Yangon Technological University
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Measurement and Instrumentation (ME41032)
Robotic Arm
� Group 5
Wai Yan Htun (IV Mech-2)
Hein Htet Thu (IV Mech-3)
Zin Ko Thein (IV Mech-4)
Phone Thet Oo (IV Mech-6)
Nay Thu Ya Aung (IV Mech-7)
Contents
1.Introduction
2. Components used in the Project
2.2 Detail description about each components(including figure)
3.Working Procedure
4.Discussions
4.4 Further limitations and how to cope them
1. Introduction� The project name is potentiometer controlled robotic arm created by altogether six members in a group. It took roundabout one month to accomplish the project. Nowadays, automation plays an important role in every plant around the world, manpower is being replaced by robots in a large quantity. This inspires to perform this title of project eagerly. Furthermore, mechanical major cannot stand alone nowadays as every engineer has to deal with programming languages and things concerned with electronics and IT. That’s why robotic arm comes into the mind instantly as it is composed of many modernized technological things like Arduino Uno, potentiometer and servos which students need to have good command of latest knowledge to handle them quite well.�����
Literature Review� The main purpose of the project is to produce a robotic arm controlled by six potentiometers, by changing resistor and current, which has connections to the joints where micro and metal servos are joined . Thereby, the gripper at the uppermost portion will grip and lift the things by controlling it from the potentiometers which is in turn connected on the breadboard and then the command is sent to the servos of different sizes through the jumpers connected to and fro the breadboard. In this process, Arduino Uno is the major role as it is the main controller of the arm. The power source in this case will be 12V battery to make the arm rotate well about every joint and let the gripper hold and lift the things effectively.�
Objective and Outlines� As the project was done by mechanical students, taking risk and being creative in the project was essential in the project , so the robotic arm is done by creating it, which includes new and unfamiliar things like using Arduino Uno, Breadboard, setting up the circuit and other things which don’t concern with mechanical major. To gain experience by working as a team and creating the project successfully was also an objective. Moreover, by modifying the robotic arm step by step, maybe all of the robotic parts can be made in the near future and manpower can be replaced with robots. Unlike the reference projects, this robotic arm is controlled by the potentiometer. This would be of help in industrial life with further modification process so that it can transport and move the heavy objects smoothly and precisely so that industrial workers needn’t worry about it as the heavy objects would be challenging and risky for human beings.�������
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2.Components used in the project
Methodology
The design of each part to be printed out was performed using 3D printer, the material was PLA with reasonable filler density amount for each link considering all the stresses acting on it, torque required to rotate about every joint and size of holes to tighten up the screws and nuts. The degree of freedom concept and theory was also applied in the project so that every link involving in the arm shall move freely and smoothly without any barrier. The potentiometers control the micro and metal servos connected at every joints by changing the resistance and current itself, thereby, current flows through the jumper wires to the servo motors . Then, it sends the Arduino Uno the signal and it in turn controls the robotic arm.
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Detail descriptions about each components��Arduino Uno - The user sends inputs from the smartphone application to the Bluetooth module. Then the module sends signals to the Arduino Uno, which then controls the robotic arm’s motion based on those signals.�������� � Breadboard – It is just a medium for connecting jumper wires.����Jumper wires – They connect Arduino Uno with different electronic parts.�
� Microservo motor (SG90) – This type of motor is commonly used in our project. Being easy to use and less cost yet possesses a strong torque makes it applicable.����
Potentiometer- This is utilized to control micro and macro servos by changing its resistance and thus current to transmit required power to run the respective links and arms smoothly.���� � �������Adaptor(5V & 2A) – It transfers the power source from the plug� to the Arduino Uno.����3D Printing parts – They are 3D printing parts: base, waist, Arm1, Arm2, Arm3 and gripper.� �
Metal servo motor (MG 996R) – This is used to rotate the parts of the robotic arms. As they produce strong torques(est.130.54 oz-in), they were used to rotate most crucial portions.(waist, Arm1, Arm2)���
5 DOF Robotic Arm(Sketch)
5 DOF Robotic Arm(Real)
5 DOF Robotic Arm(CAD/CAM)
ZKT
De slide mar base,waist,arm1,arm2,arm3,gripper tway ko 1ku see ko pone net caption net add pay pr
Module | Specification |
Interface | Arduino Uno |
Controller | Potentiometer |
Programming Language | Arduino Language |
Actuator | Servo motor |
Summary of our work �
No. | Process type | 4th week | 1st week | 2nd week | 3rd week | 4th week | 1st week | 2nd week | 3rd week |
1 | Data Survey and collection | | | | | | | | |
2 | Getting and buying things | | | | | | | | |
3 | Production of design | | | | | | | | |
4 | Assembly | | | | | | | | |
5 | Modification Process | | | | | | | | |
6 | Showing up in the project show | | | | | | | | |
7 | Further modification process | | | | | | | | |
Schedule
February
December
January
December
February
Assembly
Animation Video QR Code
Arm Drawing QR Code
Overall cost throughout the project��1.Arduino uno (9000)kyats�2.Breadboard (1500)kyats�3.Microservo (SG40) (7500)kyats�4.Jumper wires (1800)kyats�5.Potentiometer(B10k) (8000)kyats�6.Metal Servo(MG996R) (22500)kyats �7.5V 2A AC to DC adapter (4000) kyats �8.General(3D printing, Transportation) (65700)kyats�� TOTAL 120000 kyats����
