Robotic arm controlled by Arduino system

The target group of this project is mainly students of secondary schools with a focus on electrical engineering. The project can be implemented as part of a free-time activity (clubs focused on robotics, IT, electrical engineering) or as a part of practical teaching at secondary school. We implemented the project with the students of the 1st and 2nd year of the Secondary School of Electrical Engineering, rather in a fun way as part of a leisure activity. However, the difficulty of the project can be varied depending on the extent of the tasks performed, such as the custom design of the robotic arm and the way it is controlled. It is thus possible to make the project more challenging and expand (drawing your own model of a robotic arm in the appropriate software environment) and thereby correspondingly shift the difficulty of the teaching even for students of upper secondary school years, etc.

• Mastering basic operations with a 3D printer and user-friendly control of the PrusaSlicer software, for preparing individual parts (STL files) for successful printing.
• Adequate manual skills and orientation in assembly instructions.
• Basic knowledge in connecting electrical circuits and reading schematics.
• Knowledge of basic operations in the Arduino IDE software environment.

• Students will acquire or expand skills in the PrusaSlicer program environment, focused mainly on the appropriate orientation and placement of printable parts on the printing mat and the generation of corresponding supports.
• During the self-assembly of the robotic arm, students will learn about the basics of construction and mechanical principles used in the field of robotics.
• Students will learn and practice the connection of individual electronic components (servomotors, controllers, potentiometers, power supply, etc.) that will be used to drive and control the robotic arm.
• The assembled arm will give students the opportunity to try out its control and function with the help of code programming in the Arduino Open-source software environment (IDE), and in a reduced form, this product will allow them to understand how similar robotic devices work in industrial production.

Common electrical/IT workshop equipment. Basic assembly tools. The list of materials and other information is part of the ZIP attachment delivered with the project.

Files and documents (attachments list)

In the ZIP attachment you will find lists of materials that must be ordered first! There are also direct links to the store where we ordered. See the Word attachments: Electronic Material List for the Robotic Arm and Connecting and Mounting Material for the Robotic Arm

In the next steps, you will already need the other files listed below from the list of attachments arranged consecutively. From this moment on, students will work mainly with the guidance of the responsible teacher.

Attached files:

• List of electronic material for the robotic arm
• Connecting and mounting material for the robotic arm 
• Stl and Gcode for printing individual parts RA
• RA assembly instructions (PowerPoint slide instructions) 
• RA electronic wiring (PowerPoint slide instructions) 
• Arduino IDE and controller library
• Code to control a robotic arm with 4 servos for ARDUINO IDE
• A few photos of the build and a video of the first RA test
   

• Preparation for the project including studying the materials needed for construction and ordering the necessary components 1-2 h.
• Preparing files for printing in PrusaSlicer 1h.
• Printing all parts of the robotic arm using a 0.2mm layer height and 15% infill will take a total of approx. 36 hours.
• Completion/mechanical assembly of the arm 1-2 h.
• Electronic connection of the complete control circuit 1 h.
• Installation of the necessary control software, programming with explanation and tests 3 h.
• All stl files, g-codes, assembly plan, electrical plan are available in the attachments. wiring, control software and a list of the necessary material to purchase.

Before starting work on the project, I recommend that you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the contents of the attachments and, above all, order all the necessary components and materials in time according to the material lists. It is possible that you already have some of the listed items, so it would be unnecessary to order them again. Also prepare a photo of the entire RA (use, for example, from the appendix), which will subsequently make it easier for students to orient themselves in the printing process and use individual structural parts.

1. At the first meeting, introduce the project to the students and talk in general about the use of robotics today and what the robots are actually useful for. I think it's a really interesting topic in today's highly technological age, and students are generally quite interested in this field.
2. The next meeting will already contain a practical part and you will get to process .gcode files and the first prints of individual parts of RA. Here, students can also practice working in PrusaSlicer using .stl files. Focus on the individual printed parts, their placement on the mat and the possible need for supports or rafts.
3. Printing all parts during the lessons would be quite time-consuming, so it will be necessary for the teacher to print continuously, which should not be a problem.
4. When all the parts are printed and we have also bought all the necessary parts, the students can proceed to their own assembly of the RA. The entire assembly procedure is fully comprehensible step by step processed in the PowerPoint environment. Here, the students will practice their manual skills as well as orientation in the work instructions. I think you should be able to assemble the RA in about 2 lessons.

1. In the next lesson, together with the students start the electronic connection of the RA. Here, in the case of a fun form of teaching, use the attached PowerPoint tutorial. You can also use your own designed el. schemes and choose other control methods according to the students' level of knowledge. The method of connection presented here is only one of many possible.
2. The next step is the actual programming and animation of the RA. Give the students the task of installing the Arduino IDE software development environment and the Adafruit library for controlling the servos using the connected Shield. At this point, students will learn or review putting a new library into the Arduino IDE. (the procedure is available on the website)
3. The next step, and possibly the most extensive learning part, can be programming in the Arduino IDE. Depending on the students' knowledge, either build on the programming procedures already known to you or show the individual sequences and rules in programming in the mentioned environment. Each step of the programmed part can be verified directly in the program, so you can proceed towards a successful goal. In the attachment, you will find the entire programming code, complete with the addition of explanations, what this or that given command provides. You can thus print it out and proceed according to it in the lesson in a fun way. I believe that in the end everything will turn out well, and after checking the written code, the program will report that everything is fine, and you will successfully upload it to the Arduino control board.

Now all that remains is to test or debug the robotic arm deficiencies that may have arisen in the construction process. It is possible that students will have to, for example, analyze the RA section and correct errors or deficiencies. But this is perfectly fine, and the students realize that the paths to the desired goal are not usually easy and straightforward. Their reward will be a self-assembled, wired and programmed RA, with which they will have a lot of fun!

1. In the final lesson, talk to the students about what was the most difficult for them during construction, what they found easy, and what they enjoyed most about the RA construction. Also discuss if they think this design is good or if they have suggestions for some improvements, which can be used for further creation or innovation of the existing one RA. Also try to compete in moving an object from place to place for a time or in the skill of grasping a round object, etc. There are no limits to ideas and creativity. Think of it as a fun addition to the very essence of the finished project.

I wish you a lot of success in mastering the entire construction process together with your students and much joy from a job well done!