Skip to main content

MIT scientists design a drone that draws on your command

A Flying Pantograph
Art and technology are considered to be two very opposite disciplines that attract different types of people. When the pair come together, though, the results can be stunning. Just check out this drone, created by the Fluid Interface Group at MIT, that can draw on command.

MIT calls its invention the flying pantograph, an apt description when you consider how the system works. The pantograph was created in 1603 by Christopher Scheiner, who used the device to make a copy of drawings. The instrument has a pointer at one end that is used to trace over an existing drawing, while the other end has a pen that makes a copy.

Recommended Videos

The drone version works in a similar way, using a person with a pen on one end that is connected to a pen-equipped drone on the other. In the flying pantograph, an individual holding the pen can draw on a table or other surface while the drone mimics the movements on an output canvas. The drone is programmed with motion dynamics and artificial intelligence, allowing it to add its own flair and become an “expression agent” for the remote artist.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The flying pantograph is the epitome of the link between mind and machine, technology and artistic expression. “The drone, a floating machine, is relying on a slim chance of stabilization acquired by battling the vortex of air, the pressure, and friction on the canvas surface, and the capricious mind of the human artist,” write the MIT team.

The first version of the drone, Panto 1, was less powerful, communicating directly with the computers that controlled its flight. Version 2 added a more robust processing system to the drone body that allows it to communicate more efficiently with the artist. This improved real-time, two-way communication makes its possible for the user to see what the drone is doing and respond accordingly. In this mode, the artist can move the pen slowly to add long, precise strokes, or purposefully move the pen faster than the drone can respond, creating a canvas of unfinished strokes that adds an organic touch to the final composition.

Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…
Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets world record for greatest altitude change
hyundai ioniq 5 world record altitude change mk02 detail kv

When the Guinness World Records (GWR) book was launched in 1955, the idea was to compile facts and figures that could finally settle often endless arguments in the U.K.’s many pubs.

It quickly evolved into a yearly compilation of world records, big and small, including last year's largest grilled cheese sandwich in the world.

Read more
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more