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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    309

    My Robotic arm Build

    I decided about a week ago I wanted to play with a robotic arm roughly human sized.

    I saw the show how things are made and they went thru the build of a very similar design by Lab-Volt so I decided to build my own.

    Here are a few pics at the 4 day point, the upper and lower section of the arm are done, I am machining all the timing belt cogs my self. Other than motors , belts and fastners everything is being made in house. It will be a 6 axis arm , all joints and points that move are fully ball bearing supported.

    I have quite a bit more done than in these pics which were taken a few days ago, In preliminary testing this arm is easily picking up a 65 lb wieght.
    I will post a few more pic monday when I get back in the shop.
    Any thoughts on software to program would be greatly appreciated

    http://www.thompsonmachine.net/img/robarm/arm1.jpg

    http://www.thompsonmachine.net/img/robarm/arm2.jpg

    http://www.thompsonmachine.net/img/robarm/arm3.jpg

    http://www.thompsonmachine.net/img/robarm/arm4.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    309
    how do I get these pics to display in my post?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    3634
    Like this?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails arm1.jpg  
    Free DXF - vectorink.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    48
    That looks like some great work you are doing. Looking forward to more info and pictures. What are you using for motors, gear reduction also 6axis? What software are you using to control this? Does it have feedback? (closed loop)

    Great job
    Dan

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    28

    I'm looking forward to following your build. Very nice looking so far. I've got an old eshed scorbot which is similar in design but I've wanted to build my own design. Does anyone know how the mechanicals work in the commercial robot's such as ABB? I’m guessing they don’t use belt drive….

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    48
    panaceabea,
    Please don't leave us hanging!!!!!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    475
    Awesome!!!!
    Keep up the good work!!!!!


    Chich

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Posts
    453
    Quote Originally Posted by panaceabea View Post
    how do I get these pics to display in my post?
    Here's a quick guide to adding images to your posts. Awsome project you've started there, I'd love to be able to make something like that one day.

    Have a look at RobotAssist from New River Kinematics http://www.kinematics.com/products/e...ist/index.html

    Here's another I found, it may or may not suit your application http://www.advancedmicrorobotics.com/pages/3/index.htm

    There are others out there which I've lost track of when a virus killed my pc.

    Hope this helps
    Splint
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Add pics.gif  

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Posts
    453

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    309
    thanks for posting all the links, I will sit down tonight and look thru them. I should be back on the robot project in a few days , I just need to work on customers orderes the rest of the week and will jump back on it .

    I dont know what software will be needed to operate the arm . I am using DC servo motors to rotate the base, and move shoulder, elbow ,and wrist joints . I will probably use steppers because of size to rotate the wrist and operate the grippers

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    475
    Hello Panaceabea,
    How is your progress on the robot? Such an interesting project. Have you had time to continue with it?

    Chich

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    46
    very nice!
    pls keep us informed! I'm planning too to start with it.

    toni

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    151
    65lbs!! wow... impressive. There will be a market for it if it can do it. Most LE robots like the Remotec is only capable of 25 to 30lbs with arms fully extended.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    48

    What happened?

    What ever happened with this project, it isn't fair to tease us with
    great photos then leave us hanging??:rainfro:

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    7
    HI Panaceabea, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO POST IT SO ANY ONE CAN BUILD SOME SIMILAR ROBOT ARM? IT WOULD BE GREAT

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    418
    Quote Originally Posted by xitian View Post
    I'm looking forward to following your build. Very nice looking so far. I've got an old eshed scorbot which is similar in design but I've wanted to build my own design. Does anyone know how the mechanicals work in the commercial robot's such as ABB? I’m guessing they don’t use belt drive….
    Alot of commercial robot arms you'll see have the drive motor for each section at or near the joint for it, and typically there will be a planetary gear mechanism to achieve proper torque ratings for the load target. I've seen a couple of arms lately that have the motors incorporated into the arm body sections with a ring/pinion style right angle interchange into a planetary at each elbow. More components but more compact.

    The rating issue of 65 lbs. is probably a dead lift test, not a full range manipulation at full rapid rate travel - which is the rating a commercial outfit will publish in their documents. Anyone making a product for sale will rate a mechanism witha a safety factor of atleast 150% capability to published maximums, all while being certified to a rate of motion.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Posts
    1

    Re: My Robotic arm Build


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