Robohub.org
 

Draw precise freehand circles and copy paste drawings with the dePENd table


by
29 November 2012



share this:
12-0215-r

This table helps you to draw precise freehand circles and lines. It is under development by a group in the Yasuaki Kakehi Lab at Keio University.

By using a computer to control the XY position of a magnet under the surface of the table, it implements, on paper, drawing methods utilized in computer graphics.

“I’ll place an ordinary ballpoint pen on the table. Now, I can semi-automatically draw a precise circle, or a straight line, or an illustration prepared in advance. In other words, while I draw with the pen, this system lets me switch to accurate rendering like in computer graphics, such as drawing a precise circle, by assisting me with the pen.”

When drawing, you can use a regular ballpoint pen with a metal tip, or a digital pen. If you use a ballpoint pen, the position where you start drawing has to correspond with the origin on the XY grid, but if you use a digital pen, the system recognizes its location and you can start drawing from any position.

“The digital pen understands the coordinates of the pen position. So, you can start from where you want, and also save and copy the picture you’ve drawn. This means you can copy and paste your original drawing repeatedly.”

“Apart from drawing figures that require precision, we think this system will have various applications. For example, in distance education, students could learn to draw by feeling the sensation of how a teacher draws.”

“Rather than limiting ourselves to pens, we’d like to extend this project to other items used with paper, such as scissors and compasses. We hope to bring in digital technology to assist users with those, too.”



tags:


DigInfo TV is a Tokyo-based online video news platform dedicated to producing original coverage of cutting edge technology, research and products from Japan.
DigInfo TV is a Tokyo-based online video news platform dedicated to producing original coverage of cutting edge technology, research and products from Japan.


Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack



Related posts :

Resource-constrained image generation and visual understanding: an interview with Aniket Roy

  07 Apr 2026
Aniket tells us about his research exploring how modern generative models can be adapted to operate efficiently while maintaining strong performance.

Back to school: robots learn from factory workers

  02 Apr 2026
A Czech startup is making factory automation easier by letting workers teach robots new tasks through simple demonstrations instead of complex coding.

Resource-sharing boosts robotic resilience

  31 Mar 2026
When a modular robot shares power, sensing, and communication resources among its individual units, it is significantly more resistant to failure than traditional robotic systems.

Robot Talk Episode 150 – House building robots, with Vikas Enti

  27 Mar 2026
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Vikas Enti from Reframe Systems about using robotics and automation to build climate-resilient, high-performance homes.

A history of RoboCup with Manuela Veloso

and   24 Mar 2026
Find out how RoboCup got started and how the competition has evolved, from one of the co-founders.

Robot Talk Episode 149 – Robot safety and security, with Krystal Mattich

  20 Mar 2026
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Krystal Mattich from Brain Corp about trustworthy autonomous robots in public spaces.

A multi-armed robot for assisting with agricultural tasks

  18 Mar 2026
How can a robot safely manipulate branches to reveal hidden flowers while remaining aware of interaction forces and minimizing damage?

Graphene-based sensor to improve robot touch

  16 Mar 2026
Multiscale-structured miniaturized 3D force sensors for improved robot touch.



Robohub is supported by:


Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack




 















©2026.02 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence