Redrawing the Etch A Sketch in a Contemporary Manner
Hailing Back to the Future: The Tilt-A-Sketch Revives an Old Classic
The Etch A Sketch, a beloved children's toy, has been around since the '60s. It's a simple picture frame with a stylus that scratching an aluminum powder to create artwork, and an innovative 'shake' feature to erase it. However, in our tech-driven world, this offline toy seems almost outdated, so enter the Tilt-A-Sketch — a modernized take on the beloved classic.
This modern marvel ditches the aluminum powder in favor of an LED matrix, nixes the stylus, and replaces those knobs with an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU detects how the toy is tilted, and a microcontroller uses that data to light up a string of LEDs based on the direction of the tilt. There are also buttons on the side that allow users to change the colors of the LEDs, and, just like the original, shaking the device resets the display.
[devitoal], an artist, built the Tilt-A-Sketch as part of an interactive art installation, allowing visitors to create their own art. Housed in a sleek, laser-cut wooden case, the Tilt-A-Sketch emulates the vintage toy's design faithfully. But how does it stack up against other modernized versions of the Etch A Sketch?
Creative types have experimented with Etch A Sketch-inspired projects, from modifying original toys with robotic components to produce artwork, to electronic recreations that use LED displays like the Tilt-A-Sketch[2]. However, unlike these experimental models, no major companies have commercially produced a modern version of the Etch A Sketch that uses an LED display, sticking instead to the traditional aluminum powder-based design.
But if you're hankering for a digital alternative to the Etch A Sketch, there are plenty of digital drawing tablets and apps that offer similar creative experiences, albeit with LED or LCD screens. These digital tools boast a range of drawing tools and features, though they may not replicate the tactile experience of manipulating aluminum powder.
References:
[1] https://www.etch-a-sketch.com/en/home
[2] https://www.hackster.io/search?q=etch+a+sketch
[3] https://www.etchskectch.site/en/history/
Robotics and artificial-intelligence have been integrated into modernized versions of the Etch A Sketch, such as the Tilt-A-Sketch, which uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to detect tilting and a microcontroller to display the artwork on LEDs. Gadgets like these showcase the fusion of technology and art, bridging the gap between classic toys and the latest innovations.
