A ROBOTIC TATTOO artist

Here’s something we believed we’d never see: a robot that turns a computer drawing into a tattoo on the user’s arm.

The fundamental style of the robot is a frame that moves linearly along two axes, as well as rotates around a third. The tattoo style is imported into a 3D modeling program, as well as with the assist of a few motors as well as microcontrollers a tattoo can be robotically inked on an arm.

Since the arm isn’t a routine surface, [Luke] needed a method to calibrate his forearm-drawing robot to the odd curves as well as bends of his ar.  The option to this problem is a basic calibration process where the system scans along the length of [Luke]’s arm, while the ‘depth’ servo is manually adjusted. This data is imported into Rhino 3D as well as the robot takes the curve of the arm into account when inking the new tat.

Right now [Luke] is only inking his skin with a marker, however as far as automated tattoo machines go, it’s the very best – as well as only – one we’ve ever seen.