What is GREMLIN?

Generative Rendering Expo-Marker Layering Intelligent Navigator (G.R.E.M.L.I.N.) is an unanchored gantry system that etches multi-color, user-inputted images onto vertical whiteboards by traversing the marker rail. Our mechanism processes the user-inputted image in four main steps. First, the image is rescaled, converted into grayscale, translated into a black and white image, and then vectorized. Given this vector and the image height, a script is then used to print the image onto the whiteboard in a series of carefully placed dots. It can traverse a basic whiteboard moving in the vertical and horizontal axes.

Project Goal

Our main objectives for GREMLIN can be broken up into four goals that span over all mechanical, electrical, software systems, as well as our integrated system.

1. Mechanical - Construct a Final Mechanism with Strong, Easily Manufacturable Parts and Assemblies
2. Electrical - Design a Simple, Compact Electrical System That Allows for Movement in All Three Axes (X, Y, and Z)
3. Software - Convert Any User-Inputted Image into a Pixelized, Black and White Image to be Etched onto a Vertical Whiteboard, Using Multiple Colors
4. Integration- Produce a Polished Mechanism with Little to No Setup--Simply Upload an Image into our Software, Place Chassis onto Whiteboard Rail, and Run!


GREMLIN in Action

Enjoy this timelapse of our fully integrated system creating art!

Our Final System

A brief overview of each system in the culmination of our six week design sprint.

Mechanical
Electrical
Software
Our mechanical system is made up of entirely 3D printed and lasercut pieces; it includes a x-axis operating chassis, a y-axis gantry, and a marker actuator. Our electrical system is composed of an 11V battery, two stepper motors, a servo motor, two limit switches, two motor drivers, a CNC shield, and an Arduino Uno. Our software structure consists of image scaling and binarization to convert a user-inputted image into a vector to be printed on a vertical whiteboard.

Fun Facts

  • Assembly Time

    100+ Hours of 3D Printing

  • Olin Mindset

    30+ Iterations over the course of 6 weeks

  • Control Level

    Milimeter Level Precision

  • Dimensionability

    600mm of vertical travel and theoretically infinite horizontal travel.

  • Battery Life

    ~4 hours of wireless operation, unlimited drawtime when connected to wall outlet.

  • Dotting Speed

    5 dots/second

  • Number of Unforseen Stress Tests

    1

Meet the Team

Aaron Blust

Katie Fleming

Cara Mulrooney

Rohith Tatineni

Trevor Zou
Mechanical Team
Electrical Team
Electrical Team
Mechanical Team
Software Team
I am a sophomore planning on majoring in Mechanical Engineering. During this project I worked on the mechanical subteam designing the systems in our robot. When not working on PIE I enjoy cooking, skiing, and being outside.
I'm a sophomore majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering. This project was an opportunity to focus on speccing parts and familiarizing myself with microcontrollers and motors, as well as website and presentation design. In my spare time, I like to play basketball, ski, and cook.
I'm currently a sophomore studying electrical and computer engineering. For this project, I mainly focused on soldering wires and integrating components into our final electrical schematic. Besides my STEM-related interests, I love to knit, sew, and spend time with family.
I'm currently a second year studying Mechanical Engineering. For this project, I focused on overall mechanical design, fabrication and assembly. Outside of class, I am interested in Formula 1, rock-climbing, and hiking.
I am a sophomore studying Engineering with a concentration in computing. For this project, I mainly worked on software and wrote scripts for image processing and plotting. Outside of school, I enjoy climbing and listening to music.