ISSN (Online) 2581-9429

IJARST
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science & Technology (IJARST)

Volume 7, Issue 3, July 2020

Drawing Robot
Raut Madhuri, Kajal Pable, Mulay Pranali
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Department,
Samarth College of Engineering Belhe (Bangarwadi), Pune,
[email protected],[email protected],[email protected]

Abstract: XY Plotter is an embedded system that works based on the principle Computer Numerical
Control. XY Plotter basically works with two stepper motors and a servo motor, wherein the robot plots
the input given from the computer on the drawing board using ATMEGA328p microcontroller on a
open-source physical computing platform arduino. The XY plotter has a two axis control and a special
mechanism to raise and lower the pen. The drawing robot is a robot which offers the fastest way to
powerfully produce very large drawings. This Robotic X-Y Plotter which is basically centered to the
vector graphic device, wherein the robot designs or sketches the input given from the computer on the
drawing board or a sheet of paper using arduino UNO microcontroller on a open-source physical
computing platform arduino IDE software. The board is fed with polargraph server arduino based
program which is required for the accurate diagram, and thus with the aid of processing software
(version 1.0.5) in which polargraph libraries are uploaded, the robot starts sketching. The X-Y robotic
plotter, as the name suggests has a two axis control (i.e. X and Y axis), and a distinctive mechanism to
lift up and lift down the pen. Each axis is drove using a single servo motor. The plotter works more
efficiently, which is used to recording or plotting two dimensional data on a rectangular coordinate
system. In this, arduino compatible main board with two stepper motors for ease moving of pen holder
and servo motor is used to lift the pen. For this we are using the software like arduino IDE software
and G code converter.

Keywords: Arduino UNO, Polargraph, Stepper Motor, Servo Motor, Plotter, GT2 Pulley Belt

I. INTRODUCTION
This document is a final report from my last year 2020 distributed research experience as an undergraduate student.
My mentor, Prof. Rahul Parbhane, from the Dept. of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the Samarth
College of Engineering Belhe (Bangarwadi), Pune, directed my effort in this project for adapting some knowledge
about the drawing robot. The robot is the combination of the Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,
Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering have all come together to work together. Robotics is the upgraded
technology, it is used for efficiency, welfare, and in saving time and money.
In the water course of robotics, a 2D sketching robotic plotter is used the robot offers the work built on the principle
of CNC which concentrates on a varied range of uses like cutting, grinding, production of electronics parts and
drawing. This robotic X-Y plotter is robot which provides a fastest way to powerfully produce very large drawings.
This sketching robot will be able to print by moving a marker pen or other supplementary writing device across the
surface of sheet of paper. This gives us a brief idea that sketching robots or 2D plotters are vector graphic devices,(i.e.
these devices are contained of tracks, that are well -defined by a starting and finishing points, alongside with further
points, curves, and angles traced in the way.) rather than video display, or pixels formation graphics (i.e. it does not
uses raster graphics, which is a dot matrix figure arrangement, demonstrating usually a rectangular lattice of pixels, or
points of color accessible by monitor or paper).
Pen plotter can draw difficult line art, comprising texts, but also do work slowly due to motorized movement of
writing device such as pen. This can also be used to produce hard copy of Images, graph, maps, architectural plans and
even braille signs for blind people.

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 ISSN (Online) 2581-9429
IJARST
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science & Technology (IJARST)

