The Eggbot is an open-source art robot that can draw on spherical or
egg-shaped objects from the size of a ping pong ball to that of a small
grapefruit-- roughly 1.25 to 4.25 inches in diameter (3 - 10 cm). The
kit is based on the original design by Bruce Shapiro,
dating back to 1990. Our version, the "Egg-Bot 2.0," is a modern and
friendly update, designed with the assistance of Bruce and his team.
The deluxe model includes a precision egg coupler, 5/64" ball driver, a hex drive holster, and brass thumbscrews.
The Eggbot is super adjustable, and is designed to draw on all kinds of
things that are normally "impossible" to print on. Not just eggs but
ping pong balls, light bulbs, mini pumpkins, and even things like wine
glasses-- with a bit of work. In the photos, you can see just a few of
the things that you can make with an Eggbot: Incredible personalized
golf balls, christmas ornaments, light bulbs, and (yes) eggs.
The Eggbot chassis is made of tough fiberglass, with integrated heat
sinks for the included motors. The pen and egg motors are high-torque
precision stepping motors, and the pen lift mechanism is a quiet and
reliable servo motor.
The Eggbot kit is easy to assemble in a couple of hours, and only
requires a couple of basic tools like miniature Phillips-head and
flathead screwdrivers. You'll also need a reasonably modern computer
with an available USB port (Mac, Windows or Linux), plus internet access
to download assembly instructions and necessary software.
The Eggbot kit comes complete with a fully assembled and tested EiBotBoard v2.0 (EBB) USB interface/motor driver board. No soldering or programming are required.
The EBB allows your computer to directly control the stepper and servo
motors. The onboard 16X microstepping driver chips along with the 200
step/revolution stepper motors give a combined resolution of 3200
steps/revolution in both axes. A universal-input plug-in power supply
(9 V 1.5 A) is included with the Eggbot kit, as is a USB cable.
