Get to Know a Kansan: Andy Wise

Andy Wise found himself unmotivated by the conference rooms at his office filled with blank walls. He longed to see whiteboards at his workplace covered in art. A trip to his local library gave him an idea to create a robot that could be attached to the white board and draw whatever picture it was asked to draw.

And, so Andy created what he calls a drawing robot.

He is an example of someone participating in the Maker Movement – a DIY movement that started to gain momentum in 2005. Technology is often a component of this movement but it doesn’t have to be. We discuss Maker Spaces, locations designed for people to come together and work on projects. There are many of these found across Kansas: Andy refers to the Johnson County Library Makerspace in Overland Park. (Other examples are MakeICT in Wichita, and 712 Innovations in Topeka, and Fort Hays State Makerspace in the Forsyth Library.)
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Listeners with certain Kansas interests, will note my conversation with Andy Wise includes the following:
Topeka, KS
Linn, KS
Barnes, KS
Lawrence, KS
Liberty Hall, Lawrence Kansas
Manhattan, KS
Kansas State Fair
John Steuart Curry
 
If you want to see the drawing robot in action, check out these links:

• https://www.instagram.com/p/BRB8HqPF3CF/ (first successful drawing!)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BRT8Og7lVcX/ (creation of man)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BRspk_8FrfY/ (skull)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BWNyZ3rlFX2/ (collaborative doodles)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BX3VJdgFyMj/ (Thom Yorke portrait)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BYOJQlhlj9S/ (Chuck Close)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BcGNHc3Fd7B/ (Santa Claus)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BhKiaOYFeoF/ (single-line "hello")
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMLmaIl0rl/ (mario 3D mesh)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BjnXxlmnxvr/ (two-color Big Lebowski)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn2XSd5H-4x/ (spiral American Gothic)
• https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHNBSLHBTJ/ (yoshi dots)

If you want to make your own:

• paradowski.com/play/drawing-robot
• instructables.com/id/Drawbot (instructions to create drawbot)
• github.com/andywise/drawbot (open-source code/software/etc.)

To learn more about Andy:

• andywise.com
• paradowski.com/people/andy-wise