Volume 7, Issue 3, July 2020

II. LITERATURE SURVEY

While doing survey we found that most of the printing systems uses the PLC based systems. Due to the printing or
drawing with the help of PLC and CNC based systems they required more time for execution so we required more time
for those systems. And also the cost of that systems are more so only the large scale industries prefer plotter based
printing. To try to solve the problems previously identified, recent years have seen the appearance of several
technological solutions.
[1] In 2014 Mrs. R. Dayana, Gunaseelan P. develop a Microcontroller based x-y plotter that having ultra-low power
microcontroller of MSP430. Pulse Width Modulation based driver circuit which has inbuilt timer circuit in it which
makes the user easy. But, when the user tries to modify the timer, they feel difficult to modify as they wish. So, it is
better to use separate timer circuit which is available in microcontroller. [2] In 2015, Mihai Rata and Gabriela Rata
develop Application with a XY-plotter controlled by PLC used in student laboratory works. The solution is
recommended to be used in laboratory works with students, because it can provide a closer experience to the real world
applications. [3] Design and Development of XY Plotter Mechanical System Design PART 2 design by the Wei Ming
Ng and Rossi Hamzah in 2016.
X-Y plotter that accurately synchronize with the Arduino software system for better response on the movement of X
and Y axis. Difference IDE and difference languages have been tried and used to complete this project to meet the
objectives.[4] The existing CNC plotter machines are of high cost, difficult to maintain and requires highly skilled
operators. Our CNC plotter overcomes these problems. It is of low cost and easy to control and there is no need of
highly skilled operators. It describes the structure of the machine suitable for domestic modeling [5] An XY-Plotter that
operates in two axes of motion (“X” and “Y”) in order to draw continuous vector graphics. XY-Plotter uses pencil to
plot the paper that is lying on the flat surface area of the plotter. It is achieved because the XY-Plotter is connected to a
computer, which is equipped with specialized plotting design or drawing computer software programs.

III. WHAT IS DRAWING ROBOT?

Robotics is the upgraded technology, it is used for efficiency, welfare, and in saving time and money. Robotics deals
with the design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory
feedback, and information processing. These technologies are used to develop machines that can substitute for humans
and replicate human actions.
In the water course of robotics, a 2D sketching robotic plotter is used the robot offers the work built on the principle
of CNC which concentrates on a varied range of uses like cutting, grinding, production of electronics parts and
drawing. Drawing robot is a robot that draws using stepper motors to make precise shapes on paper, combining the
precision of a computer-controlled motor with the analog quality of a motorized movement of writing device such as
pen. This can also be used to produce hardcopy of Images, graph, maps, architectural plans and even braille signs for
blind people.

IV. NEED OF TECHNOLOGY

In this regard an approach is needed towards the robotics, so we need the system which can work efficiently and also
we reduce the working time. CNC which concentrates on a varied range of uses like cutting, grinding, production of
electronics parts and drawing. This robotic X-Y plotter is robot which provides a fastest way to powerfully produce
very large drawings. Robotic 2D Plotter is a plotter that offers the fastest way to efficiently produce very large
drawings. Pen plotters will be able to print by moving a pen or other writing device across the surface of a piece of
paper. This means that plotters are vector graphics devices, rather than raster graphics. Pen plotters can draw complex
line art, including text, but do so slowly because of the mechanical movement of the writing device such as pen.
SCARA which refers to Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm or Selective Compliance Articulated Robot
Arduino is used to make a writing robot wherein the robot plots the input given from the computer on the drawing
board. The SCARA robot is an X-Y Plotter. The invention of the X-Y plotters is to recording or plotting two
dimensional data on a rectangular coordinate system.

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 ISSN (Online) 2581-9429
IJARST
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science & Technology (IJARST)

Volume 7, Issue 3, July 2020

This study emphasizes the fabrication of a XY plotter by using mechanism from scanner and microcontroller system
(Arduino) to control the movement of XY axis. Modeling and analysis on X-Y plotter is carried out through the
computer linked with the arduino software. It is executed through the algorithm and G-Code and Java programming.

V. RECENT TECHNOLOGY
Recently for printing the electronics parts of system and also for the drawing CNC and PLC based systems are used.
Which are not easy to handle and also trained person is required to operate that system. Microcontroller based plotter
system is also design but in that system mechanical based components are used as like limit switches. And also CAD,
CAM software’s are used so processing of the system gives lots of time to execute. So we used Arduino based system
which is easy to handle.

VI. SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Figure: Block diagram of drawing robot

XY Plotter is an embedded system that works based on the principle Computer Numerical Control. XY Plotter
basically works with two stepper motors and a servo motor, where in the robot plots the input given from the computer
on the drawing board using ATMEGA328p microcontroller on a open-source physical computing platform Arduino.
The XY plotter has a two axis control and a special mechanism to raise and lower the pen.
Each axis is powered and driven by using an Arduino compactable driver A4988. The plotter works more efficiently,
which is used to recording or plotting two dimensional data on a rectangular coordinate system. In this, Arduino
compatible main board with two stepper motors for ease moving of pen holder and servo motor is used to lift the pen.
For this we are using the software like Arduino IDE software and G code converter. This improves the efficiency which
produces large and complex drawings.

