Initial Project Proposal
Year: 2017 Semester: Spring
Helping hand
Creation Date: October 23, 2016
Project Name: Robotic Arm O.N.E. (RA - 1) / The
Team Members (#1 is Team Leader):
Member 1: Shubham Rastogi
Member 2: Sneh Patel
Member 3: Namrata Madan
Member 4: Apoorv Wairagade
Last Modified: November 1, 2016
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
1.0 Description of Problem:
There is a myriad of tasks that may not be suitable for humans, whether it may be that the task is
too dangerous to perform or requires a high amount of precision that we as humans do not have.
In such scenarios a solution is to use a robotic arm. They are an effective solution because they
can be highly versatile and specifically designed to perform a specific task. Though such
numerous advantages exist, they are also very expensive to design and manufacture. They also
might be programmed to perform a single task and therefore cannot be used to perform different
tasks, making them less cost effective.
2.0 Proposed Solution:
The proposed solution to the above problem is a cost effective and programmable robotic arm. It
will be a 4-axis arm which will be completely programmable. It will also be able to perform a
task completely autonomously. We shall also make it to be remote controlled as well. This will
allow the user to decide if manual control is required and allows for maximum flexibility. The
way the arm will be programmed by the user will also be very intuitive, as it will be physically
moved by the user and will record those set of movements, which it can then perform at a push
of a button or even a voice command. We also plan on it being compatible with a wireless input,
so that a computer can also run a program and control it wirelessly and autonomously.
We will demonstrate the versatility of the robot by making a Black Jack dealer. It will
autonomously distribute cards and chips to the players. It will also respond to voice commands
by an appropriate action.
3.0 ECE477 Course Requirements Satisfaction
3.1 Expected Microcontroller Responsibilities
The microcontroller’s job is to drive the servo motors on the arm to move it. It is also responsible
for wirelessly interfacing between the robot and the remote controller or any wireless interface
that can communicate with the arm, to control its motion. It will use an RF receiver to receive
signals to move the arm, either autonomously or by remote control. The on-board
microcontroller will also store a programmed task that the arm can perform when it is
programmed in. A microcontroller will be used in the remote control to control the arm and will
have an RF transmitter to transmit the movements of the arm will make. The remote will use the
ADC pins to take movement inputs and will have a pushbutton to transmit a signal to pick up an
object. We will also interface an LCD screen for displaying suitable output, which will be driven
via the microcontroller.
3.2 Expected Printed Circuit Responsibilities
The Printed Circuit Boards will be used to interface all the components on the arm and the R/C
Remote. The PCB on the arm will have a power bus, ports to attach a LCD screen and place for
an RF antenna. We would also need motor controllers to drive the stepper motors in the arm. The
remote control PCB will also need power and display interfaces.
4.0 Market Analysis:
Since our robotic arm is programmable, it can potentially have a very large number of use cases
and hence can cater to multiple markets. Some potential markets are in the medical industry if a
surgeon needs very high precision to perform surgical tasks or by a patient who is unable to
move his or her own arm but can use a robotic arm by using voice commands, or in
manufacturing when a task has to be repeated several times but at the same time, requires very
high precision. Depending on the use case and the degree of complexity required, robotic arms
currently cost anywhere between $400 and $40,000. Companies have used casino games often to
demonstrate their multipurpose robots. These lied in the range of $30,000. Some examples are in
the section below. Since our robotic arm will be made from scratch (except perhaps the chassis),
the bulk of the cost of the robotic arm will consist of the cost of the microcontrollers and the
printed circuit board. Our robotic arm should not cost more than $300.
5.0 Competitive Analysis:
Robotic arms much like the one we wish to create in ECE 477 already exist in the market. In the
following sections, we will list several patents, commercial products as well as open source
projects that currently exist that can be considered competition to our project. In these sections,
we will evaluate each of these products and list their pros and cons.
5.1 Preliminary Patent Analysis:
The following are three patents pertaining to artificial arms as well as their design, use case and
advantages/disadvantages.
5.1.1 US Patent Application US9056396 B1:
Patent Title: “Programming of a robotic arm using a motion capture system”
Patent Holder: Autofuss
Patent Filing Date: Mar 3, 2014
This patent[1], assigned to Autofuss, pertains to methods of programming a robotic arm with
motion. There are many methods stated such as using a camera to record robotic arm motion or
recording a sequence of motions by using force on the robotic arm. An advantage of the
approach of programming the robotic arm by recording a sequence of motions is that it is more
precise than other methods such as using a camera, visual simulation, or the other methods stated
in the patent. A disadvantage of this approach is that the user is required to be near the robot to
input a sequence of motions.
