Published July 3, 2015 © LGPL

Internet Controlled Move and Pick using Robotic Arm

Robotic arm controlled over the internet to perform pick and place operation.

IntermediateWork in progress4,631

Internet Controlled Move and Pick using Robotic Arm

Things used in this project

Hardware components

owi robotic arm

SparkFun Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - ADXL335

Particle Spark Core

H Bridge L298N

Story

INTRODUCTION:

This is a prototype of a pick and place robotic arm controlled over the internet. are two modules used here:

1. Particle-core-1: This interprets the user's gestures to control the robot, translates the gestures as text commands and sends it over the cloud to Particle-Core-2

1. Particle-core-2: This module receives the control commands from core-1 and activates the robotic arm accordingly.

Since the commands can be sent over the internet the control commands can be sent from any part of the world with an internet access. This gives us the power to employ the robot in remote, isolated and dangerous environments ..It can also be used in industrial automation.

ROBOTIC ARM:

Robotic arm from OWI has been used in this project. Three motors of the robotic arm are controlled using motor drivers and a Particle core (Core-2). Two H-Bridge modules based on L298N are used to drive the motors using a 9V power supply.

ROBOTIC ARM MODULE

In the robot, the bottom most motor or the shoulder motor is used for horizontal (left - right) motion. The middle one or the elbow motor is used for vertical (up-down) motion. The motor at the tip (the hand) is used to control grab-release motion.

The robotic arm module is controlled by Core-2.

ROBOTIC ARM

Remote Control Module:

This module uses a Particle Core (Core 1). interfaced with two accelerometers which are used like joysticks to send commands to the robotic arm.

Accelerometer-1 senses the movement controls such as right, left, up and down

Accelerometer-2 senses the grab and pick controls

The user gestures are captured as commands and published as events using Spark.publish(). Particle-Core 2, explained above, which controls the motors, subscribes to the events published by this particle core.

The control of the arm is based on the tilt measured by the accelerometer . For example if the Accelerometer-1 is tilted to left then the command to be published is 'left'.

accelerometer 1 Tilt - Command

Left movement - Left

Right movement - Right

Forward movement - Up

Backward movement -Down

accelerometer 2 Tilt - Command

Forward movement - Grab

Backward movement -Drop

ADXL335

VIDEO:

ADVANTAGES:

1) The controller range is very large. The arm can be control from anyplace in the world with internet access.

2) Since the commands are sent over WiFi the arm can be placed in an isolated/dangerous areas like nuclear power plants and other industrial setups where it is not possible to employ humans due to health and other risks.

3) If sufficiently strong robotic arm is available then it can assist in lifting heavy objects.

FUTURE SCOPE:

The sensors can be placed on human arm and the robot can be made to mimic the human arm.

Code

/* ARM MOTOR CONTROL */

//use core 2

/*motor pins*/
#define shoulderf 0
#define shoulderr 1
#define elbowf 5
#define elbowr 6
#define handf 3
#define handr 4

//commands
const char *cmd1 = "up", 
           *cmd2 = "down", 
           *cmd3 = "left", 
           *cmd4 = "right", 
           *cmd5 = "grab", 
           *cmd6 = "drop";

char *core1, *core2;

void ctrl(const char *event ,const char *data)
{
    
        /*UP*/
    if( strcmp(data , cmd1) == 0 )
    {  
       digitalWrite(elbowf,HIGH);
       digitalWrite(elbowr,LOW);
       delay(500);
       digitalWrite(elbowf,LOW);
    }
           /*DOWN*/
    else if( strcmp(data , cmd2) == 0 )
    { 
        
       digitalWrite(elbowr,HIGH);
       digitalWrite(elbowf,LOW);
       delay(500);
       digitalWrite(elbowr,LOW);
        
    }
          /*LEFT*/
    else if(strcmp(data,cmd3) ==0 )
    {
      digitalWrite(shoulderr,HIGH);
      digitalWrite(shoulderf,LOW);
      delay(500);
      digitalWrite(shoulderr,LOW);
    }
         /*RIGHT*/
    else if(strcmp(data,cmd4) ==0 )
    {
      digitalWrite(shoulderf,HIGH);
      digitalWrite(shoulderr,LOW);
      delay(500);
      digitalWrite(shoulderf,LOW);
        
