using an etch-a-sketch is hard, hooking it up to a mouse might seem harder, but in the end, likely more appropriate and accurate. here comes the electr-o-sketch–hack a mouse to control and draw on the classic and ever present etch-a-sketch.
16 thoughts on “Hack An Etch-a-sketch”
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very cool hack…maybe ill have to raid the old toy =P
would be very cool to see a version of this for use with a wacom
That’s awesome. What an interesting twist on an old toy! Hmmmm… kind of wants to make me create a computer controlled etch-a-sketch. Or something that’ll control _and_ record _and_ playback. ;)
I think it would be very cool if this servo motor wireless would be added in this etch-a-sketch hiding inside the knob… and have the hardware that’s mouse input&output and com1 input&output for computer… so, the computer can programming to automatically draw real fast like a movie or just art for show… I think this is total awesome… I got to make this kind of idea! If there’s someone who thought of it and made it.. please post here.. thanks
keep on a good hack and techology!
deaf
What a great hack! That and they provided all the good info needed.
Obviously, the next step to this hack would be to put a computer in between the mouse and the etch-a-sketch so as to have the ability (as stated by Josh Mccromic above) to record and playback mouse motions as well. Then you’ld want to write program to turn and simple b/w image into a pattern of mouse movements the the etch-a-sketch could replicate.
Aslo, does anyone remember when etch-a-sketch tried to make those 3D or spherical etch-a-sketches? The one biggest imrovment to the original etch-a-sketch at that point was that the spherical sketches had a switch to engage/disengage the line. If one of those was used instead of an original etch-a-sketch, more complicated pictures could be drawn involving multiple objects without having lines connecting them.
I think I might have to go out and buy me an etch-a-sketch if they still sell them. Or find one on ebay.
I found one of the stepper motors in my parts
inventory ( junk pile under bench) but I can’t
rember were I got it from. I think its from an
old 5.25 drive . anyone else find any ?
Good stepper motors can be had from dead laser printers. arround here (dallas area) they can be aquired for cheap (~15) in lot auctions, etc.
could you replace the mouse with a wacom tablet?
Attaching this to a tablet would be very, very hard, because the tablet does not work like a mouse.
Mice work by sending data up1-up1-right1-up1-right1-up1-right1-right1- and so on, but a tablet sends “absolute” data (100,100)(103,100)(104,125){picks up pen, stops sending data}(500,800)(504,821) and so on. See how it can jump around. It’s not to say it’s imposable, just requires a lot more and more complex circuitry.
I thought u would like this. So check it out.
Then go to (http://hackaday.com).
from
gracie
dont be f***ing up the etch-a sketch.
I have been working on somthing similar to this. It does not use an etch a sketch but a pen (or something else like charcoal, pastel, paint) to draw on paper. It is hooked up to a computer and uses input from a program called the scribbler. pics and other info can be found at http://www.tek-tonic.com/scribpage.html
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