AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING

Robotics
MTE 410 L
Report # 1
Prepared by:
Dany Hajj Ali Sleiman
Presented to:
Dr. Samer Kaed-Bey
February 14, 2016
Achrafieh Campus

Abstract
This project is about designing a robotic arm using PIC
microcontroller, this project is a practice to get an advanced
knowledge about the robotics course we are taking. My robotic
arm consists of the mechanical parts (Sensors, and actuators).
The signal processing part (filtering, amplification, and
conditioning) my project also contains the Electrical part (the
needed electrical circuit for the functioning of the arm). The
control part (using PIC microcontroller as a controlling unit). This
makes my robotic arm a pure mechatronics system containing all
the needed requirements.

Table of Contents
Abstract
2
Table of Contents......................................................................................................... 3
List of
figures
4
Introduction

.5
Design of a robotic arm
.
6
Servo motors

.7
Potentiometers

7
List of Materials

8
Results and Conclusions
.9

References

..10

List of figures

Figure 1: Circuit diagram

..6
Figure 2: Servo motor
.7
Figure 3: Potentiometer
7

Introduction:

The term robot comes from the Czech word robota,

generally translated as "forced labor." This describes the majority of robots
fairly well. Most robots in the world are designed for heavy, repetitive
manufacturing work. They handle tasks that are difficult, dangerous or
boring to human beings.
The most common manufacturing robot is the robotic arm. A typical robotic
arm is made up of seven metal segments, joined by six joints. The
computer controls the robot by rotating individual step motors connected
to each joint (some larger arms use hydraulics or pneumatics). Unlike
ordinary motors, step motors move in exact increments (check
out Anaheim Automation to find out how). This allows the computer to
move the arm very precisely, repeating exactly the same movement over
and over again. The robot uses motion sensors to make sure it moves just
the right amount. [1]

Design of a Robotic Arm:

The Robotic Arm is

designed using the Microcontroller i.e. PIC16f Microcontroller using C programming. This process works on the
principle of interfacing servos and potentiometers. This task
is achieved by using Electronics board. Potentiometers play
an important role the remote is fitted with potentiometers
and the servos are attached to the body of the robotic arm.
The potentiometer converts the mechanical motion into
electrical motion. Hence, on the motion of the remote the
potentiometers produce the electrical pulses, which are
enroot for the electronics board. The board then processes
the signals received from the potentiometers and finally,
converts them into requisite digital pulses that are then sent
to the servomotors. This servo will respond with regards to
the pulses which results in the moment of the arm.
Figure 1 shows the image of a servo motor. Motor which is
coupled to a sensor, used for position feedback, through a
reduction gearbox. It also accompanies a relatively
sophisticated controller, usually a dedicated module
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designed specifically for use with servomotors short, the

micro controller interfaces all these components specified
below [2].

Servo Motors:

Servo refers to an error sensing

feedback control which is used to correct the performance of
a system. Servo or RC Servo Motors are DC motors equipped
with a servo mechanism for precise control of angular
position. The RC servo motors usually have a rotation limit
from 90 to 180. But servos do not rotate continually. Their
rotation is restricted in between the fixed angles. A
servomotor is a motor, which forms part of a
servomechanism [3].

Potentiometer: A potentiometer, informally a pot, is a

three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an
adjustable voltage divider.[1] If only two terminals are used, one end
and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat.

List of materials

-6 servos (i used 2x mg946, 2x mg995, 2xf utuba

s3003(mg995/mg946 is better then the futuba s3003, but they are
much cheaper)) about 10 dollar a piece
-lexan 2mm (and a smal piece of 4mm) if you dont have any, about 5
dollar for a nice piece
8

-distance sensor (hc-sr04) about 5 dollar

-10mm led (any color you like) 0,50 dollar
-stative (you need a box or someting like that to put your arm on)
saved ;)
-claw(you can buy one on the internet) about 15 dollar
brain:
-PIC16f about 15 dollar
-power circuit board ( you need to make this, i come on this later, but
it is not that spacial) free, you make it your self :)
-power supply (i used one from a old pc) free!!
-pc to program the arm using C programming [4].

Results and Conclusions:

The proto-type robotic

arm pick and place system utilizes programmable logic controller,
sensor technology, and pneumatic components such as compact
cylinder, linear cylinder, rotary cylinder, gripper, and directional
valves. The robotic arm pick and place system is composed of a
loading station, testing station, processing station, and sorting
station. It can be generalized that the robotic arm pick and place
system has satisfied the motion sequence of the system intended
to manipulate every process by ladder programming through the
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use of programmable logic controller (PLC). Ladder programming

is the primary programming language used to execute the motion
sequence of the robotic arm pick and place system.

References
[1] http://pic-microcontroller.com/the-wooden-menace-a-mighty-robotic-armpowered-by-servos-using-pic-microcontoller/

[2] http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-robot-arm-/
[3]
http://www.nxtprograms.com/robot_arm/steps.html
[4]
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_arm_tutorial.sh
tml
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