    }
           /*GRAB*/
    else if(strcmp(data,cmd5) ==0 )
    {
      digitalWrite(handf,HIGH);
      digitalWrite(handr,LOW);
      delay(1000);
      digitalWrite(handf,LOW);
        
    }
           /*DROP*/
    else if(strcmp(data,cmd6) ==0 )
    {
     digitalWrite(handr,HIGH);
     digitalWrite(handf,LOW);
     delay(1000);
     digitalWrite(handr,LOW);
  
    }
    
}


 void setup()   
 {
     Serial.begin(9600);
       
    core1 = "Your remote control Device ID";
    
   // pinMode(7,OUTPUT);
   
    pinMode(shoulderf , OUTPUT);
    pinMode(shoulderr , OUTPUT);
    
    pinMode(elbowf, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(elbowr, OUTPUT);
    
    pinMode(handf, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(handr, OUTPUT);
    
    Spark.subscribe("move", ctrl ,core1);
 }
 
 void loop()
 {
  
 }

/* Acclerometer robotic arm control*/

#define ADC_ref 3.3 

//sensitivity of the sensor
#define sensitivity_x 0.3 
#define sensitivity_y 0.3
#define sensitivity_y2 0.3

#define tiltmin 5
#define tiltmax 6

//Sensor pins
#define x_pin A1
#define y_pin A2
#define y2_pin A3

#define handf 3
#define handr 4

//Analog values
unsigned int value_x;
unsigned int value_y;
unsigned int value_y2;


float x_val;
float y_val;
float y2_val;


void setup() 
{
 Serial.begin(9600);
 pinMode(handf,OUTPUT);
 pinMode(handr,OUTPUT);


 Spark.variable("xval", &x_val,DOUBLE);

}

void loop() 
{
    
     //analog values
     value_x = analogRead(A1);
     value_y = analogRead(A2);
     value_y2 = analogRead(A3);

     //calucated values
     x_val = (value_x/4095.0*ADC_ref)/sensitivity_x;
     y_val = (value_y/4095.0*ADC_ref)/sensitivity_y;
     y2_val = (value_y2/4095.0*ADC_ref)/sensitivity_y2;

     delay(2000);
     
    /*CONTROL*/
    
    /*Based on the tilt of accelerometer publish the control strings*/
     
   /*forward- reverse control*/
   
   if( y_val < tiltmin )
   {
    Spark.publish("move","up"); //publish the event
    //Serial.println("forward"); //for debugging
   }
   else if( y_val > tiltmax )
   {
    Spark.publish("move","down");
    //Serial.println("reverse");
   }



   /*right-left control*/
   if( x_val < tiltmin )
  {
    Spark.publish("move", "right");
    //Serial.println("right");
  }
   else if( x_val > tiltmax )
  {
    Spark.publish("move","left");
    //Serial.println("left");
   }



   /*gripping control */ 
  if( y2_val < tiltmin )
  {
    
   Spark.publish("move","grab");
   //Serial.println("grab");
  }
  
  else if( y2_val > tiltmax )
  {
   Spark.publish("move","drop");
   //Serial.println("drop");
  }


}

Credits

Green Robot Machinery

7 projects • 42 followers

Green Robot Machinery Private Limited

Internet Controlled Move and Pick using Robotic Arm

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Story

INTRODUCTION:

ROBOTIC ARM:

Remote Control Module:

Schematics

Accelerometer wiring

Motor Wiring

Code

ARM CONTROL

ACCELEROMETER REMOTE

Credits

Green Robot Machinery

Comments

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Internet Controlled Move and Pick using Robotic Arm

Internet Controlled Move and Pick using Robotic Arm

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Story

INTRODUCTION:

ROBOTIC ARM:

Remote Control Module:

Schematics

Accelerometer wiring

Motor Wiring

Code

ARM CONTROL

ACCELEROMETER REMOTE

Credits

Green Robot Machinery

Comments

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