5.1.2 US Patent Application US6658325 B2:
Patent Title: “Mobile robotic with web server and digital radio links”
Patent Holder: Stephen Eliot Zweig
Patent Filing Date: Jan 14, 2002
This patent[2], assigned to Stephen Eliot Zweig, proposes to install an operating system on a
robotic arm such as Linux and using a bidirectional web server to communicate with other
machines in a range of 300 feet. An advantage of this approach is that the robotic arm can be
programmed wirelessly by using the web server. However, this seems very impractical as a
custom-built operating system will be needed to operate the features of the robotic arm. Also
there is a need for an internet connection to run the web server and there could be interference
between the robotic arm and the computer that programs it.
5.1.3 US Patent Application US20160151910 A1:
Patent Title: “Robotic arm device with three dimensional movement”
Patent Holder: Ali Sanatkar
Patent Filing Date: Nov 27, 2014
This patent[3], assigned to Ali Sanatkar, discusses a method of implementing a robotic arm with
three dimensional movement using two motors with two “arm parts” with multiple joints. It
achieves this movement by using 1 motor on an “arm part” to adjust the length of robotic arm
and 2 motors on the other “arm part” to adjust the angle of the robotic arm. It also uses modular
parts and multiple motors to adjust the length and angle of the arm. An advantage of this method
is that there is a large amount of customizability with different “arm parts”. However, there are
other methods to achieve 3 dimensional movement where assembly by the user is not required
such as 4-axis arm.
5.2 Commercial Product Analysis:
The following are three commercial products pertaining to artificial arms as well as their design,
use case and advantages/disadvantages.
5.2.1 ST Robotics R12 5-axis robot arm:
Product website: http://www.strobotics.com/small-articulated-robot.htm
Product Description: The R12-5 (Prometheus) is a complete self-contained five (optional six )
axis vertically articulated robot arm system designed as a cost effective solution for bench top
automation. Applications include testing, sample handling, machine feeding. The hand
terminates in a mounting plate to which can be mounted one of our low cost grippers, vacuum
pickups or your own device[4].
Technical Specifications:
● High power micro-stepped hybrid stepping motors, optional encoder watchdogs
● Reaches 500mm/20ins in any direction; 360 degree waist rotation
● R12 package includes the K11 controller that is simple and reliable using a partnership
of CPU and DSP micro-processors and compact micro-stepping drives.
Pros and Cons:
● Our design will have pre-configured functions like playing chess, assisting people, etc.
Additionally these functions can be controlled by voice.
● The R-12 has its own programming language which creates a learning curve. But after
learning programming the R12 will be easier than our design.
● R -12 has on-screen manuals and I/O in the form of bluetooth and TCP/IP.
5.2.2 Lynxmotion AL5D PLTW Robotic Arm:
Product Link: http://www.robotshop.com/en/lynxmotion-al5d-pltw-robotic-arm-kit.html
Product Description: The Lynxmotion AL5D PLTW Robotic Arm Kit includes a complete
AL5D robotic arm, along with a medium duty wrist rotate upgrade, SSC-32U servo controller
board, USB cable and Flow Arm PLTW software. The SSC-32U board means no more USB-toserial adapter and no more 9V battery [4].
Technical Specifications:
● Advanced inverse kinematics positioning control using mouse
● Includes medium duty wrist rotate upgrade
● Includes new SSC-32U servo controller board
Pros and Cons:
● The product includes everything you need to control the arm from a personal computer
(USB port) while our design doesn’t
● Commercial product includes Flow Arm PLTW license (graphical software interface)
● Costs a lot, our will be 50% of the product commercial price
5.2.3 AX-12A Smart Robotic Arm:
Product Link: http://www.crustcrawler.com/products/AX12A%20Smart%20Robotic%20Arm/
Product Description: The AX-12A Smart Robotic Arm of robotic arm components are ideal for
customers want to custom build their own robotic arm that meets their specific length and torque
requirements [4].
