Light Dance: 3D printing robots march to the world
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September 21 07:10:57, 2025
A little over a year ago, Sarah Petkus, a passionate maker and engineer, introduced her "Robot Army" through a delta robotic suite. With the help of Kickstarter, she successfully raised $25,000 to bring her vision to life. Not stopping there, Petkus and her partner Mark Koch continued their journey, developing an interactive mini Delta robot called the 3D printed Honeycomb version.
For more insights, check out: “Girl's Robotic Army Road: From Hangers to 3D Printing.â€
The latest project from Petkus and Koch is called Light Play—a refined version of their original Robot Army. This summer, they will showcase their light and dance robot army at the Maker Carnival in the California Bay Area on May 16th and 17th.
Petkus, the creative mind behind the project, describes herself as a “propagandist†for the cause. She handles the design and manufacturing of the outer casing, while Koch, an electronics engineer, manages all technical aspects, including circuit design and coding.
Last year, the duo made their debut with a formation of 30 Delta robots that could mimic human movements, creating a stunning visual effect. Petkus envisions the next version to include more robots and allow them to operate more independently.
In a recent blog post, Petkus shared her vision: “Imagine if every Delta robot is a leaf on the grass, and your movements are shaking their winds. Your bouncing and twisting would create a ‘robot wave’ of various complex patterns in the robot formation.â€
This year, the team is working hard to assemble 84 robots using 3D printed parts, surpassing last year’s count of 54. Their ultimate goal is to reach 1,000 units.
Alongside increasing the number of robots, they have also upgraded the design. The honeycomb-like structure has been redesigned for better durability and aesthetics. The modular system allows the robots to adapt to any exhibition space.
To connect the robots, they use the DMX optical control protocol. Koch has been working on a new graphical interface using Netbeans to simulate and visualize the robots' behavior. They're currently testing different sensors to improve the system's responsiveness. Last year, they used an Xbox Kinect, but the results weren't ideal. This year, they aim to give their “army†more control and enable it to react more dynamically to its environment.