MarginallyClever/UBC modular robot arm prototype

thingiverse

Marginally Clever commissioned a robot arm prototype from University of British Columbia mechanical engineering students Liam Hodgson, Lucas Porto, and Oliver Wolfond for their ENPH 459 course in the winter of 2014/2015. They designed a modular system with three repeating sections that can be assembled to create a six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) arm with a reach of 50cm, a mass of 1kg at the wrist, and a repeatability of 1mm. This design meets all these requirements efficiently. This project cost just over $500 CAD in total, and the final complete arm would have been around $1000 if purchased. The custom parts are made possible by 3D printing technology, while the rest can be sourced from companies like McMaster-Carr. A BeagleBone Black controller is used along with Sparkfun level converters. Each of the three stages is identical. The picture showcases the wrist and elbow stage. To achieve a more affordable design, Dynamixel servos of similar size would be needed for the shoulder stage but at triple the cost. Visit this website to obtain the source code from the BBB. Due to limitations on servo ranges, each joint's range of motion is approximately 30 degrees. Marginally Clever feels that this limited functionality isn't practical for everyday applications. Rather than letting it go to waste, Marginally Clever is sharing their plans online, giving anyone permission to remix and modify them as they see fit. Perhaps you can learn from our prototype or even improve on the Solidworks files we provided (downloaded in a zipped file). If you manage to widen the range of motion while keeping the position feedback AND pricing under $1000, don't hesitate to get in touch. We're open to collaborating with innovative minds. Marginally Clever is committed to making low-cost robot arms accessible to everyone. Stay connected with us online and follow our progress at Maker Faire events. Together, we'll achieve remarkable things!