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fishies
04-04-2005, 02:00 PM
My current project is screaming for a robotic arm. I've looked into a few kits, and generally, the cost is more than the case, with my addtional arts (fans, lights, aint, etc.) and since my wife screams when I buy stuff like that, I thought I'd trick her and build one myself, since she won't scream if I'm buying the materials to make one from scratch. The logic of wives astound me sometimes.

before I digress any further, I should ask my question.
Since I'm brand new at robotics (and I mean new user smell new) I was wondering if anyone had experience in the field, and would be able to point me in the right direction for resources (books, accurate web inf, etc.) I guess what I am looking for is a general schematic/blueprint that I can tweak.

Any help in this area would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ZeD
04-04-2005, 02:21 PM
well do you want an actual romotic arm or do you just want the looks? if the latter you can get a model kit and save a ton of money, I know they used to sell the t2 arm in kit form for not much money and if painted right it could come out looking pretty real.

fishies
04-04-2005, 02:42 PM
well do you want an actual romotic arm or do you just want the looks? if the latter you can get a model kit and save a ton of money, I know they used to sell the t2 arm in kit form for not much money and if painted right it could come out looking pretty real.

No I want serv controlled movement.

Being a once avid R/C Car builder/racer, I am aware of servo-controlled movement. I understand the axis points (where movement is achieved) and I understand stepper motors are used for movement via the servos, however, I really don't want to use a remote control for the movement. Preset points of movement based on voice command is ideally what I am looking to do. I found some components, but a guide would be nice.

Frakk
04-04-2005, 04:35 PM
Parallax (http://www.parallax.com/) makes pretty good stuff, controller boards, stamps and all that. you can program each stamp the way you want it, with sensors, swithces and anything you can imagine.

ClearCaseMan
04-04-2005, 08:10 PM
you can get a armatron from ebay this was made by radioshack. I purchased one back when I was in high school and added solenoids and a control board so I could control it by my computer. Back then I spent a little over 100.00 including the cost of the armitron.

Crimson Sky
04-04-2005, 09:03 PM
Best way to learn is to start with a basic robot arm kit. This one kit i the link promises to teach locomotion and motor skills :p

http://www.sciencekits.com/robots.htm

fishies
04-04-2005, 10:05 PM
Best way to learn is to start with a basic robot arm kit. This one kit i the link promises to teach locomotion and motor skills :p

http://www.sciencekits.com/robots.htm


Yeah, I've seen that site before. I googled robotic kits, robotic arm kits, robotic tutorials, etc. I need to take some time and go to the Uni Bookstore, but who has time to shop anymore, let alone read print books.

Parallax is a neat site, but for what I want to do, their kits are a tad pricey.

I would like to buy a hexcrawler, but another time. That little bot reminds me of the killer robots in the smash hit movie Runaway, with Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons from KISS.

Man, I can skip the tracks of linear thought sometimes.

Skipper Si
05-09-2007, 08:21 AM
I would like to buy a hexcrawler, but another time. That little bot reminds me of the killer robots in the smash hit movie Runaway, with Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons from KISS.

I love that film! The best film Tom Selleck ever did and to my knowledge the only one Gene did?

I'm brand spanking new to this forum malarkey and to case modding for that matter, but I'm very eager to pop my modding cherry. I've just started working on a new and improved version of the <a href="http://www.wymenfan.com/bender/index.php?page=default/">Bender case mod</a> (I'm building Flexo though so I won't be accused of copying). I've been following your thread with lots of interest because I want to put a robotic arm or arms on my "Flexo" but had no idea of where to start so I've found the tips and sites posted very helpful so far.

What is it that your building exactly? Is it just and arm for your PC or is it attached to something else?

Sorry if this is a bit garbled, like I say I'm a newbie.

Skipper Si
05-09-2007, 12:42 PM
I was wondering if anyone had experience in the field, and would be able to point me in the right direction for resources (books, accurate web inf, etc.) I guess what I am looking for is a general schematic/blueprint that I can tweak.

I found this site, Lynxmotion (http://www.lynxmotion.com/ViewPage.aspx?ContentCode=assembly&CategoryID=19#arms) courtesy of 'Crimson Sky' on another thread, looks like it has everything that we need.

Bucko
05-09-2007, 12:59 PM
That signature is WAAAAAAAY to big.

Please remove it pronto. Maximum size as stated in the rules is 450x150 pixels.

Skipper Si
05-09-2007, 01:16 PM
That signature is WAAAAAAAY to big.

Please remove it pronto. Maximum size as stated in the rules is 450x150 pixels.

Sorry must have missed that bit :D

...how's this?

Bucko
05-09-2007, 01:21 PM
Still too big. It is 450x200, so it's 50 pixels too high.

DaveW
05-10-2007, 07:46 AM
What the hell? Why are you resurrecting a 2 year old thread?

-Dave

Bucko
05-10-2007, 07:59 AM
I didn't spot that.

DaveW
05-10-2007, 08:08 AM
I only noticed because fishies had a year ban. I would have been surprised if he'd actually come back. :)

-Dave

Skipper Si
05-10-2007, 09:12 AM
I only noticed because fishies had a year ban. I would have been surprised if he'd actually come back. :)

-Dave

...Nope just a newbie that was a bit over enthusiastic and forgot to check the date of the message I was replying to.

Ah well, I think I maybe at the top of the learning curve by now, all down hill from here.

Thank for setting me straight guys,

Si

p.s. What did fishies do to get a year ban?

DaveW
05-10-2007, 05:34 PM
Who knows? It was before my time. Pissed off Crimson I guess. :)

jdbnsn
05-10-2007, 06:57 PM
p.s. What did fishies do to get a year ban?

His sig was to big.....hehe...just kidding