What to make (bunch of steppers)?

[Marks256]

So i have that Lab Volt Armdroid robot arm, but it is just sitting in the basement, in a box, under other boxes...

What should i do with it? It has 5 stepper motors, and the controllers for them (i assume...), so what should i make?

I was thinking CNC mill, but, uh... i already have one... and i have no use for the robot arm...

Anyone have any cool projects that use steppers? I have a few projects in my mind, but i want some opinions first.

 

[Krumlink]

quick google search

**broken link removed**

 

[Mikebits]

So i have that Lab Volt Armdroid robot arm, but it is just sitting in the basement, in a box, under other boxes...

What should i do with it? It has 5 stepper motors, and the controllers for them (i assume...), so what should i make?

I was thinking CNC mill, but, uh... i already have one... and i have no use for the robot arm...

Anyone have any cool projects that use steppers? I have a few projects in my mind, but i want some opinions first.

Maybe you could use it to pick up all those boxes in your basement

What about keeping the steppers as spares in case your CNC burns one up?
I would like to see your CNC setup, is it homemade or prebuilt?

 

[3v0]

It would be a shame to strip the arm for parts. They are a load of fun. If you are going to ruin the thing anyway.... I might be interested in buying it from you to use in my teaching. Would be a gas to have it around for demos at the very least.

EDIT: If you do strip it I would be glad to pay shipping to get the arm without electronics.

 

[Mikebits]

Looks like it might be a cool thing to have for your class.

**broken link removed**

Basic sheet metal, but still cool, the steppers look like the cheapie types, but may be worth a deal.

 

[3v0]

It has been years since I looked at it but I doubt that many people know how complex the math is for moving a robot arm. It gives me a headache just thinking about it.

 

[Marks256]

Oh, i know how complex the math is, 3v0. Back in 9th grade i wrote a simulator for the robot arm at school. WOW. It had a terrible headache when i was done...

I would use the robot arm if it worked, but i think the controller is fried, and the software for it is proprietary (i don't have the hasp for it, so new software will have to be purchased)

Actually. this is a picture of it

**broken link removed**

On this site Dan Kohn's Armdoid 1000 Project Page someone got one hacked together. It would be fun to get it going... Yeah... i might just get the robot arm going.


3v0, when i am ready to get rid of it, i will let you know. I also have the turn table for it, and the gravity feeder.

 

[3v0]

Let me know when you are done with it.
Thanks

 

[dknguyen]

Forget the math and use a pendant.

 

[picbits]

Build a voice recognition device, hook it up to the robot arm and get it to scratch your back.

Up a bit, down a bit, left a bit, scratch !!!!

 

[Marks256]

Hey! I like picbits' idea!

I will let you know when i am done with it, 3v0.


EDIT: dkngyen, the pendant is dead. I think the rom went bad or something, because when it is turned on, it shows a bunch of up arrows and fish ascii!

 

[Krumlink]

use a gun to scratch your back

**broken link removed**

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

On this site Dan Kohn's Armdoid 1000 Project Page someone got one hacked together. It would be fun to get it going... Yeah... i might just get the robot arm going.

You've got all the mechanicals there, all nicely build and tested - use PIC's to control it all, and write your own software to do so. It's a nice little project, and the difficult hardware part is already done for you.

Bear in mind you don't need to do it all in one go, start with a single stepper and movement, and develop solely for that. Once that's all done and working, then you simply duplicate it for all the other steppers, with any slight variations as required.

 

[jpanhalt]

I agree with Nigel. It would be a shame to destroy it. Once you got it running wiht PICs, you could interface to almost any RC outfit for remotely controlling it.

Worst case, you end up with a wonderful machine, but no purpose. That is still better than a pile of useless parts. John

 

[Marks256]

That is true. I suppose i could get it working... it will give me something to do, at least.


Micbits, here is a link to the thread i started about the CNC stuff my friend and i got. https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/lookie-what-i-just-got-o.39725/

 

[Sceadwian]

It really would be a shame to ruin such a nice looking arm. Reminds me of the one they used in the movie Inner Space. Get it working in a basic X/Y fasion and you could have tons of fun with it.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

That is true. I suppose i could get it working... it will give me something to do, at least.

You could always sell it on Ebay, and let someone else do it

 

[dknguyen]

Hey! I like picbits' idea!

I will let you know when i am done with it, 3v0.

EDIT: dkngyen, the pendant is dead. I think the rom went bad or something, because when it is turned on, it shows a bunch of up arrows and fish ascii!

What if you stuck encoders on the arm joints and just let tthe steppers "coast" during learning mode, so you could use the arm itself as it's own pendant?

 

[Marks256]

Hmm...

I will mess with it when i get my workbench cleaned off from the last project.

 

[dknguyen]

Hmm...

I will mess with it when i get my workbench cleaned off from the last project.

Have you seen the first Resident Evil Movie? At the very beginning when the guy working with the biohazard vials is moving the robotic arms, and the "controls" is a duplicate of the arm on the other side of the window? I thought that was super cool- so you couldn't move the arm in a way that it couldn't be moved in...errr and it's obvious too how to move the arm in a certain way.