VII. CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

In the circuit diagram three L293D motor driver shields are connected to the Atmega328 microcontroller to port B
and port D. Port B is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port with internal pull-up resistors (selected for each bit). The port B
output buffers have symmetrical drive characteristics with both high sink and source capability. As inputs, port B pins
that are externally pulled low will source current if the pull-up resistors are activated. Three different motor shield
drivers are connected to the three directions x direction, y direction and z direction. Port B is the bidirectional port
which having pull up resistors and it is connected to the inputs of first motor driver shields.The inputs of the second
motor driver shield are connected to the crystal oscillators and interrupts of the arduino. Port D is an 8-bit bi-directional
I/O port with internal pull-up resistors (selected for each bit). The port D output buffers have symmetrical drive
characteristics with both high sink and source capability. Inputs of the third motor driver shield are connected to the

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 ISSN (Online) 2581-9429
IJARST
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science & Technology (IJARST)

Volume 7, Issue 3, July 2020

timer of the controller and also the digital pins. Relays are switches that open and close circuits electromechanically or
electronically.

VIII. RESULT
A. Advantages
1. Maintain resolution of images even at large size.
2. Replacing pen by suitable cutter enables to create logos on glasses (preview) for designers.
3. Reproducibility and Accuracy.
4. Can be converted to create Braille signs for visually challenged.
5. Low cost and financially feasible tools.

B. Disadvantages
1. The image that must be prepared on a computer.
2. The system needs continue power supply.

C. Applications
Plotter tool capable of accuracy & precision.
1. Drawing(pen),
2. Cutting(razor blade),
3. Engraving(laser),
4. Creating BRAILLE

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 ISSN (Online) 2581-9429
IJARST
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science & Technology (IJARST)

Volume 7, Issue 3, July 2020

IX. CONCLUSION
The Arduino based XY drawing Robot using atmega 328 microcontrollers is used in the arduino board which is used
to draw fast and efficient drawings or pictures which can be taken from source converted to scalar vector graphics
(SVG) format given as a input. The input is fed in to the input port of the micro controller. Stepper motors are used to
set the position of the pen to the origin and a servomechanism used to lift and the which displays the output on the
paper. So we can easily draw the critical images also with less time.

X. FUTURE SCOPE
1. Now we do serial communication so instead of this we can use wireless communication.
2. By using mobile phones we can send the image to our drawing robot.
3. Also we can develop mobile application through which we easily convert our input image into svg format,
which then commands plotter for processing.
4. We can paint building wall using some modifications, and also detect and fill the exterior wall cracks.

REFERENCES
[1]. “Microcontroller Based X-Y Plotter”, International Journal of Advanced Research in Electrical, Electronics
and Instrumentation Engineering Vol. 3, Special Issue 3, April 2014, Mrs. R. Dayana, Gunaseelan P.
[2]. “Application with a XY-plotter controlled by PLC used in student laboratory works”, May 2015, Mihai Rata
and Gabriela Rata.
[3]. “Design and Development ofXY Plotter Mechanical System Design PART 2”, DOI:
10.13140/RG.2.1.3255.8167January 2016, Wei Ming Ng and Rossi Hamzah.
[4]. “Microcontroller Based Plotter Machine”, Al-Nahrain Journal for Engineering Sciences (NJES) Vol.21 No.3,
0218 pp.350 – 355, 30-April-2017, Anas Lateef and Aman Ismail Nsayef.
[5]. “Design and Implementation of XY-Plotter”, International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
Research (IJSETR) Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2017, ISSN: 2278 -7798, Mya ThandarKyu, War WarHtun.
[6]. .“CNClaboratory based scale plotter”, Juraj Orvacetal. Slovak University of Technology.
[7]. “2D plotter for SCARA”, International Journal for engineering and innovative technology (IJEIT) volume
3,Dr. M Shivkumaretal.
[8]. “G-CODE for CNC”, International Journal for Engineering and Innovative Trends in Computing, T.J. Titus
etal.
[9]. “XY Plotter Drawing Robot Arduino Polargraph”, By MertArduino (/member/MertArduino/) in Circuits
(/circuits/) Arduino (/circuits/arduino/projects/)

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