Control Your Robotic Arm, the Cool Way

hello everyone!!!

lik some of you maybe know, is that i have build a robotic arm in the past(see link)

how to build a robotic arm

there was only one problem, the controller.

the link to the video

like you can see in that instructable, is that the arm is controlled by a few potentiometers. it only didn't worked that great. so i came up whit a solution.

i build a skelet, and when i move this skelet it's mirroring my movements. and it's really easy to build.

what does something like this coast?

it coast near to nothing, you will need:

5 potentiometers 10K ohm , about 3 or 4 dollar.

a few sticks, the one that are laying in you kitchen.

a sheet of plastic, you can cut this out from a old toy.

wire, saved from a old pc.

and that's it, now you only need to take out your soldering iron, glue gun and some tweezers.

(of corse you will need your robotic arm to control, but that is not were this instructable is about.)

that's it, now you are ready to start you build, and get educated :)

the body is really easy to build, like you can see in the picture's.

hear is how you are getting to work.

-take out a potentiometer and to stick's, from about 10cm.

lay them on your potmeter, and screw the bold very tied on.

-repeat this proces on the other side of the stick.

-now you need to take 2 sticks from 13cm,

hot glue this stick's on the to of one potmeter, that you had just attach (it really doesn't matter which one).

-repeat this proces on the other side of the stick.

-we are now going to attach the potmeter on the bottom.

it is really easy, just hot glue is on the potmeter that you attach as last.

-when this is done, you can take 2 sticks, from 4 cm.

hot glue them in place on the potmeter on the very top.

-take out your last potmeter, and glue 2 stick from 3 cm. on the back of the pot.

-glue the 2 sticks, in a angel of 90* degrees, on the 2 stick's that you haven't used yet.

glue the bottom potmeter on the sheet of plastic and you are done.

soldeer the wire's according to the schematic.

you can use some tape, to hold the wire's in position.

important

make sure that the wire's are long, so everything is stil able to move.

make sure you give is a test when you are done soldering, that everything can move freely.

-the servo's in the schematic are there to show you to what pin you need to connect them to, if you want it to work.

hear is the arduino code, just open it,

you need to have the arduino software, that you can download from here.

that is al.

troubleshooting?

-first of al, make sure that al the wire's are connected correctly.

and that you uploaded the right code.

-is the arm moving up, when you are moving down?

this is really easy to solve, just change the '+' and '-' wires on the potmeterthat is responsible for the servo, that is acting incorrectly.

now you should have a working robotic arm controller.

link to the video

the importent's thing:

have FUN :)

and,

vote for my in the contests.

any questions?

feel free to ask.