SCARA-vador Dali: Robotic Drawing Arm 004-1 ECE342-W23

Python
3D Printing
Arduino
PCB
Robotics

The goal of this project was to design and build a two-axis robotic drawing arm using SCARA (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm) topology. The system needed to be capable of taking in G-Code commands through a Python interface so that a technician could control the movement of the arm. The purpose of the system was to use the code and mechanics of the arm to draw a straight line and a box on a piece of letter paper. To implement this system, we used an Arduino UNO that interfaced with a custom designed PCB to control the movement of the arm. The Arduino converted the source code to digital signals which the PCB used to drive stepper motors on the arm. The arm consisted of two rotating joints in the X and Y directions, each with an attached stepper motor. These motors were also connected to a pulley system that allowed the rotation of the motors to drive arm rotation. Inverse kinematics were used to calculate the appropriate angles for the arm to draw accurately. As with any project, design of the system came with its own set of challenges. Some of the main things we struggled with were debugging the ICs, coming up with creative ways to reinforce the arm, and understanding the protocol for inverse kinematics to make the code work. This was especially challenging when we lost our source code to a fried laptop. That being said, we gained a lot of insight on the design process. Our most notable accomplishments include designing a PCB from scratch.

1 Lifts 

Artifacts

Name Description
Executive Summary Executive Summary   Download
Project Video Project Video   Link