Roboticizing An Etch-a-Sketch

Micah took on the challenge of automating the Etch-a-Sketch drawing process after realizing he lacked the manual dexterity to create intricate drawings on the classic toy. His solution involved retrofitting the Etch-a-Sketch with a pair of stepper motors controlled by a Raspberry Pi.

To accomplish this, Micah designed and 3D-printed adapters to attach the stepper motors to the knobs of the Etch-a-Sketch. After several iterations, he found the right design and motors for the job. With the hardware in place, he focused on developing the software to control the motors and draw images.

One of the major challenges Micah faced was the inherent limitation of the Etch-a-Sketch, which only allows movement of the stylus while drawing a line. To overcome this, he devised a clever algorithm to convert images into a series of continuous lines that the Etch-a-Sketch could replicate. This involved careful consideration of how the motors should move to achieve the desired drawing.

Overall, Micah successfully automated the Etch-a-Sketch drawing process, showcasing both his mechanical and software skills in the project.

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