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.

            AUAI is supported by:



Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack



Related posts :

AI agents create virtual playgrounds to help robots get crucial training data

  07 Aug 2026
“SceneSmith” system uses collaborative AI agents to create realistic 3D environments of places like kitchens, hotels, and living rooms, where robots can simulate everyday chores.

Robots in society, business and culture: July 2026

A round up of robotics stories in a new monthly series from IEEE RAS.

Simulated zebrafish and a vision-equipped robotic fish reveal how the body shapes brain circuits

Researchers look to the fish brain to create a robotic zebrafish that can autonomously swim upstream.

Researchers develop modular nanorobot

  31 Jul 2026
A team at the University of Basel has developed a versatile nanorobot with propulsion and payload modules.

Surviving the paper deluge: a one-year study in learning from demonstration

With the explosion of robotics research, staying current in fields like Learning from Demonstration is a monumental challenge.

Soft robotic heart offers new way to study disease and test life-saving devices

Researchers have developed a soft robotic model of the human heart that can mimic disease and provide a realistic environment for testing the next generation of cardiac devices.

A mini robot to simplify dental treatment

  24 Jul 2026
Researchers have developed a miniature dental robot that could one day automatically prepare teeth for crowns.

Pressure-free growing robots for soft medical robotics

A Q&A with the best paper award winner at RoboSoft.



AUAI is supported by:







Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack




 















©2026.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence