Polargraph

The idea

During my internship, I proposed the idea of making a vertical plotter or polargraph. It is a machine that draws from photos or vector files and that can be hung on a vertical surface such as a window or a wall. A software program creates drawing styles from a photo so that the polargraph can draw. I was able to obtain a budget to buy the necessary material for its design.

The design

It's a machine that already exists and is open-source. So I got the design plans and created a version for the FabLab. I made the model in Fusion360. I adapted the size so that the polargraph could fit in the space of a window.

The realization

I CNC machined the structure of the Polargraph and printed the remaining parts on a 3D printer.

I was able to assemble the electronics and the motorization to be able to verify that everything works properly.

Testing

Thanks to the software, I was able to make my first drawings from a photo of the arena. I could test different types of drawings and at the same time see how the machine behaves.

The changes

During the testing phase, I noticed that the gondola had a tendency to move a lot and thus reflect the oscillation on the design. I then did some simulations in Fusion 360 to see where the center of mass of the gondola was located. I then modified the placement of the counterweights to move the center of mass to the tip of the felt.

With this modification, I could see the difference on the drawings and see that the ripples were lessened.