Motion Controlled Arm
Build a motion controlled robotic arm using a Raspberry Pi and a camera.
Video
For every project I create, I often make a corresponding YouTube video. Sometimes, there might be more than one video for a single project. You can find these videos in this section.
Explore more through this this dedicated video.
Work in progress - more to come soon
Introduction
I’ve wanted to produce those cool pan shots you see on high production videos for a while now, and I’ve been thinking about how to do it. I’ve seen a few different ways to do it, but I think the best way is to use a motion controlled robotic arm.
So this project is about how to create a motion controlled robotic arm using a Raspberry Pi and a camera.
Bill of Materials
| Item | Description | Price | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stepper Motors | NEMA 17 Stepper Motors - Pack of 5 (Amazon) | £35.00 | 1 | £35.00 |
| Connectors | Flange Coupling Connectors (Pack of 4) | £7.99 | 2 | £15.98 |
Build Log
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 6 March 2024 | * Parts take a Long time to print (14 hours for 1 part of the Elbow) * Dr Chris Parrott is concerned the design will not be structurally strong enough, suggests using Servos for simplicity * May be a bit large and slightly- over-engineered |
| 08 March 2024 | * Had a call with Viam - they are interested in the robot arm for use with the Viam app. * May need to buy some bearings to make joints smoother and take some of the load off the motor |
3D Models
Here are the 3D printable STL files:
STL List
| File | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| arm_b_red_side.stl | Arm B - Red Side | Arm B - Red Side |
| arm_b_white_side.stl | Arm B - White Side | Arm B - White Side |
| arm_a_red_half.stl | Arm A - Red half | Arm A - Red Half |
| arm_a_white_half.stl | Arm A - White Half | Arm A - White Half |
