An affordable and opensource 4 DoF desktop robot arm powered by Arduino
Manual commands can be sent directly to the Arduino using the serial tool.
It is possible (and probably easy) to send the commands using serial tools other than the Arduino IDE, but I haven’t gotten to it.
Axis Name | Identifier | Usage (Identifier + Angle) |
---|---|---|
Base | A |
A180 |
First arm segment | B |
B90 |
Second arm segment | C |
C90 |
Claw open/close | D |
D85 (open) / D150 (closed)* |
Claw joint | E |
E90 |
*It is important not to go outside the range provided for the claw, otherwise, it will break the servo.
The following routines come built-in with the arm’s firmware.
Routine Name | Identifier | Usage | |
---|---|---|---|
Vertical | 1 |
1 | |
90° Rotation Grab | 2 |
2 |
Part | Count |
---|---|
TB6612 Stepper control board | 1 |
DC barrel jack | 1 |
Servo extension cable | 3 |
Power Switch | 1 |
Part | Torque | Count |
---|---|---|
MG996R Servos | 12kg/cm | 1 |
SG90 Servos | 1kg/cm | 1 |
Nema 17 Stepper Motor | 13Ncm | 1 |
Part | Size | Count |
---|---|---|
Rigid Flange Shaft Coupling | 5 mm | 1 |
M4 Screw Kit | 4 mm | 1 |
M3 Screw Kit | 3 mm | 1 |
M1 Screw Kit | 1 mm | 1 |
Servo Horns for MG996R | 3 mm | 1 |
File Name | Infill | Supports | Count |
---|---|---|---|
BaseSwivel | 75% | ❌ | 1 |
Base | 20% | ❌ | 1 |
SmallServoBigHornArmSegment | 20% | ❌ | 1 |
BigServoArmSegment | 20% | ❌ | 1 |
ClawJoint | 20% | ❌ | 1 |
Electronics Enclosure Top | 40% | ❌ | 1 |
Electronics Enclosure Shell | 20% | ❌ | 1 |
Note: “Count” refers to the number of times the linked product should be purchased. A more specific count for items such as screws and servos will be available with the build guide. The linked items generally come in a larger quanitity than needed.
The URLs provided link to the actual parts and sites that I purchased and used for this project. These parts can be substituted. This list is being updated as updates are made. I do not make any commission from these links
Add tutorial on how to upload code to Arduino
Create step-by-step assembly guide
Update BOM
Upload photos of newest iteration of robot arm
Q: Why are their such complicated notes for the parts list?
A: I have found that parts lists for open-source electronics projects tend to be confusing with what parts to order.
Q: I’m having a hard time building this for myself. Can I reach out for help?
A: For sure! Send me an email and I’ll be happy to guide you through building and operating your new robot arm.
Q: Where is the part list for the arm design that uses only micro servos?
A: The part list for the initial design that only used micro servos will be available once I finish the build guide for that specific version.
Author: [William Heald | @greendino2000](https://www.github.com/greendino2000) |
If you have any feedback or questions, please reach out to me at greendino30ba@gmail.com