Zeph exhibited the prototype at RoboGames (and won a Silver medal), and we also brought the WaterColorBot to Maker Faire, where thousands of people got to play with it. As we realized that this project had a lot of appeal beyond just a one-off project, we started developing it into a kit. Together we designed and built our first prototype in February, and had a nicely-working robot about a month later. Zeph approached us at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories about collaborating on the project, and we loved it. Zephyrus Todd, star of Sylvia's Super-Awesome Maker Show, came up with the idea for the WaterColorBot because of wanting to create an art robot and enter it in the RoboGames competition. Mac, Windows, and (most) Linux systems are supported.
You will also need internet access to download software.
You will need a recent-vintage computer (say, made within the last five years) with an available USB port. Please see the FAQ below for a more detailed list of the kit contents. It also comes with a starter set of watercolor paints, paper, and a brush. While earlier versions of the WaterColorBot came as a kit (with some assembly required), the WaterColorBot 2.0 comes assembled, tested, and ready to use.
We are now shipping WaterColorBot version 2.0, which includes two CNC machined aluminum winches, one of which is shown in the picture above, and the all-new aluminum carriage, which you can see below: It is also the same mechanism that an Etch-a-Sketch uses, except that instead of a stylus, we have a carriage that moves the brush up and down. This same mechanism (right down to the winches and cords) can be found inside many vintage plotters and chart recorders. Each motor drives a little winch that moves a length of cord attached to a rod that controls either the X or Y position of the brush. To move the paint brush, there are two motors built into the frame of the robot. The WaterColorBot is a specialized pen plotter (a drawbot!) that can draw with pens, pencils, or a set of watercolor paints. (And you can always save the file for later, just in case the dog eats the one on the fridge.) With the WaterColorBot, you can easily make an extra painting for Grandma. While a robotic painting "printer" can be an incredibly fun thing on its own, the WaterColorBot is also a genuine (if simple and friendly) computer-automated, numerically controlled (CNC) machine- and that lets you do some amazing things.įor an example, take a look at the two paintings shown above- they are nearly perfect copies. It is made in the USA with a tough and sturdy wooden frame built to last for years of use. The WaterColorBot works with standard and common watercolor paints, pens, and paper, so that you never need to purchase expensive or proprietary supplies. Starting with vector artwork on your computer - or following along as you sketch in real time - the WaterColorBot dips its brush in water, goes and gets the right color of paint, and paints before your eyes. Amongst the improvements, version 2.0 comes fully preassembled and ready to use right out of the box, so you can get up and running faster. Several iterations later, we are now shipping WaterColorBot version 2.0, which features an aluminum carriage with crossed linear roller bearings, and a host of other improvements. Launched in 2013 on Kickstarter, the WaterColorBot is a collaborative project from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories and Super Awesome Sylvia - a friendly art robot that moves a paint brush to paint your digital artwork onto paper, using a set of watercolor paints.