Introduction: Building a Waldo for the LittleArm Arduino Robot Arm
The LittleArm is a 3D printed robot arm that is controlled with an Arduino Uno. This Instructable is based on the tutorial posted on the LittleArm website where other examples and downloads are.
The LittleArm is a very simple kit to put together. If you order the parts for the arm it can take less than an hour to assemble. If you print it yourself using the downloadable files it take 7-8 hours to print.
Generally the LittleArm is meant to be controlled by an app running on android or a computer. But this tutorial is about creating a "waldo" using pentameters and a 3D printed arm. The signals from the potentiameters are converted to joint angles in the arm allowing perfect control of the LittleArm's motion.
Step 1: Step 1: Materials
The parts needed for this are:
- 3x 10 kohm potentiometers
- Momentary Push-button switch
- The 3D files for the Waldo structure (scaled 10x in Makerbot). This file is called training_arm_v0.8.zip on the LittleArm website
Step 2: Assemble
Using the wiring diagram solder together the potentiameters and hot glue into the necessary spaces on the 3D printed Waldo. The switch can be hot-glued on the end.
Note: Before doing this step upload the code for the arm (Training Arm V0.4) and calibrate the positions on the Waldo to that of the LittleArm.
Step 3: Step 2: Enjoy
The soldering of the potentiameters and getting the wiring to look nice can take up to 1-2 hours but it is a great result when done.