New to the FieldPrinter? This reference walks through every piece of the FieldPrinter 2 (FP2) system — the robot, the tracking equipment, the power, and the software — and explains what each part does and why it matters. Use it to get your bearings before your first setup, or to look up a component name you heard from your VDC team or saw on the iPad.
The system breaks down into four groups: the robot, the tracking system, power, and the software you control it with. Each part links to a full article where there's more to know.
The Robot: FieldPrinter 2 (FP2)
The FieldPrinter 2 is Dusty's layout printing robot. It drives across the slab and prints your layout directly on the floor from your digital file, using a laser tracker to stay in position. These are the parts on the robot itself:
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| Carry handles | How you lift and move the robot — between print areas, or in and out of its case. The FP2 weighs 23 lb (10.4 kg) with a battery installed, so it's a single-person carry. |
| Print heads (left + right) | The printing mechanisms on the robot. The FP2 has a left and a right print head, each 1" wide. |
| Wind guards | Fitted shrouds around the print area that shield the ink from wind so it lands where it's aimed. Wind can make ink drift, fade, or spray off the intended line — the wind guards come fitted on the robot, and in high wind you can add tape as extra mitigation. |
| Ink cartridges | The replaceable ink supply — one inkjet cartridge per print head. The FP2 uses water-based or solvent-based ink depending on temperature, surface, and how permanent the marks need to be, and detects the ink type automatically. Cartridge yield depends on line thickness and job conditions. |
| Reflector mount | The part on the robot that the reflector seats into. The reflector must sit fully and flush in the mount for accurate tracking — a tilted or partially seated reflector shifts position readings and hurts stationing accuracy. |
| Battery bay | Holds the Milwaukee M18 battery that powers the robot (see Power below). |
| Obstacle detection (sensors) | A sensor system that stops the robot for obstacles in its path. |
| Cliff detection | A safety behavior that guards against driving off a slab edge or into a stair opening or other drop-off. |
The Software You Control It With
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| iPad Pro | The tablet used to run the Dusty App. |
| Dusty App | The iPad app the operator uses in the field to station the tracker, manage control points, select what to print, and run the robot. |
| Dusty Portal | The web-based hub where your team manages projects, files, and user access, and where layout and control files are prepared and published for the field. |