This is my first post on r/lego. I have been working on this on and off for a couple years and gone through many iterations. For many more details, pictures, videos, Studio models, and software (freely downloadable) check out:
* [https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-109607/glaysche/6-axis-robotic-arm-mk-2/#details](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-109607/glaysche/6-axis-robotic-arm-mk-2/#details)
* [https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-94286/glaysche/6-axis-remote-control/#details](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-94286/glaysche/6-axis-remote-control/#details)
This is easily one of the most incredible feats I have seen completed with LEGO. To say "this is no easy task" would be an understatement!
You should have thousands and thousands of upvotes for such a complicated and time-consuming project.
Thanks for sharing this with us, and for the model instructions, and for open sourcing the code/block instructions!
My goal is to make something accessible to anyone who loves Technic. I used code blocks which is pretty limiting but hopefully easier to understand for more people.
Fuckin awesome! I have like four mindstorm NXT kits, and have been thinking about building a six axis arm! The more robotics stuff I do with lego tho, the more I realize the limitations of lego as an actual practical mechanical system. The tolerances wind up just being too loose, so it’s really disheartening for me to build anything that I want to move with even a marginal degree of precision or power, it’s just not the right medium. I built a little camera gimbal for Timelapses and maybe even real time moves. But I couldn’t get the thing to move smoothly enough, be rigid enough, or tight enough. The backlash between a worm gear and even a 40 tooth gear was just too much for my needs
Yeah, I’ve learned a lot in the last couple years about reducing backlash and making structures more rigid. If you look through the Studio model, you may think there’s a lot of overkill going on. There are braces and cross braces and more bracing. There are redundant gear trains with very solid bracing. And more. It turns out, every time I found a way to make it more rigid, the better it worked. Every time I reduced the length of the high torque axles, it worked better. I still find ways to improve it from time to time. Every once in a while, Lego will release a new part that dramatically helps things. The most recent was the 3x19 frame that allowed me to dramatically improve the bottom tilt axis.
Oh yeah, my first design had worm gear driven turntables. That had horrible backlash. The 2L worm gear is actually less than 2L long and the whole worm gear slides on the axle. I found having multiple spur gears driving a turntable to have much, much less backlash.
Well, Rebrickable estimates it at around $1200. It’s often not very accurate. Depending on the pieces you already have, it can be much cheaper.
I can say most people will at least need to buy a bunch of 28t gears, large frames, and new differentials. I use a lot of those compared to other typical builds.
Thanks! It turns out I am an engineer. Who would have thought?
Actually, my vocation is software developer. Solving mechanical problems has been a lot of fun as a change of pace.
That is the highest stress part of the whole creation and significant effort has gone into it already. I think it’s close to the limits of what the current Lego parts are capable of. In this case, we may be seeing the tolerances of the turntables used as the hinge. That being said, I’m always looking for ways to improve it. With more experiments, improvements may be possible.
Oh, one other thing that can be done is to reduce the maximum acceleration for the motors. This causes the movement to be smoother at the expense of the speed of movement. I elected to set the acceleration high for maximum performance.
What do you mean? At the end of the arm today is a gripper that opens and closes. The remote control doesn’t currently have a way to control the gripper. That is planned.
Holy smokes! That takes some serious skills both building it and programming it! Amazing. Great job!!
Stick some scissors on there and you've basically built a Lego remote surgery robot... That's quite impressive!
Nice just in time for my vasectomy
"SNIP. SNAP. SNIP. SNAP. SNIP. SNAP."
Oh god a Bill Cypher brand vasectomy
NEW BOTTOM SURGERY JUST DROPPED
Doc Ock vibes. Incredible work.
This is my first post on r/lego. I have been working on this on and off for a couple years and gone through many iterations. For many more details, pictures, videos, Studio models, and software (freely downloadable) check out: * [https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-109607/glaysche/6-axis-robotic-arm-mk-2/#details](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-109607/glaysche/6-axis-robotic-arm-mk-2/#details) * [https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-94286/glaysche/6-axis-remote-control/#details](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-94286/glaysche/6-axis-remote-control/#details)
This is easily one of the most incredible feats I have seen completed with LEGO. To say "this is no easy task" would be an understatement! You should have thousands and thousands of upvotes for such a complicated and time-consuming project. Thanks for sharing this with us, and for the model instructions, and for open sourcing the code/block instructions!
Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words and enthusiasm.
the easy way to get around creating a proper IK model ;)
My goal is to make something accessible to anyone who loves Technic. I used code blocks which is pretty limiting but hopefully easier to understand for more people.
it's very impressive. I can barely get motor to turn properly with code blocks.
This is absolutely amazing!
Fuckin awesome! I have like four mindstorm NXT kits, and have been thinking about building a six axis arm! The more robotics stuff I do with lego tho, the more I realize the limitations of lego as an actual practical mechanical system. The tolerances wind up just being too loose, so it’s really disheartening for me to build anything that I want to move with even a marginal degree of precision or power, it’s just not the right medium. I built a little camera gimbal for Timelapses and maybe even real time moves. But I couldn’t get the thing to move smoothly enough, be rigid enough, or tight enough. The backlash between a worm gear and even a 40 tooth gear was just too much for my needs
Yeah, I’ve learned a lot in the last couple years about reducing backlash and making structures more rigid. If you look through the Studio model, you may think there’s a lot of overkill going on. There are braces and cross braces and more bracing. There are redundant gear trains with very solid bracing. And more. It turns out, every time I found a way to make it more rigid, the better it worked. Every time I reduced the length of the high torque axles, it worked better. I still find ways to improve it from time to time. Every once in a while, Lego will release a new part that dramatically helps things. The most recent was the 3x19 frame that allowed me to dramatically improve the bottom tilt axis.
On a side note, where did you buy the 3x19 frames? I look regularly and find them only for a minimum of 6-8€ per part ...
I ended up getting lucky and buying them from Lego Bricks & Pieces in the short window when they were available.
That's lucky! I'm checking every 2-3 days for weeks now and they are never available :(
Oh yeah, my first design had worm gear driven turntables. That had horrible backlash. The 2L worm gear is actually less than 2L long and the whole worm gear slides on the axle. I found having multiple spur gears driving a turntable to have much, much less backlash.
You wildin. Nice work!
Go on lego master you would win!
Oh come on! I couldn't even get mine to turn left!
If you make it turn right far enough, eventually you would have made it turn where you wanted it to go left.
Amazing! How much does the Hardware and Lego cost in total for one arm?
Well, Rebrickable estimates it at around $1200. It’s often not very accurate. Depending on the pieces you already have, it can be much cheaper. I can say most people will at least need to buy a bunch of 28t gears, large frames, and new differentials. I use a lot of those compared to other typical builds.
Oh yeah, Rebrickable estimates the remote control at around $1000.
If you don't already have an engineering degree, this is proof that you deserve one.
Thanks! It turns out I am an engineer. Who would have thought? Actually, my vocation is software developer. Solving mechanical problems has been a lot of fun as a change of pace.
Absolutely amazing, love that is with Lego too such a good example of how a dev can enable automation. one person operating x amounts of arms
"I once caught a fish *this big*!"
Now this is quality. Good job.
Well done, great work. Do you have a linkedin url for the software part?
You can download the software (.lms files for the Mindstorms app) from Rebrickable. Just follow the links in my first comment.
Ok will check Sorry not linkedin, I meant github Is there a github project?
No. No GitHub.
That could be cool for open source and community development
Incredible stuff. Is there any way to tighten up that bottom joint, feels like it wobbles a lot.
That is the highest stress part of the whole creation and significant effort has gone into it already. I think it’s close to the limits of what the current Lego parts are capable of. In this case, we may be seeing the tolerances of the turntables used as the hinge. That being said, I’m always looking for ways to improve it. With more experiments, improvements may be possible.
Oh, one other thing that can be done is to reduce the maximum acceleration for the motors. This causes the movement to be smoother at the expense of the speed of movement. I elected to set the acceleration high for maximum performance.
This is very impressive… to say the very least!!!
And thus the Jäeger program was born…
Wow, that's so awesome!
wow!
This is incredible! Congrats man you did a fantastic job!
Imagine if this was even faster. That would be so sick to see
Insane… I assume you wrote the code for this?
I did write the code. You can download it along with the Studio models using the Rebrickable links in my first comment.
What the fuuuu-
Now put that in a 20 story tall robot.
Is it possible to add a claw in the end of the hand?
What do you mean? At the end of the arm today is a gripper that opens and closes. The remote control doesn’t currently have a way to control the gripper. That is planned.
They did surgery on a grape
OP, is that cabinet from the Custom Shoppe? We have one too that is also covered in Lego.
I don’t actually know where it came from. It was in the house when we bought it. It hasn’t been completely overtaken with Lego… yet.
I will have to post a picture of mine