Clifftop Designs has published an open source model for a compact 5-axis robot arm on Thingiverse. The so-called “Picker Bot” is designed as a low-cost solution for simple, repetitive tasks and is also suitable for manual control.
By using inexpensive, freely available control boards and motors, the price for a device of this size is low. The goal of this robotic arm was to achieve a reach of about one arm length and be able to move objects weighing about 2 to 3 pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kg).
Using belt reduction, stepper gears and high torque servos, the design easily meets these requirements. Five axes of motion and the gripper together with the gripper allow easy control of the arms. The wrist of the gripper can rotate 720 degrees and all other joints have a range of motion of 270 degrees. Control is via a remote control, the built-in screen or by connecting to a PC. Movements can be recorded by the system and then replayed for accurate repetition of complicated and time-consuming tasks.
The operating system (Marlin) works well for basic operation, but leaves room for improvement. The developers invite you to further improve the system. The gripper system can also be improved with additional equipment if required.
Download the design for free
The arm sides and base plate are to be made from 12.7 mm and 6.35 mm thick wooden panels respectively, but STL files for 3D printing are also included. GT2 belts are used as the power transmission system, while cable ties are used for belt tensioning. This keeps the system as simple as possible while being robust enough for all requirements.
A parts list, assembly photographs and wiring diagrams are included in the downloadable files. The control board used is the RAMPS 1.4 with TMC2208 drivers for silent operation.
The code for the servo control module and the control unit are also included in the downloads. The Marlin configuration could not be uploaded due to Thingiverse size limitations and is available on Github instead.
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