Abel Aguilar

CP English 12
Mr. White
Period 2
6 October 2016
Robotic Arm
The assignment of building a robotic arm is not an easy one. There are many components
and tasks that must be done correctly in order to get such a robot to work. As a researcher goes
through the learning process they will run into questions regarding this topic. Some of these
questions include what are the benefits/uses of a robotic arm? What are the best materials for this
project? What methods/designs are the best? All these are good questions that need to be
answered before the actual building process begins. They goes through many obstacles when
creating a robot because robotics is a difficult field and research doesnt always give all the
correct answers right way, problems arise throughout the entire creating process.
The world of robotics is expanding and reaching into many areas of life. A robotic arm
can be a very useful creation and make the world a better place for many. This is a service robot
or a robot that can operate semi- or fully autonomously to help make life easier for humans
(Yusoff et. al.). Amputees often, after tragic accidents, suffer from psychological and physical
difficulties due to their inability to use limbs. A robotic arm can offer a replacement to these
amputees at a very reasonable cost (Bonini et. al.). The cost of a normal prosthetic can be
anywhere between 5,000 to 50,000 dollars and they only last about five years. Not only that but a
prosthetic is an expensive endeavor, they require constant maintenance; one doctor even
comparing it to a car (Tablot). Not only is a 3D printed robotic arm more cost effective but it also

is a lot easier to control. A prosthetic arm many times has confusing controlers, whereas with a
robotic arm it is as easy as picking a gesture on your phone (Bonini et. al.). The possibilities of
robotics are endless and a robotic arm has many benefits that can greatly improve the quality of
living for those who need it.
Another important question to ask is what are the best materials to us for this project?
There are many different do-it-yourself kits that will help you get started but Arduino seems to
be the one that stands out. Arduino is brand of robotics with open-source microcontrollers that
are easy to get started with and often are used in do-it-yourself projects. (Bonini et. al.) A
microcontroller is a mini computer that controls the main function of the robot and Arduinos
functionality is great for a beginner (Smith). They also offer many resources such as online
tutorials and software to help with coding. (Bonini et. al.) It can read the environment with a
wide range of sensors, like touch sensors, and can control multiple outputs at once, like lights,
motors, and sounds (Hacking Arduino). It roughly uses a programing language based on C
which, is not only a fairly simple language to learn, but they also offer online tutorials to help get
started. Arduino is set apart from other brands by its very approachable nature, it's relatively
cheap cost, and amazing functionally (Tablot). The choice to use Arduino is a rather simple one.
The next step is choosing a design and methods of the project. Arduino offers a lot to
base the design and functionally off of. For example, there is the Uno microprocessor, a small
piece of technology with exceptional functionality as it comes with a Adafruit Motor Shield
which has the power to control four DC or two stepper motors at once. Not to mention it can be
stacked if more motors are required. This is great source of power for the project (Tablot). The
actual hand works best with a 3D printed version of the Flexy Hand. 3D printing is very time
consuming and can take multiple tries to get right but is by far the easiest and most cost effective

way of creating the arm (Bonini et. al.). This project is very sensor heavy and finding correct
ones are crucial. Two sensors that should be used in the making are tilt sensors and vibration
sensors. The tilt sensor has a metal ball inside so when the ball is tilted it goes over two contacts
points which allows electricity to flow through. This could be used to detect motion. Another
sensor that is useful is a vibration sensor which can be used as either a speaker or to detect
vibrations like knocking. Again this can help with motion detection (Smith). Other motion
sensors include flex sensors. The best use for these sensors are mounting one on each joint of
each fingers so that when arm movement presses and moves it, that can be used as input (Dixit).
As one can tell, the functionality of the choice of parts is extremely important and should not be
taken lightly.
The task of building a robotic arm is a difficult but a very doable. A researcher should be
prepared to run into many problems as the project moves along. The key is to continuously look
to any future problems and to not get frustrated when they arise. The challenge is great but with
the right determination, is attainable.

Work Cited
Bonini, Nicholas, Nithya Iyer, David Kim, Katherine Mathison, Lauren Wellons.
Robotic Hand in Motion Using Arduino-Controlled Servos. rutger.edu. Rutgers School
of Engineering. 2014. http://soe.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/imce/pdfs/gset2014/Robotic%20Hand%20in%20Motion%20Final%20Paper.pdf. Accessed 27
September 2016.
Dixit, Shantanu, Nitin S. Shingi. Implementation of Flex sensors and Electronic
Compass for Hand Gestures Based Wireless Automation of Material Handling
Robot. citeseerx.ist.psu.edu. Walchand Institute of Technology Solapur.
December 2012.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.301.3966&rep=rep1&ty
pe=pdf. Accessed 27 September 2016.
Hacking Arduino: Extending and Developing It Arduino.cc. Arduino.
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage.Accessed 27 September 2016.
Smith, Allen. Introduction to Arduino: A piece of cake! princeton.edu. Princeton
University. 30 Sep. 2011.
http://www.princeton.edu/~ffab/media___downloads_files/IntroArduinoBook.pdf.
Accessed 27 September 2016.
Tablot, Kathleen. Using Arduino to Design a Myoelectric Prosthetic
Igitalcommons.csbsju.edu. College of Saint Benedict and Saint Johns University.
2014.
http://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=hono
rs_theses Accessed 27 September 2016.

Yusoff, Mohd Ashiq Kamaril, Reza Ezuan Samin, and Babul Salam Kader Ibrahim.
"Wireless mobile robotic arm." Procedia Engineering 41 (2012): 1072-1078.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705812026859 Accessed 27
September 2016.