Technical Specifications:
● Open source platform
● Compatible with MATLAB, LABVIEW, ROS and other popular programs
● Rugged, all aluminum construction for maximum kinematic accuracy (1mm - 3mm)
● Hard Anodized finish for maximum scratch and corrosion resistance
● Compatible with any micro-controller/computer control system / programming Language
Pros and Cons:
● Product code is open source, so will be the proposed design
● While our design in not compatible with MATLAB, it can easily be interfaced since it is
fully programmable
● Our design comes with a microcontroller as opposed to having to add one separately in
this commercial product
5.3 Open Source Project Analysis:
The following are three open source projects pertaining to artificial arms as well as their design,
use case and advantages/disadvantages.
5.3.1 Thor Open Source 3D Printable Robotic Arm:
Project Link: https://hackaday.io/project/12989-thor
Description: Thor is an Open Source and printable robotic arm with six degrees of freedom. The
main purpose of the project is to create a cheap model that can be used in universities and
schools to teach robotics instead of using simulation software [5].
Technical Specifications:
● Open Source
● Uses 7 stepper motors and 6 sensors
● Arduino Mega as the main controlling board
Pros and Cons:
● Since it is 3D printed and designed in Free CAD, it is easily modifiable to include the use
of multiple tools. Our robotic arm could include multiple holes to use multiple tools.
● Uses opt isolators instead of mechanical stop to allow for full 360-degree movement.
● This design cannot be wirelessly programmed like our design will be.
5.3.2 BCN3D MOVEO:
Project Link: https://www.bcn3dtechnologies.com/en/bcn3d-moveo-the-future-of-learning/
Project Description: The BCN3D Moveo is a fully open source 3D printed robotic arm. Moveo
is modifiable and can be used by educational institutions and students because it it’s very low
cost. There are more than 15 institutes in Catalonia that currently using BSN3D Moveo in
classrooms and at workshops [6].
Technical Specifications:
● Open Source
● Uses Arduino
● 5 axes of rotation
Pros and Cons:
● Project has a very detailed user manual
● The assembly is very difficult to be done by someone at home
● Since this is open source, the cost of making the arm is limited to the cost of 3D printing
the arm
● Project includes software that can be easily modified to change the use case.
5.3.3 Chess Playing Robot:
Project Link: http://www.chessplayingrobot.com/
Project Description: This robotic arm understands the move played by the opponent and replies
with a move. There are three pieces of technology required for this system: A sensory chess board
that could tell the computer what your move was, a "chess engine" to generate the response, and,
of course, a robot arm to move the piece[7].
Technical Specifications:
● Chess engine used: The open-source program GNUChess
http://www.gnu.org/software/chess/
● SIR-3, 5 axis robot arm was made by Scien-Tech
Pros and Cons:
● Our design will be fully programmable and will have multiple functions
● The Chess playing robot is purpose built and only serves one function
● Our design will run on a microcontroller whereas the chess playing robot uses a PC to
power the chess engine
6.0 Sources Cited:
[1]
Linnell, Jeffrey (2014) Programming of a robotic arm using a motion capture system
Available:https://www.google.com/patents/US9056396?dq=robotic+arm&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0a
hUKEwi4grjJxYDQAhWIz4MKHRxzAgI4ChDoAQhFMAY
[2]
Zweig, Stephen Eliot (2002) Mobile robotic with web server and digital radio links
Available:https://www.google.com/patents/US9056396?dq=robotic+arm&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0a
hUKEwi4grjJxYDQAhWIz4MKHRxzAgI4ChDoAQhFMAY
[3]
Sanatkar, Ali (2014) Robotic arm device with three dimentional movement Available:
https://www.google.com/patents/US20160151910?dq=robotic+arm&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUK
EwiYr5HixoDQAhUo1oMKHY0CAVA4FBDoAQhMMAc
[4]
Lu, Zhenli (2013) Brief Survey of Commercial Robotic Arms for Research on
Manipulation Available:http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6219361
[5]
AngelLM (2014) Thor: OpenSource 3D Printable Robotic Arm Available:
https://hackaday.io/project/12989-thor
[6]
BCN3d Technologies (2016) BCN3D MOVEO – A fully Open Source 3D printed robot
arm Available:https://www.bcn3dtechnologies.com/en/bcn3d-moveo-the-future-of-learning/
[7]
Chess playing robot Available: http://www.chessplayingrobot.com/
Appendix 1: Concept Sketch