The Printball is “an Ink-Jet printer using a PaintBall Gun as printhead. The gun is mounted on a pan & tilt unit which is connected to a Max/Msp based software through an Atmel chip [programmed in Basic]. The software allow the users to load and analyze images. The resolution of the image and the space between the point [definition the image] can be adjusted. Because the document is printed from a central point the number of steps by points send to the pan & tilt, which is moved by two stepper motors, one for each axe horizontal and vertical, determine the space between each point.”
Very cool mashup of two hardware devices – printer and paint ball gun – check out some of the “TEST PRINTS” on the above link. I definitely would not want to be caught in front of that.
Hi,
Thanks for the article but I’d like to clarify something. It is not the mashup of two hardware devices. Only the Gun is a commercial product (hacked to become an automatic gun controlled by Max/Msp). The Pan&Tilt as been created and built by myself. The reference to an Ink-Jet printer is more conceptual than literal, since it’s a “printer” that shoot balls it can be seen as an Ink-Jet printer.
But again thanks for the revue and maybe we’d see each other around in Dublin if you’re coming back (I recently moved to Dublin and I was disappointed to hear that you were gone!)
All the best,
bnjmnâ„¢ aka Recyclism