial and government relations personnel in the pursuit of opportunities with industry, federal and state governments. Before becoming CPO for the College, Matt was the Senior Executive Director for Research Initiatives, the Executive Director of CMU's SII (Smart Infrastructure Institute) and ICES (Institute for Complex Engineered Systems), and Associate Director of PITA (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance) and RAMP (Research for Advanced Manufacturing in Pennsylvania).
Before CMU, Matt was Managing Director of Applied Technology for Michael Baker Corporation, an engineering and energy services firm. Matt managed Baker's technology division including Geographic Information System (GIS), software and web development, multimedia, virtual reality, visualization, Global Positioning System (GPS), mapping and surveying services. Before joining Baker, Matt was an Innovation Director for Redleaf Group, a Venture Capital/Operating Company focused on information security, supply chain and mobility solutions. While at Redleaf, Matt managed technical due diligence for seed-stage investments and coordinated relationships between Redleaf and their partner companies. Prior to Redleaf, Matt was CIO of GZA GeoEnvironmental Technologies, an infrastructure engineering firm, and operations manager for their Internet start-up that focused on web-technologies for health and safety and manufacturing metrics.
Matt is on the board of Larson Design Group (LDG), past Chairman of the Board for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, current board member of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation (PHLF), current Vice President of the Sewickley Heights Gun Club (SHGC) and former member of the Information Sciences and Technology Advisory Board for the Pennsylvania State University Beaver. Matt is also former Vice President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association of Internet Professionals and former Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Baker Combined Charity of Pennsylvania.
A Learning Adventure in the Workshop 