Raspberry Pi
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This Maker PCB controlled robot arm project, with Python software developed for the Raspberry Pi Maker PCB v5.0 available from here, is based upon the open hardware design by phenoptix first published in Technology Robots in July’14.
The original phenoptix design was for a set of laser cut components, so each item was inevitably a simple flat element made from 3mm thick acrylic sheet. These laser cut components were however converted to 3D printable components by Dingo_aus and posted to the ‘thingiverse’ web site in December ’14 (full details here) but they retained their ‘flat’ nature without really taking any of the advantages that 3D printing can bring to a design.
Starting from the .stl files created by Dingo_aus, further updates have been made for this revised build as well as some of the original files being ‘repaired’. Many more refinements are certainly possible with a full 3D approach now being used, and further design iterations may be made at a future date. All the current 3D print designs are available from the Prusa web site here.
The Maker PCB is used with a PCA9685 PWM control board to manage the four individual servos, as shown on the left, and Maker PCB specific Python coding has been developed, building upon earlier developers' code.
The updated/extended code demonstrates how the 'gripper' head can be positioned at designated x, y, z coordinates and the gripper opened/closed, with the RGB LED and passive buzzer on the Maker PCB PCB used to indicate the 'status' of the robot arm at different stages of its movement.
The build shown on the left uses a 'normal' plain base for the robot arm, but also available is an optional LEGO compatible 'base', as shown at the top of this page on the left. This LEGOised base allows the robot arm to be set into an overall LEGO construct and some further representative images shown below right illustrate additional LEGOised designed components that allow either a 5V rechargeable power bank or a 4xAA battery pack to be used for external power to the PCA9685 PWM control board, via the power bus on the Maker PCB's PCB.
The non-LEGOised plain base also has fixing options for the same use of either a 5V rechargeable power bank or a 4xAA battery pack, as shown below left.
Brief descriptions of various 'complete' projects that can be controlled using the Raspberry Pi Maker PCB:
The following links provide more details on various aspects of this evolving Raspberry Pi Maker PCB project development:
Details for all the Maker PCB projects:
All the currently available maker project information: