Published October 8, 2017

Robot Arm with Leap Motion

A robot arm using three motors controlled with a Leap Motion controller. Using the Processing language to detect the Leap.

IntermediateFull instructions provided3 hours3,812

Things used in this project

Hardware components

DC motor (generic)

Jumper wires (generic)

Cardboard

Story

Step 1: Build a robot arm with 3 servos and cardboard. Plenty of examples on the internet, or you can just go with your imagination. Mine has 1 at the bottom that moves in the X axis. and 2 more that moves separate attachments in the Y-axis.

Step 2: Upload the Arduino code into the Arduino. Keep that USB plugged in, it's going to be getting input from the leap.

Step 3: Download and open up the Processing IDE. https://processing.org/download/

Step 4: Connect your Leap Motion to your computer and make sure you have the SDK for Leap Motion installed on your computer.

Step 5: Copy and paste the code for the Processing part.

Step 6: Run your Processing code while the Arduino and Leap are both connected to your computer.

Step 7; Enjoy your robot arm flailing about ;)

Code

#include <VarSpeedServo.h> //VarSpeedServo library is used because it gradually moves the servo instead of snapping to position

char val;  //Variable to store input from Serial communicator which is coming from the Processing environment(Where Leap is running)


VarSpeedServo servo1; //declare Servos
VarSpeedServo servo2;
VarSpeedServo servo3;


void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
  
servo1.attach(3);  // tell Arduino which pins the servos are attached to.
servo2.attach(5);
servo3.attach(10);
Serial.begin(9600);
}


void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:


  if (Serial.available()){
    val = Serial.read ();
  }

      //8 positions saved according to the input from Serial Communicator
      
      if (val == '1'){
      servo1.write(130,50); //moves servo1 to 130 degrees with a speed of 50
      servo2.write(30,50);
      servo3.write(160,50);
    
      Serial.println(1);
  }

      if (val == '2'){
      servo1.write(30,50);
      servo2.write(150,50);
      servo3.write(30,50);
    
      Serial.println(2);
      }

      if (val == '3'){
      servo1.write(30,50);
      servo2.write(30,50);
      servo3.write(160,50);
      Serial.println(2);
      }

      if (val == '4'){
      servo1.write(130,50);
      servo2.write(150.50);
      servo3.write(30,50);
  
      Serial.println(2);
      }

      if (val == '5'){
      servo1.write(130,50);
      servo2.write(60,50);
      servo3.write(60,50);
    
      Serial.println(1);
      }

      if (val == '6'){
      servo1.write(30,50);
      servo2.write(120,50);
      servo3.write(120,50);
    
      Serial.println(2);
      }

      if (val == '7'){
      servo1.write(30,50);
      servo2.write(60,50);
      servo3.write(60,50);
      Serial.println(2);
      }

      if (val == '8'){
      servo1.write(130,50);
      servo2.write(120.50);
      servo3.write(120,50);
  
      Serial.println(2);
      } 

}

import de.voidplus.leapmotion.*; //call the leap motion library
import processing.serial.*;  // call the serial library to use serial communicator

String num; // variable to store output to send to arduino

String LeapX;
String LeapY;
String LeapZ;

int LX;
int LY;
int LZ;

LeapMotion leap;
Serial myPort;

void setup() {
  size(800, 500, OPENGL);
  leap = new LeapMotion(this);
  String portName = Serial.list()[0];
  myPort = new Serial (this,portName, 9600);
}

void draw() {
  background(255);
  for (Hand hand : leap.getHands ()) {
    PVector indexTip = hand.getIndexFinger().getRawPositionOfJointTip();

    text("x: " + nf(indexTip.x, 0, 1), 20, 40);
    text("y: " + nf(indexTip.y, 0, 1), 20, 60);
    text("z: " + nf(indexTip.z, 0, 1), 20, 80);
    
    LeapX = nf(indexTip.x, 0, 1); //location of fingertips in strings
    LeapY = nf(indexTip.y, 0, 1);
    LeapZ = nf(indexTip.z, 0, 1);
    
    
    LX = int(LeapX); //changes locations of fingertips to int variables
    LY = int(LeapY);
    LZ = int(LeapZ);
    
    
    
    if (LX>0) {    // check if hand is more than 0 on x-axis
      
        if (LZ>-100) { // check if hand is more than -100 on z axis
          
          if (LY< 265) { // check if hand is less than 265 on z axis
          num = "1";    // set num to 1, which is going to be position 1 on arduino
          println("1");
          }
          
              else { 
                  num = "5";
                  println("5");
              }
        } else {
          
          if(LY<265) {
          num ="2";
          println("2");
          }
          
          else {
          num="6";
          println("6");
          }
        }
      
      
    } else {
             if (LZ>-100) {
               if(LY<256) {
            num = "3";
          println("3");
               }
               else{
                num = "7";
                println("7");
               }
               
        } else {
          if (LY<265){
          num ="4";
          println("4");
          }
          else  {
           num="8";
           println("8");
          }
        }
      
    }
    
   
      
    myPort.write(num);  
    
    println("X:");
    println(LX);
    println("Y:");
    println(LY);
    println("Z:");
    println(LZ);

   
  }
}

Credits

Keertan Ayamany

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Robot Arm with Leap Motion

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Story

Schematics

Schematics for Arduino connections with Servos.

Code

Code for Arduino

Code for Leap Motion on Processing

Credits

Keertan Ayamany

Comments

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Robot Arm with Leap Motion

Robot Arm with Leap Motion

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Story

Schematics

Schematics for Arduino connections with Servos.

Code

Code for Arduino

Code for Leap Motion on Processing

Credits

Keertan Ayamany

Comments

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