Initial Concepts - Painting Machines
These modified machines can be used as tools for the creation of art. Modifications range from the attachment of markers or pencils to toys that move around surfaces, to mounting paintbrushes on robotic arms that then paint images. The re-appropriation of technology to create art is only limited by imagination.
Found object with true "random" movement
This is a "Bump N Go" toy that became popular due to its ability to change direction when it collides against an obstacle in its path.
The unique part about this toy, is that it's movement is random in nature. This element of random was the perfect addition to the painting system; a randomly moving machine that is trying to paint an exact image. The toy was taken apart and used the chassis system to carry a painting arm around a canvas.
The brains of the machine
Jackoon was equipped with components for communication and arm functionality. The system includes and Arduino Lilypad (for a lighter payload,) a Pololu servo controller, two servos for the arm, an XBee radio, a paintbrush and a paint bucket for the paint.
Jackoon's Anatomy
Here is a diagram of the bot with specific components pointed-out for reference.
Code Sample
Jackoon required software for the robotic arm to paint, for the communication between the bot and the computer, for the video tracking, a color breakdown algorithm and collision detection between the bot's location and the area with the colors the bot should paint. All code was written using Processing (Java) and Arduino (C++).
Refining Jackoon's Style
Jackoon was created to be an autonomous machines that paints on a canvas. The bot travels around the surface of a canvas at random while the robotic arm is trying to replicate the image it was given as reference.
At first glance it seems that the Art Bots are painting a random pattern. As time passes by and they lay more paint down, it will be apparent that they are making a figurative painting.
System Setup
The system that allows Jackoon to paint a photo-realistic-esc painting includes two cameras; one pointed at the subject to be painted and one mounted above the canvas to track the location of the moving ArtBot. A computer then analyses the feed of both videos and communicated with the robotic arm to make sure the right color is applied at the right location to replicate the image that is being referenced.
Each ArtBot has an XBee Radio and unique ID, which is used to communicate with the central computer. The ArtBots are assigned a specific range of the color spectrum that corresponds the paint in their bucket. Since the computer can identify each unique robot and break down individual colors; multiple ArtBots can paint at the same time on the canvas. To keep things simple, one ArtBot is used to paint one color at a time.
Computer Vision: Video Tracking
An application was written to juxtapose the two video feeds, which use pixel analysis and collision detection, to tell the robotic arm when it needs to paint. The left image below shows that the robot's (which has black paint) location, shown as a white dot, is not over an area that needs to be painted black. In this case the ArtBot will not paint. The right image shows that the ArtBot's location is over an area that needs to be painted black, so the computer tells the ArtBot to paint.
Data Analysis: Color Breakdown
The computer breaks down the analog color range into the 8 bit color spectrum, making the image more simple to paint. The colors can be broken down further to only see a narrow color range that can be used as one layer of paint on the canvas. Each one of these color ranges is associated with a specific paint color that the robot can use to make the composition.
Original reference image:
Color breakdown:
into blue, yellow, black and green spectrum:
Data Analysis: Composite Color
When all the colors are added together, the image that the ArtBot is trying to paint can be seen.
The Finished Product
This is one of the compositions created by Jackoon the ArtBot with a few marks made by the human collaborator, to give people visual cues to identify the subjects painted. In this case a wasp sitting on a flower.
“Wasp on flower”2009
Acrylic on paper, 75”x 40”
“Lemon Wasp” 2009
Acrylic on paper, 48 in. x 48 in.
“Daisy” 2009
Acrylic on paper, 48”x 40”
"Skull" 2009
Acrylic on paper, 75”x 40”
ArtBot Family
Selected Press
