IBM’s Selectric vary of typewriters had been legitimately helpful machines once they had been new within the Sixties, however as we speak they’re principally recognized for his or her bizarre typing component — the bit with all of the embossed characters that resembles a golf ball. Pointless Automation used that “golf ball” to construct this loopy machine that robotically produces ASCII art-style prints.
This machine doesn’t hold a lot of the unique IBM Selectric. It actually solely retains that golf ball typing component and the ink ribbon. Every thing else is custom-designed and fabricated for this venture.
The most important problem was actuating the golf ball, which required orienting the specified character ahead and hammering your entire factor in opposition to the paper to switch ink. The mechanism to realize that has three levels of freedom: one to rotate the ball, one to tilt the ball, and one to swing the ball on the paper.
Along with the motors wanted for the ball motion, there are motors to feed the paper, to maneuver the paper carriage, and to feed the ink ribbon.
Pointless Automation doesn’t present element on the management {hardware}, however we will see within the video that the software program says “Scanning for Arduino.” It isn’t clear if there may be an precise Arduino board, or only a microcontroller programmed with the Arduino IDE.
Both means, Pointless Automation began by making a easy CLI that may reproduce any entered textual content on the machine, nearly like a paper terminal with echo turned on. He then expanded that with algorithms that use Fourier Rework processes to show photographs into one thing like ASCII artwork. Besides there may be one massive distinction: the machine can overlap characters as a lot because it desires.
The result’s surprisingly high-fidelity monochrome printing mixed with satisfying Selectric clacking.