Discussion � Thanks to the funding fully supported by U Nyi La Nge foundation, the project was finally managed to finish it on time and showed up on the project show held on February 7th. Although some errors and problems were encountered in the project for a while, the problem was managed to solve them by applying concepts and lessons concerned with the project and finally it was made to get to the project show where sharing the experience and knowledge with others students and experts was performed. Of course, the robotic arm will be the welfare of the society and viral and competitive in every industry as long as our modification process was continued to the project in the final year’s thesis or in our lifetime. Hopefully, the arm can be utilized as a useful gadget in the plants if limitations in the project are managed to fix in time and it can be used as transportation of various things in every industry. The members of groups were over the moon and honored to get the project done without hindsight.��
Waist
Base
Arm1
Arm2
Arm3
Gripper
x2
Working Principal
Comments� First and foremost, a meeting was held with team members and chose the project namely the robotic arm that would benefit the Myanmar society. Then, the design including bolt and nut design, stresses acting on a every link, minimum torque required to transmit, degrees of freedom of the links, density of material and safety factors of every part to be printed using 3D printer prior to utilizing Autodesk Inventor Software to get the drawings of every parts were considered . As soon as the 3D printed parts and links were come up as expected, team members assembled them together including servos and joined the circuit using jumper wires on the breadboard and Arduino Uno. Finally, the final test was run after many times of trials and it worked out. ��Limitations� Actually, there are some limitations in the project. The gripper at the uppermost still cannot grip and lift the heavy objects. Another thing is it still needs to be lightweight if people intend to use it in reality. Moreover, there are also some delay while transmitting signals to make the arm rotate and grip the things. Firm and strong joints and connections must be also made while assembling using screws and nuts to ensure the arm will run smoothly while in operation. Plus, since vibrational analysis wasn’t taken account in considering the design of the links, any errors like having delay and instability of the gripper might be dealt with during operation.������������������������������
Further limitations and how to cope them
1. The 3D printed shoulder is not stable enough to lift up the rest of the arm. So it’s a good idea to either add a rubber band or some kind of spring to a base part or print the longer shoulder part in order to be strong and rigid.
2. Some of the servo motors sometimes vibrate as soon as they get supplied voltage. To prevent this from happening, a better version of Arduino code which protects servo vibration might be required or the use of servo module would solve this issue.
3. The so called gripper can’t function its job since there were some mistakes in assembly process and incomplete nuts make the gears loose whenever try to grip something. And it has weight limitation which only allows up to 5g because it is printed out of plastic. So it’s needed to be made of iron or steel for better gipping actions.
4. Manually rotating the arm should be avoided as the metal servos are made of tiny pinion gears inside. If in case they were rotated manually opposite to the direction of they are supposed to while on power, it’s more likely to break gears teeth and destroy the servo.
New Findings� �During the time doing the project, more about the working principles of the arm was learnt. This is the project great opportunity and chance to work in group was learned and accomplished and the theories and concepts learnt so far were applied. The�fact that the teamwork is essential in every work including the project was highlighted.�Furthermore., the arm will be of help in transforming to automation was found. The fact that using Bluetooth module is suggested , which can efficiently control remotely so that any delay and limitations of weight the gripper can grip can be effectively overcome. Utilizing light metals having considerable amount of strength and material properties like aluminium would be preferred to get the arm run efficiently and to move the heavy loads from one place to the desired place efficiently. Lengthening the arm 2 is also recommended to avoid any instability and to achieve smoothness during the operation. Soldering the jumper wires to the breadboard would be essential to ensure the wires are in proper contact with the breadboard so that transmitting signals will work efficiently without any error and delay. Maybe the robotic arm will be working in automation plant with further modification process before long in the near future. �
Voices of our teammates�
“I am honored to be a member of this project group. I can share my knowledge and learn new and unfamiliar things from my mates throughout the project. I get to know more about the utilities used in the project such as working principles of servos and learn experience of relating theoretical field and practical field which is very precious and valuable. ”
Wai Yan Htun
IV Mech 2
09448012215
galaxyworld99@gmail.com
“It was a whole new experience to be in the same team with my friends and a great chance to be able to deeply find out who is good at what and how I can collaborate with them in the future. Being a coder and circuit guy in the group wasn’t easy at all, I had to think of many possible ways to function the arm properly and yet it was worth it after all since I felt like I took a first step in applied engineering. ”
Hein Htet Thu
IV Mech 3
09690506969
heinhtetthu@outlook.com
“As a team leader and treasurer, it was very difficult and yet challenging enough to handle this project. I mostly took part in logistics and management of the team .Yet it came the heavenly pleasure, when the robot arm functioned very well but the desperate despair, by the time, the project nearly ceased to fail. Overall, it was a chance to horn our skills.”
Phone Thet Oo
IV Mech 6
09967887882
phonethetoo@gmail.com
“I am one of the team members and also only girl in this team. At first, I faced with technical problems than others. Because this is my 1st time doing engineering project and I just know theories in textbooks. But team members taught me how to operate this robotic arm. After all, I realized this is good time to start challenges.
May Myat Noe Khin
IV Mech 17
09967767169
sweetymaymyatnoekhin7@gmail.com
Images through the journey
“This is how we do it”
# Work hard, Play hard
“A glimpse of smile, strength as needed”
“Even in a broad day light, such SACRIFICE”
# WE
NAILED
IT
# PROJECT
SHOW
Video footages