My latest project arrives -- the parts to build a robot arm - 452 views
My latest project arrives -- the parts to build a robot arm 		dsc00503.jpg - 390 views
 		There's a lot of work to be done - 516 views
There's a lot of work to be done 		Starting with the rotating base - 365 views
Starting with the rotating base
Installing the bearings (just steel rods through nylon balls) - 343 views
Installing the bearings (just steel rods through nylon balls) 		Smoothing out the bearings with sandpaper - 361 views
Smoothing out the bearings with sandpaper 		Open up the main arm parts bag because we need the mounting bracket - 341 views
Open up the main arm parts bag because we need the mounting bracket 		Bracket installed on baseplate - 387 views
Bracket installed on baseplate
Lacking 3-in-1 oil, I figured my robots can use the same oil as my motorcycle - 616 views
Lacking 3-in-1 oil, I figured my robots can use the same oil as my motorcycle (1c) 		Servo installed in base - 407 views
Servo installed in base 		Baseplate installed - 359 views
Baseplate installed 		Removing protective covering from lexan. Clearly these parts were cut with a laser - 361 views
Removing protective covering from lexan. Clearly these parts were cut with a laser
Power jack and switch installed - 348 views
Power jack and switch installed 		Next we move on to the gripper - 396 views
Next we move on to the gripper 		More protective plastic removal - 367 views
More protective plastic removal 		Before - 352 views
Before
After - 373 views
After 		dsc00529.jpg - 350 views
 		More assembly - 419 views
More assembly 		Wrist rotate servo mounted - 369 views
Wrist rotate servo mounted
Lots of small lexan parts to prepare - 377 views
Lots of small lexan parts to prepare 		More assembly - 376 views
More assembly 		dsc00535.jpg - 386 views
 		dsc00538.jpg - 382 views
Gripper servo mounted - 357 views
Gripper servo mounted 		Assembling gripper mechanism - 388 views
Assembling gripper mechanism 		dsc00543.jpg - 404 views
 		Gripper mechanism complete - 504 views
Gripper mechanism complete
Assembling the main arm components -- more servos - 389 views
Assembling the main arm components -- more servos 		Assembling the forearm -- even more servos - 389 views
Assembling the forearm -- even more servos 		Clever adhesive clips turn servos into hinges - 431 views
Clever adhesive clips turn servos into hinges 		Forearm assembled - 398 views
Forearm assembled
Forearm installed - 408 views
Forearm installed 		Gripper installed. Arm complete! - 569 views
Gripper installed. Arm complete! 		Electronics mounted on custom adapter plate. Arduino Diecimila for primary control, and Pololu Micro Serial Servo Controller to handle the drudgery of communicating with all those servos - 444 views
Electronics mounted on custom adapter plate. Arduino Diecimila for primary control, and Pololu Micro Serial Servo Controller to handle the drudgery of communicating with all those servos 		Seven servos consume a surprising amount of power. I had really flaky performance with the 4xAA battery pack, but this 2.5A AC adapter took care of that problem - 525 views
Seven servos consume a surprising amount of power. I had really flaky performance with the 4xAA battery pack, but this 2.5A AC adapter took care of that problem
The 'remote control' I built -- originally meant to be a quick hack, I ended up spending two days making it way nicer than it needed to be - 412 views
The 'remote control' I built -- originally meant to be a quick hack, I ended up spending two days making it way nicer than it needed to be 		The LED both indicates that power is on but can also be flashed to communicate things back to you - 1077 views
The LED both indicates that power is on but can also be flashed to communicate things back to you (1c) 		Look at that, a fancy grommet and rubber feet and everything - 458 views
Look at that, a fancy grommet and rubber feet and everything 		The controller connects to the Arduino's six analogue inputs, along with power, ground, and an I/O pin for the LED - 427 views
The controller connects to the Arduino's six analogue inputs, along with power, ground, and an I/O pin for the LED
This is the wrist rotate servo. It's hard to see, but the second gear from the right is missing half its teeth, the result of a rounding error in my code. Guess it's time for an upgrade to metal gears... - 674 views
This is the wrist rotate servo. It's hard to see, but the second gear from the right is missing half its teeth, the result of a rounding error in my code. Guess it's time for an upgrade to metal gears... 		As long as I'm upgrading nylon gears to metal, I figure the gripper servo could use an upgrade too - 619 views
As long as I'm upgrading nylon gears to metal, I figure the gripper servo could use an upgrade too 		These should give it a stronger grip without breaking gears or skipping teeth - 727 views
These should give it a stronger grip without breaking gears or skipping teeth 		That looks better - 875 views
That looks better
White teflon grease added, ready to close it up - 812 views
White teflon grease added, ready to close it up