Introduction: Arduino Voice Controlled Robot Arm

By
About: 18yr old from Chile, currently studding electronics engineering in Universidad Federico Santa Maria

Have you ever felt fustrated doing things wishing you had one more hand?

Well, this will help you.

This is a robot that can do whatever that you want just speaking to it for example you can say "up" and the robot will do a little movement to the side that you said.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools:

  • A drill (to do holes and to put screws) with a 3mm bit.
  • Glue, I recommend using epoxy glue because is stronger.
  • 3mm screw with a nut.

Materials:

  • Arduino uno, you can other arduino board if you like.
  • HC-06 or HC-05.
  • Two s3003 servo.
  • Two mg90s servo.
  • Jumper wires and a mini breadboard.
  • A few of cable ties.
  • A power supply. I am using a 7.4v 500mA lipo battery wich is conected to the arduino uno.
  • An android cellphone with this program: AMR voice, you can find it at google play.
  • an acrylic sheet of 30x20cm and 5 mm width
  • I made a cable to power the arduino uno (last photo) 11 step

I purchase all the materials on ebay but you also can purchase it in other store.

You can use another servo if you like but think about the weight that it can support.

An android cellphone with this program: AMR voice, you can find it at google play.

Step 2: The Schematic

Here is the schematic that you have to copy in your breadboard.


If the schematic is so coufusing here is explained better:

The claw servo is conected to pin 5
The claw rotation servo to pin 6
The first arm servo to pin 10
The rotation base servo to pin 11

TX to RX

RX to TX

GND to GND

VCC to 3.3v (HC-06)

Attachments

Step 3: Cutting the Acrylic Parts

If you already have a robotic arm like a 3d printed one jump to step 11 and connect the servos to the arduino.

The base.

The base is made from acrylic and it is 15x15cm.

Step 4: Cutting the Acrylic Parts

The movement base is 7x7cm

Step 5: The First and the Second Arm

The first arm and the second arm have the same measure, they are 11x5cm

I add some screws (picture 3) because my acrylic sheet is thinner than or 5mm so I put it twice (picture 4)

Step 6: The Claw

The claw you can purchase it or build it.

It's better to use a thinner acrylic sheet here like one of 3mm.

To build it you have to cut the pieces that are showed in the third photo

Step 7: Putting All Together (the Base)

In this step you need a s3003 servo and his accessories, and the base that you cut.

First take the base and a s3003 servo, then identify the center of the base (picture 1) and put the servo like in the picture 1 then do four holes (picture 2 and 3) to put two plastic ties (picture 4)

Step 8: Putting All Together (movement Base)

Identify the center of the movement base and do a hole of 3mm then put the s3003 arm like in the second photo.

Then put other s3003 servo like in the four photo with some cable ties.

DON'T put together the servos with arms yet because we haven't identified the middle point of the servos (90 degrees)

Step 9: Putting All Together (movement Arms)

First, you have to do a hole of 3mm (just if your screw is 3mm width) in the corner of the two arms like in the first photo, then put them together like in the second photo with the screw and the nut.

After that you have to put the s3003 arm (fourth image) with glue or screws (i did it with glue).

Then put the mg90s servo like in the sixth image with some cable ties.

DON'T put together the servos with arms yet because we haven't identified the middle point of the servos (90 degrees)

Step 10: Putting All Together (claw)

first paste the mg90s servo to the servo arm (the one that is placed in the movement arm) and put glue there (first photo) then glue the 4x1.5cm acrylic part to the servo like in the second photo.

after that paste the 5x1.5cm and the 1.5x1cm piece like in the last photo (It has the shape of a letter "L").

DON'T put together the servos with arms yet because we haven't identified the middle point of the servos (90 degrees)

Step 11: The Power Supply

You must have the conector of the first photo to power the arduino.

To build it you have to buy this connector (third photo) and this one (fourth image) You just need a female connector.

Join the cables, but check the polarity.



Step 12: The Last Details

Fit the breadboard, the arduino and the battery in the base with double sided tape or glue.

Step 13: The Code

The code is below.

Feel free to modify it.

After upload it you can put together the servos with their arms.

Repeated are those that make the robot move more.

You can say:

  • Left
  • Left Left
  • Right
  • Right Right
  • Up
  • Up Up
  • Down
  • Down Down
  • Rotate Right
  • Rotate Right Right
  • Rotate Left
  • Rotate Left Left
  • Squeeze
  • Squeeze Squeeze
  • Release
  • Release Release


Attachments

Step 14: The Test

First switch on the robot then download "AMR voice" from google play and open it, press the menu key and press where says "conect robot" after that conect to your robot, if you have to put a password put "1234" or"0000", if it conect press the button and say "up" if the robot did a little movement to the side that you say, you are ready!

Step 15: Future Improvements

So, that is my voice controlled robot arm, in the future I may improve it adding a microphone, that will help because you don't have to have a cellphone and to push a button.

Anyway, thanks all for reading this Instructable.

Vote for my project in contests !!

Best of luck!