Chrome Extension Enables Robot Arm Control Over the Internet
Want to control a robot arm over the internet? Engineer Zero found a simple solution in the form of a Google Chrome extension.
For those of us who grew up in the days of Netscape, Google Chrome's capabilities are pretty amazing. It does, of course, allow for basic internet browsing. But that's just the beginning. By installing extensions, one can make Chrome do all kinds neat new tricks. One extension, Chrome Remote Desktop, lets users control a remote computer that also has the extension installed. Engineer Zero took advantage of that extension to control his robot arm over the internet.
The robot arm Engineer Zero used in this project is a $43.95 model from OWI Kit called the "Robotic Arm Edge." It is the kind of cheap robot arm intended for kids with an interest in STEM, but which has pretty underwhelming capability thanks to the basic controller. Like an RC car, it lets the user move the robot arm around, but doesn't let them incorporate any kind of logic.
To fix that, Engineer Zero replaced the original controller with an Arduino UNO development board. The Arduino receives commands via serial from an old laptop computer and controls the robot arm's five motors through L9110 drivers. That dramatically improves the capability, as Engineer Zero can enter precise movements, make the robot arm respond with logic to different conditions, and create pre-programmed movement routines. It also let him control the robot arm from anywhere in the world through the internet.
By installing the Chrome Remote Desktop extension on the computer connected to the Arduino and a second laptop, Engineer Zero attained internet control over the robot arm. He can take the second laptop to any location with an internet connection and operate the robot, while looking at it through a webcam feed.