Robot artist draws giant sketch on the beach

All in the name of art! It was sure cool watching this 'robot' artist draw some giant art sketches on a beach and he'll draw yours too! By using your phone or tablet, you can send a drawing to this little robot and watch it trace the lines in the sand by dragging a rake behind it. The robot on wheels was developed by Paul Beardsley from Disney Research Zurich and his colleagues at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology...

It computes a path across the sand that approximates the artwork and sets off. A rake attached to its rear etches the pattern in the sand. Each drawing takes about 10 minutes, and the idea is that the robot could be controlled remotely, turning the beach into a digitally controlled sketchbook.

Since the robot moves on three wheels, it is better at creating smooth curves rather than sharp corners. To carve a right angle in the sand, it draws a line then lifts the rake, before using a laser scanner and an inertial sensor to reposition itself so it can trace the intersecting line. - newscientist

New Scientist